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Glace Bay

Coordinates: 46°12′N 59°58′W / 46.200°N 59.967°W / 46.200; -59.967
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"Glace Bay" redirects here. For the ships, see HMCS Glace Bay.
Glace Bay
Glasbaidh Gaelic
Community
CountryCanada
Provinces of CanadaNova Scotia
Regional MunicipalityCape Breton Regional Municipality
Founded1785
Incorporated City1901
DissolvedAugust 1, 1995
Area
 • Total35.15 km2 (13.57 sq mi)
Elevation
Sea level to 56 m (0 to 183.72 ft)
Population
 (2006)
From Statistics Canada
 • Total19,968
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (ADT)
Canadian Postal code
B1A
Area code902
Telephone Exchange849, 842

Glace Bay (2006 pop. 19,968) is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton.

Formerly an independently incorporated town (1901–1995), the municipal government in Glace Bay was dissolved and the community has been amalgamated into the larger regional municipality. Prior to amalgamation, Glace Bay had been the province's fourth largest urban area and was the largest town in Nova Scotia (in population).

Neighboring communities include: Reserve Mines, Dominion, Tower Road.

History

Census Population
Town
1891 2,459
1901 6,945
1911 16,562
1921 17,007
1931 20,706
1941 25,050
1951 25,586
1961 24,186
1971 22,440
1981 21,466
1991 19,501
Urban Area
2001 21,187
2006 19,968

As early as the 1720s the French inhabited the area to supply Fortress Louisbourg with coal.[1] They named the location baie de Glace (literally, Ice Bay) because of the sea ice which filled the ocean each winter. Following the formation of the Dominion Coal Company in 1893, a number of mines were opened in what was to become Glace Bay. Small communities grew up around the mines and by 1901 they came together to form the Town of Glace Bay. At the time of incorporation, the population was 6,945.[2] By the 1940s, the figure exceeded 28,000 and Glace Bay became Canada's largest town (in population).[2] At one time, the town had 12 collieries but none remain. The industrial decline has seen the core population decrease to 16,984 as of 2001[3] and has been dissolved/deincorporated since municipal amalgamation in 1995 which formed the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Economy

Coal mine, Glace Bay, NS, 1930
Schooners, Glace Bay, 1914

Glace Bay was once a coal mining town. In 1860 the Glace Bay Mining Company was formed and it operated two mines. The first large colliery, the Hub Shaft, opened in 1861. Large-scale mining commenced in 1893 after exclusive mining rights were granted to the Dominion Coal Company. Glace Bay was incorporated as a town nine years later. At its high point the company operated eleven mines in all, and was responsible for 40% of Canada's coal production. Coal was transported on the Sydney and Louisburg Railway to both of those ports for shipping. The S & L Railway's main operations, including the roundhouse and machine shops were located in Glace Bay. Glace Bay's extensive coal and rail operations made the town the industrial center of Cape Breton. As coal mining became less important, the mines were closed until, in 1984 Colliery No. 26 was closed by the Cape Breton Development Corporation. Many residents of Glace Bay started to work at the two other coal mines in the area: Prince Colliery in Point Aconi and Phalen Colliery and Lingan Colliery in Lingan. However, coal mining continued its decline with Lingan closing in the mid-1990s, followed by Phalen in 1999, and Prince in 2001.

Fishing was also an important industry throughout the 20th century. However, by the 1990s fish stocks were so depleted that the fishery was closed. Some fish processing still occurs here.

Present day

The former town of Glace Bay has a population of slightly fewer than 20,000 people. In 2001, a call centre operated by Stream Global Services, using post-industrialization subsidies opened.

The Swiss mining consortium Xstrata is the primary partner in the Donkin Coal Development Alliance, which won the rights to develop an abandoned mine site in the nearby community of Donkin.

Historical features and places

Marconi National Historic Site

Marconi Towers -- shown above -- replaced the Table Head site

Parks Canada maintains a national historic site at Table Head, Glace Bay honouring the role of Guglielmo Marconi in the development of radio communications. In 1901, the first west to east wireless message was sent across the Atlantic Ocean to England from this site. A spark gap transmitter with 75 kilowatts of power fed four tall antennas on the 5-acre (20,000 m2) site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. In December 1902 Marconi transmitted the first complete messages to Poldhu from stations at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia.[4]

Marconi chose this site for its elevated flat expanse and unobstructed view out over the ocean. Some of the concrete footings for the massive towers can still be seen on the grounds. Marconi built a much larger wireless site west of here known as Marconi Towers. In 1907 he initiated the first permanent transatlantic wireless service from Marconi Towers to its companion site in Clifden, Ireland.

Geography

Landscape

The local landscape is heavily forested and hilly. Some of the low lying areas at the bottom of hills consist of marshes and bogs. There are rocky cliffs around the ocean along most of the coast and erosion continues to be a problem in some areas; part of North Street fell into the ocean due to erosion and the street was split into Upper and Lower North Street.

Glace Bay shoreline

Many areas surrounding former coal mines are experiencing subsidence as the old mine shafts collapse. There are several brownfields around the community at former industrial sites.

Flora and fauna

Glace Bay has a large amount of forests and swamp surrounding the town and within the town limits. Mammals present in Glace Bay include squirrels, rabbits, fox, deer, mice, muskrats, cats, dogs, and coyotes. Bird species include ducks, great horned owls, Canada geese, crows, seagulls, and pigeons. Pheasant are occasionally seen around wooded areas. Smaller birds such as robins, black capped chickadees, and sparrows are also present. Frogs, salamanders, and snakes are also common in Glace Bay.

Glace Bay and the surrounding areas are heavily forested. Common deciduous trees in Glace Bay include poplar, maples, and birches. Oaks, elms and beech trees are also present but they are less common. Common conifers include spruce and balsam with some pine and tamaracks present as well.

The introduced Asian plants of Japanese and Giant Knotweed are common throughout the town and surrounding woodlands and are colloquially known as "elephant ears".

Climate

Climate data for J. A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport (CYQY).
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4) 		18
(64) 		17.8
(64.0) 		27.2
(81.0) 		31.1
(88.0) 		34.4
(93.9) 		33.9
(93.0) 		35.5
(95.9) 		32.3
(90.1) 		25
(77) 		22.2
(72.0) 		16.7
(62.1) 		35.5
(95.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		1.5
(34.7) 		6.1
(43.0) 		12.9
(55.2) 		18.9
(66.0) 		23
(73) 		22.7
(72.9) 		18.3
(64.9) 		12.2
(54.0) 		6.8
(44.2) 		1.6
(34.9) 		10.1
(50.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −10
(14) 		−11.1
(12.0) 		−6.9
(19.6) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		2.6
(36.7) 		7.6
(45.7) 		12.3
(54.1) 		12.6
(54.7) 		8.5
(47.3) 		3.8
(38.8) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		−5.8
(21.6) 		1
(34)
Record low °C (°F) −26.2
(−15.2) 		−27.3
(−17.1) 		−25.6
(−14.1) 		−14.6
(5.7) 		−7.8
(18.0) 		−3.9
(25.0) 		2.2
(36.0) 		2.8
(37.0) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−12
(10) 		−22.2
(−8.0) 		−27.3
(−17.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 151.5
(5.96) 		132.1
(5.20) 		138.9
(5.47) 		130.4
(5.13) 		102.9
(4.05) 		92.6
(3.65) 		86.8
(3.42) 		93.1
(3.67) 		113.4
(4.46) 		146
(5.7) 		149.7
(5.89) 		167.5
(6.59) 		1,504.9
(59.25)
Source: Environment Canada[5]

Glace Bay has an average temperate marine climate. The average annual yearly temperature is approximately 9.1 degrees Celsius, although in recent years it is around 10.2. Average precipitation is around 1200 mm per year. The warmest months of the year are July and August, both with a daily average of 21 degrees (26 in the day and 16 at night). The coldest months are January (−5.7) and February (−6.5). Glace Bay is usually frost-free for about 5 months of the year from about May 20 until October 20; there is ice in the harbour usually until mid to late April. Snow is usually not seen until mid November and usually not seen after May 1. The normal yearly temperature range is usually between −20 degrees and 30 degrees. Normals and extremes in the table above are from J. A Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport (CYQY) located in Reserve Mines, however weather records at McCurdy Airport only go back to 1941. The original climate station loacted in the former city of Sydney has records going back to 1870. The highest temperature ever recorded at that station was 36.7°C (98°F) on August 18, 1935,[6] and the lowest ever was −31.7°C (-25°F) on January 31, 1873,[7] and January 29, 1877 [8]

Politics

Federally, Glace Bay is located in the riding of Cape Breton–Canso, currently held by Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner, who has represented the riding since 2000. Provincially, the riding of Glace Bay, which is formed by the former town boundary is currently held by Liberal MLA Geoff MacLellan who won a by-election on June 22, 2010. The riding had been held for ten years by Liberal MLA Dave Wilson until his resignation in March 2010.

Mayors of Glace Bay

While Glace Bay was a town, the following people were its mayor:

Notable people from Glace Bay

Attractions

See also

References

  1. ^ [1] CBV.NS.CA
  2. ^ a b CBNET.NS.CA
  3. ^ CBRM.NS.CA
  4. ^ Marconi Biography, Marconi Biography.
  5. ^ Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 20 July 2009
  6. ^ Environment Canada
  7. ^ Environment Canada
  8. ^ Environment Canada
  9. ^ The Salvation Army International Headquarters
  10. ^ Richard Ouzounian (2009-03-21). "The bitterly funny life of Ron James". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  11. ^ J.B. McLachlan Memorial Retrieved March 26, 2010.

46°12′N 59°58′W / 46.200°N 59.967°W / 46.200; -59.967

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