Coal, Steel and Labour - 1900 to 1930
X.114.06
The coal and steel industries have had immeasurable impact on the recent history of Cape Breton. On the far right, the artist depicts the arrival of immigrant workers to the region at the turn of the 20th century. The importance of the rail system in the development of both the coal and steel industries is also highlighted here. The crowd gathered on the right represents the diversity of people from various ethnic, social and economic backgrounds that were drawn to the region during its industrial boom.
Coal miners were often subject to horrific work conditions. This is emphasized in the central luminous image of the memorial to John McKay, which is located in New Waterford. The Amalgamated Mine Workers of Nova Scotia (AMW) established the monument in 1917 in order to commemorate an explosion at the Number 12 colliery that killed 65 men and boys, including John McKay.
An aerial view of the mining community of New Waterford is depicted in the lower right, which was meticulously created from maps. In the lower left, orange smoke billows from the Sydney steel plant. Two central figures in the image, a steelworker on the left and a miner in the center also represent these industries.
The final three historical murals in the series were completed with the assistance of Terry MacDonald of New Waterford, who apprenticed with Lewis Parker.