Bangor Sawmill Museum

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The Bangor Sawmill Museum was a historic sawmill located in Meteghan in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The first sawmill in the area was erected in 1877, [1] the mill burned down twice and was rebuilt, and sawmill operations closed in the 1980s. [2] The site was subsequently used as a museum from 2001 until the sawmill was destroyed by fire in 2024. [1] [3] The sawmill was among the last functional water-powered turbine lumber sawmills in North America. [4] [5]

The fire which destroyed the sawmill began on the morning of 8 June 2024. The 85 firefighters on scene successfully extinguished the flames, but the structure suffered such extensive damage that what remained was demolished. The RCMP found no evidence of arson, but some locals were skeptical, concluding that "there's no way that the fire could have started by itself". [6] A number of artifacts from the museum were salvaged, however the machinery in the sawmill dating back as far as 1929 was unable to be saved. [7]

The Bangor Development Commission has announced plans to rebuild the museum. [8] [9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Historic sawmill and museum in Nova Scotia destroyed in weekend blaze". The Globe and Mail . Meteghan, N.S. The Canadian Press. 9 June 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  2. Thomson, Aly (7 June 2018). "N.S. sawmill museum blames closure on Canada Summer Jobs abortion controversy". Global News . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  3. Woodbury, Richard (8 June 2024). "N.S. community 'devastated' by loss of historic sawmill, museum". CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  4. Lacasse, Mike (9 June 2024). "Early morning fire destroys historic Digby sawmill". CityNews . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  5. Comeau, Tina (10 August 2024). "Community spirit lives on: Aug. 11 celebration planned at Bangor Mill site following devastating June fire". PNI Atlantic News . Meteghan River, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  6. Mulligan, Preston (5 December 2024). "RCMP say fire that destroyed historic N.S. sawmill and museum not criminal, but locals have doubts". CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  7. Comeau, Tina (18 June 2024). "'The mill is burning, my heart just sank': Coping with loss, moving forward, after historic Bangor sawmill destroyed". PNI Atlantic News . Bangor, N.S.: Postmedia Network . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  8. Neighbours look to rebuild Bangor Sawmill Museum (Video). CBC News . Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  9. Northup, Kevin (12 June 2024). "Community plans to re-build museum honouring Bangor Sawmill". CIGO-FM . Port Hawkesbury, N.S.: Acadia Broadcasting . Retrieved 23 November 2025.

Further reading