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Home>> Issues and Challenges>> Disasters>> Major Disasters>> Coalhurst Mine Disaster |
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Coalhurst Mine Disaster—December 9, 1935 | |||
Snow blanketed the ground when shortly after 4:30 pm, three miners staggered out of the mine badly scorched. A methane explosion had taken place deep within the mine between 4 and 4:30 pm when shifts were changing. More than 200 community members gathered at the pit to see whether loved ones had survived.
The multiple funeral took place on Friday, December 13th. Mayor D. H. Elton of Lethbridge made arrangements for a special train to bring 300-400 people to the city. The funeral had the proportions of a state funeral with three different church services, based on the religious denomination of miners. At 9 am Catholic Mass was celebrated at the Greek catholic Church in North Lethbridge. At 10 am Mass was said the St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church and, finally, a Protestant service at 3 pm. A giant funeral cortege of cars took the deceased and mourners to the Catholic cemetery and City cemetery for Protestant miners. Thousands of Lethbridge residents as well as most of the population of Coalhurst walked in the procession. Miners from other centres including the Crowsnest Pass came as well as members of the Canadian Legion. There were various bands with covered drums. An estimated 5,000 mourners assembled at the cemetery and heard the bugler play the "Last Post." With the shutting down of the mine, Coalhurst's economy shrank and today it is suburb of Lethbridge. This article is based on the account titled "No Christmas this Year" by Janine Coombes, in Our Treasured Heritage: A History of Coalhurst and District (Lethbridge, Alberta: Coalhurst History Society, 1984), pp. 154-161.
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