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.