Coal Mining Fatalities
This database contains 2497 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 1 of 50 pages (2497 entries).
| Surname | Given Name(s) | Year |
County |
Mine | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeCoste | Bernard | 1914 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of coal |
| Lamby | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| McDonald or MacDonald | Neil | 1923 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Struck head against roof or boom |
| McLeod | D.H. | 1913 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by fall of frozen briquettes |
| Deveau | Willie V. | 1966 | Inverness | Evans Mine | Killed by haulage |
| Lambyi | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| McDonald | Saunders | 1940 | Inverness | inverness No. 4 | Struck by runaway box |
| McNeil | Neil S. | 1911 | Inverness | Inverness | Run over by balance cage, died 3 hours later |
| Dixon | Alex | 1943 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of stone |
| Large | August | 1921 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall down chute |
| McDonnell | Dan | 1927 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of coal |
| McNeil | John | 1927 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Crushed by full boxes of coal |
| Doucet | J. S. | 1941 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of stone |
| LeBlanc | Joseph | 1923 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Found dead in boiler room; may have fallen |
| McDougall | Daniel | 1924 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of stone; 1 of 4 killed |
| Merritt | John | 1903 | Inverness | Port Hood | Riding trip coupling broke hurling boxes against roof |
| Fraser | Robert | 1909 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of roof coal; bled to death from injuries |
| MacDonald | Alexander | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| McIsaac | Neil | 1924 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of stone; 1 of 4 killed |
| Muise | Patrick | 1946 | Inverness | Inverness | Killed by haulage |
| Fraser | John Clarence | 1938 | Inverness | Port Hood or Henderson | Fall of stone |
| MacDonald | Donald R. | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| McIsaac | Archibald A. | 1924 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of stone; 1 of 4 killed |
| Poirier | Joseph | 1941 | Inverness | Inverness | Crushed between machine amd chock pack |
| Aird | Finlay | 1907 | Inverness | Inverness | Fell from riding rake on main slope |
| Gilliam | Robert | date unknown | Inverness | Inverness | cause not recorded |
| MacDonald | James | 1922 | Inverness | bootleg pit | Methane gas poisoning; 1 of 3 killed |
| McIsaac | Daniel C. | 1924 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of stone; 1 of 4 killed |
| Powelle | (Bulgarian) Unknown | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Assiff | Joseph | 1921 | Inverness | Inverness | Hit by rake on level, died 2 days later |
| Gillies | Angus | 1878 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion of steam boiler; 1 of 2 killed |
| MacDougall | Peter | 1934 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Gas explosion |
| McIsaac | Daniel A. or Danile | 1936 | Inverness | Port Hood | Killed by file shot |
| Quigley | Thomas | 1906 | Inverness | Mabou | Jammed between box and pillar |
| Beaton | Malcolm | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Gillis | Dan A. | 1907 | Inverness | Inverness | Fatally injured riding in empty trip, rope broke |
| MacDougall | Hugh G. or Hugh C. | 1934 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of coal |
| McIsaac | Dougald | 1939 | Inverness | Inverness | Jammed; died 2 days later |
| Quigley | James | 1943 | Inverness | Inverness No. 3 | Crushed between engine drum and rope |
| Beaumeister | Otto | 1914 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of coal |
| Gillis | Dan A. | 1908 | Inverness | Inverness | Fall of coal and rock in pillars |
| MacKinnon | Angus | 1945 | Inverness | Inverness No. 3 | Fall of stone |
| McKenzie | William | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| Ross | Angus | 1913 | Inverness | Inverness | Stepped in front of moving balance box |
| Cameron | J.J. | 1903 | Inverness | Mabou | Caught by box on slope |
| Gillis | Lauchlin | 1908 | Inverness | Port Hood | Explosion on No. 3 level south; 1 of 10 killed |
| MacLean | Duncan | 1907 | Inverness | Inverness | See D.A. McLean, 1908, possibly a duplicate |
| McKinnon | Dan | 1937 | Inverness | Inverness | Struck by runaway box |
| Shea | James | 1867 | Inverness | Port Hood | Crushed by machinery |
| Cameron | Archie | 1927 | Inverness | Inverness No. 1 | Fall of coal |