There will be a memorial gathering tomorrow (Saturday, May 7) from 1-3 pm in memory of the 148 coalminers who lost their lives in the Nanaimo mine explosion of 1887. The gathering will take place at the old entrance to the Number One Mine, located at the base of Milton Street and Esplanade (near the south end of the CPR railyard along the waterfront). A memorial kiosk is now located at the site with information about the explosion and a list of names of all the white/European coalminers who lost their lives. The 53 Chinese workers who died in the explosion are merely listed as numerals for this is the way they were recorded on company payroll documents, revealing another dark piece of our cultural history.
Snacks: South End Community Association
Speakers: Roger Stonebanks, author of the Ginger Goodwin book
and Muriel MacKay-Ross, native daughter of Nanaimo
Everyone is welcome to attend. People may wish to bring a single flower to lay in remembrance of the 148 lives lost.
