Mr. Speaker, after a bitter and protracted strike between the United Mine Workers of America and the British Empire Steel and Coal Company, harsh actions by the company brought the situation to a head.
On this day in 1925, striking coal miners marched to the company's power facility at New Waterford Lake, Cape Breton, in an attempt to have their power and water restored to their town after the company had shut it off. In the crowd of 3,000 was William Davis. Upon arrival, they were met by company police. Tensions rose, and the police fired 300 rounds into the crowd, injuring many, and killing Bill Davis. In the weeks following, company stores were looted and property vandalized. To quell the riots, 2,000 troops were brought in. This remains the second-largest deployment of troops for a domestic conflict in Canadian history, after the North-West Rebellion.
Today, in mining communities across Nova Scotia, people gather to pay tribute to Bill Davis, whose death stands as a symbol of the determination and resilience of Canadian coal miners, and to recognize the sacrifices made by organized labour in building this great country.