page_title: New Waterford, Nova Scotia
section_title: Coal Strike of 1925
hierarchical_section_title: New Waterford, Nova Scotia / History / Coal Strike of 1925
caption_attribution_description: English: Original caption: “Mining disaster at New Waterford, Nova Scotia, July 25, 1917.”
context_page_description: New Waterford is a Canadian urban community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
context_section_description: In the 1920s, the British Empire Steel Company controlled most of the coal mines in Nova Scotia. Due to the declining global demand for coal and having made unrealistic promises to its shareholders, Besco intended to cut the wages of miners and crack down on their ability to unionize and strike. Throughout the 1920s, the coal miner's unions clashed with Besco throughout the early 20s with multiple strikes being quelled by the police and armed forces.
  In 1925, contract negotiations had failed and the miners went on strike on March 6th, leaving a small workforce to prevent the mines from becoming flooded and to keep the power plant in service for the town and hospital. Besco intended to wait out the strike rather than settle with the striker's demands. By June the economic impact of the strike was felt heavily as families were close to starvation, the workers nonetheless "stood the gaff". On the 4th of June, company police forced the workers out of the power plant and shut off water and power to the town. On June 9th, the workers went on a 100% strike. On June 11th, a large group of miners marched on the plant and were met by the company police who fired shots into the crowd, killing 38 year old William Davis and wounding several others. Now a full blown angry mob, the miners stormed the plant and destroyed it. The miners rounded up 30 of the company police and marched them into the jail. In the days following Davis' death, miners looted company stores and collieries were burned. Soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces were called in to restore order. It marked the largest deployment of the Armed Forces for a domestic conflict since the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.
  On June 25th, the Nova Scotia's Conservative party won the general election after 43 years of Liberal government and began working with Besco and the strikers to come to a settlement. On the 5th of August, a settlement was reached and workers once again returned to the mines.
  Every year on June 11th, miners across Nova Scotia abstain from working on what is known as William Davis Miner's Memorial Day to commemorate William Davis who was killed by Besco company police, along with all miners who have died in the coal mines of Nova Scotia.
  company police forced the workers out of the power plant and shut off water and power to the town. On June 9th, the workers went on a 100% strike. On June 11th, a large group of miners marched on the plant and were met by the company police who fired shots into the crowd, killing 38 year old William Davis and wounding several others. Now a full blown angry mob, the miners stormed the plant and destroyed it. The miners rounded up 30 of the company police and took marched them into the jail. In the days following Davis' death, miners looted company stores and collieries were burned. Soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces were called in to restore order. It marked the largest deployment of the Armed Forces for a domestic conflict since the Northwest Rebellion of 1885.
  On June 25th, the Nova Scotia's Conservative party won the general election after 43 years of Liberal government and began working with Besco and the strikers to come to a settlement. On the 5th of August, a settlement was reached and workers once again returned to the mines.
  
  Every year on June 11th, miners across Nova Scotia abstain from working on what is known as William Davis Miner's Memorial Day to commemorate William Davis who was killed by Besco company police, along with all miners who have died in the coal mines of Nova Scotia.
caption: Mining Disaster at New Waterford Nova Scotia Photo A
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