Safety Matters

Named for William Davis, Davis Day is time to reflect on sacrifices and hardships underlying the province’s coal mining history. 

Like many Nova Scotians of the time, the Davis family was a mining family. Davis worked in New Waterford, carrying the legacy of his father, who worked the mines in Springhill, Nova Scotia, and his own brother, who was killed there in the Springhill disaster of 1891 at age fourteen.

During a bitter miner’s strike in 1925, William Davis was among hundreds of the town’s striking coal miners who marched to the New Waterford power plant. In a confrontation with armed company police, Davis was shot and killed. 

In Davis’ honour, and in honour of all those lost to Nova Scotia’s mines, the United Mine Workers Union continues to organize Davis Day ceremonies across the province. The day remains a stark reminder of how far the province’s industry and worker rights have come. 

This year, a representative from WCB Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton office will lay a wreath in honour of the province’s miners. 

For more information about Davis Day, click here.