In 1987, the Town of Dominion commemorated its industrial heritage by establishing the Miners’ Memorial Park at the centre of town. At the heart of the park, surrounded by benches and shrubbery, is a monument that commemorates workers from Dominion who were killed in the coal mines.
This labour landmark consists of three granite blocks, each engraved with the names of workers who had been killed and including the date of death; there are 102 names. At the centre of the monument is another engraving, which reads: “Miners’ Memorial Park. This memorial erected by the citizens of Dominion to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the coal industry.” At the top of the central granite pillar is the image of a miner, and on the reverse side is the engraved image of the No. 26 Colliery in Glace Bay. Beneath the image of the mine, an inscription reads: “G.M.A. Bridgeport, 1829-1849; International No. 8 Bridgeport, 1863-1914; Mitchell Mines, 1884-1898; Dominion No. 1 A, 1893-1927; Dominion No. 23, 1923-1927; No. 1 B Glace Bay, 1924-1955; No. 26 Glace Bay, 1941-1984.” These are the collieries in which the men named on the monument had lost their lives. Local historian Len Stephenson researched each of the names on the monument, although he has cautioned that the list is likely incomplete due to a lack of records for the early years of the coal industry. Stephenson also argues that the location of the memorial monument is significant; in a 2008 interview he stated, “The town hall was here, the school was here. This [site] is part of the history of the community.” [1]
Footnotes
[1] Cape Breton Post, 25 July 2008.
This labour landmark consists of three granite blocks, each engraved with the names of workers who had been killed and including the date of death; there are 102 names. At the centre of the monument is another engraving, which reads: “Miners’ Memorial Park. This memorial erected by the citizens of Dominion to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the coal industry.” At the top of the central granite pillar is the image of a miner, and on the reverse side is the engraved image of the No. 26 Colliery in Glace Bay. Beneath the image of the mine, an inscription reads: “G.M.A. Bridgeport, 1829-1849; International No. 8 Bridgeport, 1863-1914; Mitchell Mines, 1884-1898; Dominion No. 1 A, 1893-1927; Dominion No. 23, 1923-1927; No. 1 B Glace Bay, 1924-1955; No. 26 Glace Bay, 1941-1984.” These are the collieries in which the men named on the monument had lost their lives. Local historian Len Stephenson researched each of the names on the monument, although he has cautioned that the list is likely incomplete due to a lack of records for the early years of the coal industry. Stephenson also argues that the location of the memorial monument is significant; in a 2008 interview he stated, “The town hall was here, the school was here. This [site] is part of the history of the community.” [1]
Footnotes
[1] Cape Breton Post, 25 July 2008.