Thorburn, Nova Scotia
Thorburn Geography
- Official Name: Thorburn
- Gaelic Name: An Srath
- Geographic Feature Type Category: Populated Place
- Geographic Feature Type: Community
- Latitude / Longitude: 45.564696, -62.547188
Thorburn Maps
- 1:50k Topographic NTS Map: 011E10
- 1879 Pictou County Atlas Map: Section 15
- Nova Scotia Land Grant Map: NS Land Grant map 093
- Nova Scotia 1:10k Topographic Maps: 1045550062500 (Thorburn)
Thorburn is a rural community located east of New Glasgow and south of the Trans-Canada Highway. It was once known as Vale Colliery, but the place name was changed in 1886 from an Act of Parliament. The name is made up of “Thor”, the Scandinavian God of Thunder, and “burn” is the Gaelic and Northern English word for brook or small river.
A coal mine was opened here in 1872 by the Vale Coal Iron and Manufacturing Company of Montreal on land explored by four members of the McBean family. Houses for workmen and offices were built and equipment installed.
In 1873 a six mile railway was built to connect with the Intercolonial Railway at New Glasgow and a shipping wharf was prepared at Pictou Landing. In 1874 the colliery actually got into production and shipped 38,000 tons of coal.
In 1883, an accident at the colliery killed five miners and injured four. In 1884, another accident happened killing thirteen miners. Thirteen miners were killed in 1885. By 1962 the only major coal operation was being carried on at the McBean Colliery, owned and operated by Acadian Coal Co. Ltd.
A school was built about 1882. A more modern school was built in 1952.
A way office was established at Vale Colliery in 1873, and replaced by a Federal Post Office in 1965.
Population in 1914 was 1200+
Population in 1956 was 837.
[Source: Nova Scotia Place Names – T. Brown / Places of Nova Scotia – C. Bruce Fergusson ]
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