The Bell Island Mines — A Legacy Beneath the Sea Located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, Bell Island was once home to one of the most remarkable iron ore mining operations in the world. Mining began in 1895, after rich iron deposits were discovered running deep beneath the island and extending far under the ocean floor. For more than 70 years, Bell Island’s mines supplied high-grade iron ore to steel mills in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Hamilton, Ontario, as well as markets overseas. At its peak,