Born out of Tragedy: The Springhill Mining Disaster

Springhill, Nova Scotia is located on high ground between the minas Basin and Northumberland Strait, in the Cobequid mountains in Cumberland County. In early records, the town is called "Springhill mines", appropriate because coal mining was the town's bread and butter right into the 1960s due to the coal deposits underlying the town.

Fifty years ago, on October 23, 1958, Canadians were jolted by shocking news: a sharp underground bump at the Springhill Coal Field had trapped over a hundred men far underground. It was heard and felt several miles away. A "bump" is a sudden seismic jolt, often causing the collapse of supporting walls. Springhill, Nova Scotia had heard and felt many bumps over the years, a common feature of mines like theirs.

For months, the mine had been experiencing rumbling and minor collapses. One cool fall evening in 1958, after a first small bump and then a massive one shortly afterwards, 174 men were trapped at depths of nearly 4,000 feet. Rescuers worked feverishly to save them. Ultimately, more men would be saved than the 75 men who died as a result of the "bump" in number 4 colliery. Nothing could be more terrifying than being trapped far underground in a collapsed mine and this terror touched the hearts of Canadians through CBC television's live coverage.

The disaster shook people, and like other groups, Anglicans were stirred into action. Led by church officials, Anglican parishes across the country raised over $100,000 in aid for the miners' families and the Springhill community.