The fuelling of steam-powered vessels was never as important a factor as predicted for the coal trade. Of greater significance in the long run was the steady business provided by the expansion of the steam-driven railway system which blanketed Canada by the end of the nineteenth century. On the other hand, the establishment of coaling stations for the Royal Navy offered the Nova Scotia industry an opportunity to play an integral part in imperial defence. The arrangement also permitted a comparison of the relative merits of Nova Scotia and British Newcastle coal, the latter being standard for the fleet. The good to fair rating of Nova Scotia coal was a substantial achievement, especially when one considers the generally pernickety attitude of the Royal Navy's engineers.
H.M.S. Ariadne was one of the largest warships to visit Halifax prior to World War I. The sailors loading coal obviously considered this to be one of their least enjoyable duties. Wheelbarrows for the use of this and other vessels were provided by the coal firms. The bustle of the dockyard reflects the importance of expanding regional centres to the coal trade. Factories such as the Halifax Sugar Refinery, shown in the background of this Notman photograph, were increasingly significant local consumers of coal.
