First Floor |
 Miner's House Exhibit
A slice of life
from the first 50 years of the town. The items in this composite room
were needed for everyday laundry, bathing, grooming and feeding the
family between 1900 and 1940's.
Please note the wooden ice box, the
pickling crocks, the organ and various toys. |
 Mining Exhibit
This is a representation
of number 20 colliery. You can see some of the tools and equipment that
were used by the men in the mines, including items such as the "Piece
can" (so named as it usually held pieces of what ever could be found for
lunch). Ponies were used in smaller coal seams and horses in the larger.
The Mining Display Cabinet has more tools and equipment used for mining.
There is also some fossils and an explanation of coal formation. |
 Fishing Exhibit
This is a representation
of the shore line of Glace Bay Harbour in the 1940's including shore
birds and some tools and equipment. The mural is of a swordfish and
there is a real "sword" displayed beside it. The exhibit also details
the individuals who acted as the driving force behind the towns seafood
industry. |
 School Room Exhibit
This includes a map
of Cape Breton from 1903 that has the coal mining areas marked off in
boxes. Note the teacher's Rules on the desk. The Union Jack was in every
school room. This exhibit also plays host to a gallery of the all former
superintendents of Glace Bay's Schools. |
 Military Exhibit
Dedicated to the brave
service men and women of the Canadian armed forces of Cape Breton,
photos, uniforms, and other military artifacts are on display here. The
display changes on a regular basis and feature such prominent figures as
John Bernard Croak, the only Cape Bretoner to receive the Victorian
Cross. |
 Police Exhibit
As an important part of
the town's history we have a display dedicated to all who answered the
call to serve and protect this community. From a force of one chief and
two deputies in the 1900's, to a full sized force of the 1990's prior to
amalgamation; this exhibit chronicles the evolution of the Glace Bay's
police service. Included are uniforms, equipment, badges, and decals of
The Glace Bay Police Department. |
 Sydney & Louisbourg Railway
The Sydney
& Louisbourg Railway was the arterial link for Cape Breton moving
passengers and freight from community to community. The museum exhibit
acts as a representation of the Glace Bay S & L Railway office. The
display includes photos, passes, ticket stubs, and artifacts such as an
original desk from the station master's office and a bell from one of
the engines. |
 Courtroom
Portraits of all Glace Bay's
Mayors, two town clerks and the first magistrate are on the walls. The
courtroom is now fully restored and now plays host to monthly meeting of
the Glace Bay Historical Society as well as various other functions
throughout the year. The courtroom also acts as a gallery of the former
mayors of the town.
To view former mayors and their bios click here. |
|
Second Floor |
 Council Chambers
The Council Chamber was
restored to the way it might have looked in 1903, when the Town Hall
contruction was completed. Here the Mayor and Councillors carried on the
business of the Town of Glace Bay, once known as "Canada's largest".
|
 Marconi Room
It houses numerous
historical photographs and artifacts depicting the first Trans Atlantic
Wireless Service, which was established between Glace Bay and Ireland in
1907. |
 Sports Room
The long, open room gives
you a glimpse into various pastimes of the town floks in the last
century.
For example the Colliery Laegue was established for coal
miners who wanted to play hockey or baseball. It gave the miners a
chance to escape from day to day problems and added to clseness of the
community
The large picture, painted by well known local artists
Kenny Boone, depicts the Glace Bay Miners Forum, built in 1938/1939. It
has been described as the heart of the community and was the focal point
of entertainment for the Town of Glace Bay ans its neighbouring
communities.
Here NHL hockey games were played. Big Bands such as
Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, to name a few, played
for dnaces. Royal Lipizzaner Stallions, Gene Autry and his Rodeo Show,
circuses and Military Tattoos entertained large audiences. |
