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Plaque unveiling at city hall Sept. 16
The BC Labour Heritage Centre, the United Steelworkers Local 9346 and the East Kootenay District Labour Council will unveil a plaque on Saturday, September 16, at 10:30 a.m. in Fernie.
The plaque will recognize the April 5, 1917 Coal Creek Mine disaster that claimed 34 lives.
“It is fitting that this event be commemorated during its 100th anniversary,” said Ken Novakowski, Chair of the BC Labour Heritage Centre.
“While the 1917 tragedy was one among many in the region, it led to a strike in which coal miners secured a voice in mine safety and is therefore a significant event in British Columbia’s labour heritage.”
The cast bronze plaque will be located on the Miners’ Walk at Fernie City Hall (pictured), the former headquarters of the Crows’ Nest Pass Coal Company. It is part of an ongoing project by the BC Labour Heritage Centre to recognize defining events, locations, groups and individuals in the province’s labour history.
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