The mine uses truck and shovel mining to extract coal from the pit. Coal mining has taken place in Pictou County for more than 400 years, and the pit is the last operating coal mine in Nova Scotia Underground mining previously took place in the area where the Stellarton pit is located,^[2] remnants of the tunnels from underground mining can still be seen on the pit walls.^[1] In 2014 Pioneer Coal applied to modify the "method of extraction" to include explosives, allowing them to blast through 9.1 metres (30 ft) of rock to access a 3.4 metres (11 ft) seam of coal. The application has raised concern with the local community.^[3]

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer Coal Mine