In the latter part of the 19th century there was a great deal of activity in mining in Nova Scotia, especially in gold and coal. Because of this activity, in 1885, The American Institute of Mining Engineers held its annual meeting in Halifax, NS. This prestigious meeting may well have been the spark that led to a local mining organization, since, early in 1887 a group of the best known mining men in the province met in Halifax and under a motion of J.H. Townsend, the Gold Miners Club of Nova Scotia was formed. It was the first professional mining association in Canada and turned out to be the direct antecedent of both the Mining Society of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. A slate of officers was elected and Ben Wison became its first President. R.G. Leckie and John Hardman were Vice-Presidents. See: An Act to Incorporate the "Gold Miners Association of Nova Scotia, Limited
In 1892, prompted by a threatened royalty on coal, the Mining industry of Nova Scotia closed ranks and the Gold Miners Club became The Mining Society of Nova Scotia. Henry S. Poole was elected President.
A short time later the formation of a national mining group was to take place. Leading to its formation was the Federation of the Ontario Mining Institute, The Quebec Mining Association, and the Mining Society of Nova Scotia.
One of the main reasons for joining the Federation was to release the Society from the job of publishing its own proceedings - the year was 1894. Further meetings took place to discuss the ramifications of the Union but by 1896, the Canadian institute of mining was firmly established with its first chairman, R.G. Leckie.
Our relationship with the National body began as an autonomous one. With the demise of the Federation in 1896, the Society decided to revise its own Journal for the publication of its transactions and did so until the last issue in 1917.
Throughout the early years of the 20th century, Sexton, Gary and others were working on an affiliation with the National body. Finally in 1918 at our Annual meeting of the Society in New Glasgow, The Mining Society of Nova Scotia became an affiliate of the CIM, but maintaining its name, remaining self-governing, and keeping the use of any grants or donations for its own purpose. In return for a fee, the Institute would relieve the Society of all expenses in the publication of their transactions.
John H. Anderson
Charles F. Andrews
A.B. Cox
Clarence H. Dimock
Geo. E. Francklyn
L.W. Getchell
John E. Hardman
Alonozo A. Hayward
Robt. G. Leckie
W.L. Lindsay
E.M. MacDonald
G.F. MacNaughton
Geo. A. Pyke
H.A. Sanders
Geo. W. Stuart
C.E. Willis
Benjamin C. Wilson
2017 Lucas Dickie
2016-17 Gary Chew
2015-16 Chris Barron
2014-15 Ed Carey
2013-14 Regan Isenor
2012-13 Willie McNeil
2011-12 Matt Ferguson
2010-11 Dan MacLeod
2009-10 Bob MacDonald
2008-09 Gordon Dickie
2007-08 Dan MacDonald
2006-07 Paul Smith
2005-06 Fenton Isenor
2004-05 Will Felderhof
2003-04 Sam Schwartz
2002-03 Alan Davidson
2001-02 Kevin Beaton
2000-01 Howard Donohoe
1999-00 David Forrester
1998-99 Wayne Morrison
1997-98 John Fitzgerald
1996-97 Russell Logan
1995-96 Wayne Rogers
1994-95 Greg Isenor
1993-94 Terry Davis
1992-93 William Mundle
1991-92 Wayne LeBlanc
1990-91 Frank Nolan
1989-90 H. R. Oldale
1988-89 Roy C. Mosher
1987-88 Robert Cooper
1986-87 Stephen Farrell
1985-86 John A. Amirault
1984-85 Reid Martin
1983-84 Raymond T. Carman
1982-83 Don W. McAdam
1981-82 Dr. P. Hacquebard
1980-81 Joseph Phalen
1979-80 John Logan
1978-79 R.I. Grant
1977-78 Gordon W. Ross
1976-77 John J. Bardswich
1975-76 Frank S. Shea
1974-75 J.C. Marsh
1973-74 J.R. Cameron
1972-73 Dr. W.S. Shaw
1971-72 John E. Terry
1970-71 A. Roy MacLean
1969-70 J.P. Nowlan
1968-69 S. Gorddon Naish
1967-68 John J. Laffin
1966-67 D.M. MacMillan
1965-66 W.E. MacDonald
1964-65 H.A. Marshall
1963-64 D.W. MacFadgen
1962-63 Sid C. Mifflin
1961-62 Frank S. Jones
1960-61 Louis Frost
1959-60 M.G. Goudge
1958-59 E. Sterling MacLean
1957-58 D. Owen Hartigan
1956-57 Angus MacDonald
1955-56 Edward D. Brown
1954-55 Frank Doxey
1953-54 Reginald Charlick
1952-53 J.A. Russell
1951-52 Donald J. MacNeil
1950-51 John H. Fraser
1949-50 David G. Burchell
1948-49 Thomas J. Casey
1947-48 Robert R. Dickson
1946-47 Sherred A. Willis
1945-46 William S. MacDonald
1944-45 Alan E. Cameron
1943-44 William S. Wilson
1941-43 Garfield G. Bowser
1940-41 Hugh B. Gillis
1939-40 A. Edward Flynn
1938-39 Donald F. McDonald
1937-38 Alex McEachern
1936-37 Norman T. Avard
1935-36 James R. Dinn
1934-35 A.L. Hay
1933-34 John P. Messervey
1932-33 John C. Nicholson
1931-32 Michael Dwyer
1930-31 Thomas L. McColl
1929-30 John J. McDougall
1928-29 Walter Herd
1927-28 Francis W. Gray
1925-27 Alex S. MacNeil
1923-25 Charles M. Odell
1921-23 George D. McDougall
1920-21 Alfred J. Tonge
1918-20 Thomas L. Cantley
1915-18 Donald H. MacDougall
1913-15 Frederick H. Sexton
1911-13 Gerard J. Partington
1909-11 Thomas J. Brown
1907-09 Charles J. Coll
1905-07 Alonzo A. Hayward
1904-05 Clarence H. Dimock
1903-04 Cornelius Shields
1902-03 Geo. W. Stuart
1900-02 Wilbur L. Libbey
1898-00 Charles Fergie
1896-98 Robert G. Leckie
1895-96 Richard H. Brown
1894-95 John E. Hardman
1892-94 Henry S. Poole
1887-92 Ben C. Wilson
