In this tiny little town of Glace Bay, a part of Sydney Nova Scotia, we headed down into an inactive coal mine. Before going down we had to put on hard hats and these black capes to keep all the soot from getting on us. Then we learned that while the ceiling tunnels start out at 7 feet high, they eventually go to only 4 feet 2 inches in height. That is a lot of stooped over walking! So, down we go into the cold, wet, low ceiling mine. This is not a place to go if you are claustrophobic!Our guide actually worked the mine beginning at age 9 until 1980 when the mine shut down. His father and grandfather worked the mine as well. You worked from age 18 until 65. If you lived in a company house and were injured on the job, then your oldest son had to go into the mine and take your place until you could return to work.
They took kids as old as 9.
Remember those old movies where they would take a canary down into the mines and if it died, then you knew there was toxic gas and you need to
get out fast? Well, they really did that and he showed us the canary cages they used.
Near the end of the tour the ceiling got down to 4 feet. We walked it for about 50 feet. I am very glad that Brandon, the trainer, had me do so many lunges and squats, because I needed those quad muscles to get though without the back pain other's were experiencing.The experience was interesting and made you appreciate the hard work and danger these men and their families went though to provide heat that came from coal! Being a teacher was so much easier!
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