Glace Bay

Glace Bay is a town on Cape Breton Island, which forms the north-eastern part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Situated on the south-eastern shore of Cape Breton Island, Glace Bay is approximately 40KM from Sydney, Cape Breton's main commercial center and the capital of Cape Breton from the time Cape Breton was made a separate British colony in 1784 until it rejoined Nova Scotia in 1820.

Glace Bay was once a prosperous coal mining town. In 1860 the Glace Bay Mining Company was formed and it operated two mines. The first large mine, the Hub Shaft of Glace Bay, opened in 1861. In total, Glace Bay had 12 coal mines. In 1894, the government gave exclusive mining rights to an American syndicate, the Dominion Coal Company. By 1903, the Dominion Coal Company was producing 3,250,000 tonnes per year. By 1912, the company had 16 collieries in full operation and its production accounted for 40% of Canada's total output.

In its heyday, Glace Bay was a thriving town with a growing population. The last coal mine, Number 26, was closed following a fire in 1984, after 84 years of service. Since then, Glace Bay's population has dwindled to less than 20,000. The people of Glace Bay remain proud of their mining heritage, however, and efforts continue to be made to revive the town's economy.