Cassidy is an unincorporated community straddling Haslam Creek. near the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The location on BC Highway 19 is about by road north-west of Victoria, and south of Nanaimo. The area is served by the coast-spanning Island Highway, the Island Rail Corridor, and the Nanaimo Airport. Name origin Thomas Cassidy farmed in the Oyster district from the 1870s. The homestead was called Cassidy's place or Tom Cassidy's. In 1884, his initial preemption converted into a Crown grant. During the railway construction 1884–1886, he supplied the camps near the Nanaimo River with milk and vegetables. By the early 1900s, the locality was known as Cassidy's Siding. His son, Thomas William Cassidy, sold to the Department of National Defence in 1942 for a Royal Canadian Air Force glider pilot training facility. The site is now home to the Nanaimo Airport. Coalmine In 1918, Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company began working the Douglas coal seam. However, the sandy overburden made mining difficult. At the peak of production in 1921 and 1922, 450 men worked each shift. In 1928, the mine had a total of 500 employees, and 200 working each eight-hour shift that produced 1,000 tons. In 1932, the Granby mine ceased operation because of the coal seam exhausting, the rising popularity of oil, the dangerous condition of the mine, and the Great Depression. Seven different mines operated in the vicinity from 1917 to 1953 producing over 2.5 million tonnes of coal. Early community In 1919, the company established the settlement of Cassidy. The model town included 19 houses of various sizes connected to power, water, and sewer, with a provision for a further 50 residences. The tree lined streets had grass verges and sidewalks. A single men's concrete dormitory, accommodating workers in 76 rooms, had light, hot and cold water and steam heat. Equally, the mess house had all modern conveniences. The recreation ground facilitated a range of sports activities. The town, which covered , had paved streets, a department store and a theatre. In 1932, when the mine closed, residents abandoned their houses. In March 1936, the remnants of the town were auctioned and largely removed. By 1951, only a caretaker and skeletal concrete structures remained. Railway Around 1907 to 1908, a station briefly existed south at Coburn. A decade later at Cassidy, a spur line connected to the E&N Railway, from