kids encyclopedia robot

Glace Bay Heritage Museum facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Glace Bay Heritage Museum
Gbhm.jpg
Established 2003
Location 14 McKeen Street Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Type Community Heritage Museum

The Glace Bay Heritage Museum, also known as the Old Town Hall, is a special place in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. This museum helps us remember the history of the town.

The building itself is very old, built way back in 1901. For many years, it was the main place where the town's business happened. It was the town hall, where people paid bills, and even had a court and a jail! Around 1989, the building was no longer used and started to get run down. This happened because Glace Bay became part of a bigger area called the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

But some people wanted to save this important building. In 1998, two local heroes, Howard MacKinnon and Inglis MacAulay, started a group called the Glace Bay Heritage Museum Society. They wanted to protect the building because it was a big part of the town's history. At that time, there were even plans to tear it down! Thanks to their efforts, the building was saved.

The museum officially opened in 2003. Today, a curator named Elke Ibrahim helps manage all the cool things inside. By 2010, the second floor was also ready, featuring exhibits about sports and entertainment from the area.

What You Can See at the Museum

The Glace Bay Heritage Museum is full of interesting items that tell the story of the town. It's a great place to learn about the past.

Special Collections and Exhibits

  • Time Capsule: You can see a time capsule from Central School that was buried in 1988 and opened in 2021. It's like a time machine!
  • Sports History: Check out the original running shoes of Joey Mullins, a famous athlete from Glace Bay who competed in the Olympics.
  • Mining Life: Glace Bay has a rich history of coal mining. The museum has many old photographs and tools from the mines.
  • Local Records: There are collections of old yearbooks and almanacs, which are like yearly books of facts and events.
  • Fishing Heritage: Discover items related to the fishing industry, which was also very important to the town.

Remembering Coal Miners

Outside the museum, there is a special memorial. It honors the coal miners from Glace Bay who lost their lives while working. It's a quiet place to remember their bravery and hard work.

Museum Connections

The Glace Bay Heritage Museum works with other important groups to share its history and care for its collections.

Working with Other Organizations

The museum is connected to:

  • The CMA: This group helps museums across Canada.
  • The CHIN: They help museums use technology to share information.
  • The Virtual Museum of Canada: This allows people to explore museum collections online from anywhere.
kids search engine
Glace Bay Heritage Museum Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.