Stellarton
Stellarton, or Meinnean na h-Albann in Gaelic, is a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada, just south of New Glasgow. It began as Coal Mines Station and was called Albion Mines from 1833 to 1889, when it was renamed Stellarton. The name comes from stellarite, a coal-related mineral that glowed with a star-like flame.
Stellarton sits in the Stellarton Basin in the Pictou Coalfield, with thick coal seams (up to about 15 metres). The Foord coal seam runs through much of the town. In the 19th century, mining here advanced with new technology, including Nova Scotia’s first steam pumping engine and the Samson locomotive—the oldest in Canada—which is now kept at the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry in Stellarton.
In 2021, Stellarton had 4,007 residents living in 8.99 square kilometres (about 445 people per square kilometre). The population fell slightly from 2016.
Coal mining continues at the Stellarton Surface Coal Mine, run by Pioneer Coal since 1980. The Sobeys grocery company is based in Stellarton, with several related businesses operating there. The town is home to the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry. Stellarton is known for its painted fire hydrants, each showing a local worker or profession. The Stellarton Memorial Ice Rink, built in 1945 to honor soldiers from the World Wars, still stands.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:17 (CET).