Hillcrest mine disaster

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The Hillcrest mine disaster, the worst coal mining disaster in Canadian history, occurred at Hillcrest, Alberta, in the Crowsnest Pass region of western Canada, on Friday June 19, 1914. At the time it was the world's third worst mine disaster.

The mine was owned and operated by the Hillcrest Coal and Coke Company, and was thought to be one of the safest in the region. On Friday June 19, 1914 at 9:30 a.m., it is believed that a methane gas explosion stirred up coal dust which then triggered further blasts. The force of the underground explosions erupted out of one of the mine entrances, blowing in the front wall of the concrete hoist engine house and removing its roof, killing two people on the surface and collapsing the entrance. Of the 235 men on shift in the mine that morning, only 46 survived both the initial blast and the subsequent gasses and lack of oxygen.

The accident had a profound effect on the town of Hillcrest Mines, which in 1914 had a population of about 1,000. A total of 189 men died, about half of the mine’s total workforce, which left 130 women widowed and about 400 children fatherless. Many of the victims were buried in a mass grave at the Hillcrest Cemetery. Condolences came from across the country, including a brief message from King George V, but the commencement of World War I soon overshadowed this event.

Another explosion occurred in the Hillcrest Mine on September 19, 1926 when the mine was idle, killing two men. Explosions at other coal mines within the Crowsnest Pass also caused deaths: Coal Creek, 1902 (128 men killed); Michel, 1904 (7); Coleman, 1907 (3); Bellevue, 1910 (30); Michel, 1916 (12); Coal Creek, 1917 (34); Coleman, 1926 (10); Michel, 1938 (3).

Operations at Hillcrest Mine continued until 1939.

A monument to the Hillcrest mine disaster and the lives lost has been placed at the Hillcrest cemetery. In 1990, Canadian folk-singer James Keelaghan recorded Hillcrest Mine, one of his best-known songs.