Industrial Cape Breton has changed severely in the
last decade: municipal units were amalgamated into
the new Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the steel
plant closed in 1999, and the coal mines were shut
down in 2000. Consequently, the social and cultural
lives of Cape Bretoners were forever changed.
Whitney Pier, once a bustling steel district with
its own downtown core, is now one of many
communities struggling to stay alive. Referred to as
"the heart of the city's working class community," | Whitney Pier historically has faced the challenges
of domineering industrialists, unsympathetic
governments, and more recently, industrial
pollution. Yet, its residents continue to persevere,
even in the face of an aging population and
staggering outmigration.
As a testament to their spirit and pride of
place, the people of Whitney Pier have founded a
community museum. The museum is intended to forever
memorialize the struggles, pains and many joys of
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