Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2498 known Nova Scotia coal mining fatalities. Names, dates, places, mines, and causes of death have been painstakingly compiled. Despite this, it is by no means a complete list. Fatalities occurred before records were kept; descriptions of incidents and those involved were lost along with coal company records. Official recording of multiple deaths may have missed some names; in some cases, names are misspelled. However, this is likely the most complete list that exists. Please contact us if you know names to add.
Displaying page 30 of 50 pages (2498 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampler | Samuel Jr. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Smillie | Thomas | 1941 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by a haulage rope |
| Stewart | Alexander | 1918 | Pictou County | Albion (Purvis slope) | Coal box fell to the ground |
| Tomshaniski | Samuel | 1934 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of stone or coal from the roof |
| Wheatley | Leonard | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Zomoskie | Peter | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Cullen or Cullins | David | 1914 | Pictou County | McGregor | Suffocation in mine |
| Ballantyne | George | 1915 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Run over by a trip of coal |
| Benoit | Rodham | 1917 | Pictou County | Albion | Asphyxiated by methane |
| Bowran | George | 1923 | Pictou County | Albion | Caught and crushed by screening machinery |
| Cameron | Hugh | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| Carpenter | Thomas | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Colin | Francis | 1878 | Pictou County | Acadia | Run over by pit tub |
| Cullen | John Sr. | 1934 | Pictou County | Albion | Fall of coal |
| Debodt | Frank | 1925 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 3 (Six-Foot) | Fall of coal |
| Dunn | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Flemming | James E. | 1945 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of stone |
| Fraser | Albert | 1890 | Pictou County | Black Diamond | Riding on a coal trip which jumped track |
| Gillis | Peter | 1884 | Pictou County | Acadia | Fall of coal |
| Hale | Joseph W. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Hayes | Norman | 1913 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Struck by hoisting cage on balance |
| Hubert | William | 1940 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Caught between 2 rail cars on surface |
| Johnson | Eugene William | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Lackie or Lackey | James | 1925 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal from roof of a pillar; 1 of 2 killed |
| Lewis | William | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| Lycom | Charles | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | influx of water; 1 of 6 killed |
| MacEachern | John | 1885 | Pictou County | Vale | Devastating methane explosion |
| MacKenzie | Hugh | 1911 | Pictou County | Vale | Riding an empty trip that derailed |
| MacLeod | unknown | 1905 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of stone from shaft wall being excavated as they were sinking the shaft |
| Martin | Glenn David | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| McDonald | Murdock | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McInnis | Peter | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |
| McLellan | John A. | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| McRichey | John | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Muir | Gilbert | 1924 | Pictou County | Albion | Struck by a trip of coal boxes |
| Nearing | Joseph | 1952 | Pictou County | McGregor | Methane explosion (localized); 1 of 19 killed |
| Penill | Arthur | 1913 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fell down main shaft |
| Rector | Rueben | 1943 | Pictou County | Acadia No. 7 (Moss mine) | Fall of stone |
| Rogers | Albert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Saunders | Fred | 1944 | Pictou County | Drummond (Intercolonial) No. 2 Scott slope | Fall of coal |
| Smith | Angus | 1873 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Devastating methane explosion |
| Strathie | Robert | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Turnbull | William | 1873 | Pictou County | Vale | Under a falling derrick |
| Whidden | Charles | 1931 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Zusic or Zusie | Thomas | 1933 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Fall of coal |
| Barcey | Clement | 1918 | Pictou County | Allan Shaft | Devastating methane explosion |
| Benoit | Bennie Joseph | 1992 | Pictou County | Westray | Devastating methane and coal dust explosion |
| Breen | Michael | 1898 | Pictou County | Drummond mine (Intercolonial) | Rock fall |
| Cameron | Alexander | 1888 | Pictou County | English Slopes (abandoned) | Overground as a boiler was being lowered |
| Carr | John | 1880 | Pictou County | Foord pit | Devastating methane explosion |