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Glace BayGlace Bay

Disaster Date:09/24/2022

Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia)

Hurricanes

What Happened

Hurricane Fiona struck Nova Scotia, and other parts of Atlantic Canada, on September 24, 2022. Winds of 140 kilometres per hour battered parts of the province, blowing down trees and damaging roofs and siding on houses.

Volunteer in Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia)

What MDS Is Doing

MDS volunteers will begin their response in Glace Bay and other parts of Nova Scotia in late March.

 

The work

Volunteers will be doing various stages of repair on different houses. There will be some gutting, roofing, framing, insulation and basement work.

Weather

Weather in Glace Bay can vary greatly. Bring warm clothes! It can also be rainy, so a rain jacket is a good idea; snow is also a possibility in March and April. Hiking or work boots are recommended.

Food

All meals are provided by MDS at the camp. Lunches are made each morning and taken to the work sites. You won’t be hungry!

Schedule

The day begins with making lunches from 6:30 to 7 AM, followed by breakfast and devotions. Work begins between 8 and 8:30 AM, with rest breaks mornings and afternoon and lunch at noon. The workday ends around 4 PM and supper is at 6 PM. Evenings are free for recreation, with lights out around 10 PM.

Accommodations

Volunteers are staying at Camp Bretondean, an Anglican Church camp located in nearby Albert Bridge. There will be separate rooms housing two people each inside the cabins; meals are served in the camp dining room. The camp is located by the Mira River; a stream with three waterfalls is on the western side. See photo gallery at bottom of page for photos of the camp.

Volunteer!

MDS will be involved in Cape Breton from mid March to October 2023. More volunteers are needed; to volunteer, contact Clara Flores at [email protected] or 1-866-261-1274.

Volunteers respond to Hurricane Fiona in Glace Bay 

Volunteers hard at work in Atlantic Canada after Hurricane Fiona

Old Colony Mennonite Church volunteers see new parts of Canada, help others

Helping people who fall into the gaps in Glace Bay

 

Location

Cape Breton Island is a rugged and beautiful part of Canada. Glace Bay, with about 17,000 people, was once a busy coal mining town. The first mines were dug by French colonizers from nearby Louisburg in the 18th century. In 1860, the Glace Bay Mining Company was formed; the first large colliery, the Hub Shaft, opened in 1861. At its high point, there were 14 mines in the oceanside town and 40 percent of all coal in Canada came from Glace Bay. The last mine was closed in 1984.