Sydney Mines: Carman

Carman United Church is a single point Pastoral Charge, serving about 150 Northside households, mainly from the community of Sydney Mines. The church is on Clyde Avenue near Main Street.

In the early years of the nineteenth century, when Sydney Mines was very young, a small group of devoted Christians began meeting in homes for Sunday worship.  In classic Methodist style, through the 1830s, Rev. James Hennigar came across the harbour from Sydney by canoe, to conduct services in Sydney Mines.  The congregation expanded, and in 1840 completed construction of a church building on Main Street.

Sydney Mines was founded in 1784, incorporated as a town in 1889, and amalgamated with eight other municipal bodies in 1994 to form the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Facing Sydney across the harbour, Sydney Mines, North Sydney and several smaller communities nearby, are known collectively within the municipality as “The Northside”.

Sydney Mines was once a major coal-producing community with mining operations dating from 1766.  One mine extended about 8 kilometers out under the sea.  Large scale mining activity in Cape Breton ceased in 2001 with the closure of The Cape Breton Development Corporation. 

The population of approximately 7,000 is ethnically diverse, divided among several religious traditions, including Roman Catholic, United, Anglican, Baptist and Presbyterian among others.

Within the Northside Christian Community, there is a sense of co-operation and mutual support, which is a significant positive for everyone.  There are seven other Christian Churches located in Sydney Mines.  Examples of broader, friendly, mutually supportive ecumenical projects include:

·        A food drive to obtain supplies and donations for the food bank.

·        “Walk with the Cross”; a communal Easter event.

·        A seder meal, attended by some 60 persons, organized by Carman people, and open to all, is held annually.

·        A community outreach program called “Christmas Cheer” was initiated at Carman.

The Carman congregation has shown awareness and support for the wider church and for the community it serves with some regularity over the years.  In 1985/86, while she was minister at Carman, the Rev. Diane MacVicar served as President of Maritime Conference.  Rev. Karen Ralph served as chairperson of the Sydney Mines Renewal Association, from its inception in 1998 until its conclusion on December 31, 2007.  During this time, a new retail and office complex was constructed and extensive restoration and upgrading took place in Sydney Mines, especially along Main Street.  Clergy would not be able to undertake major challenges of this nature without the strong support of dedicated lay people, within the home congregation.