Electrification of the mines late in the nineteenth century and the more general application of this new technology in the first decades of the twentieth century caused a revolution in coal mining. Used initially and primarily for haulage purposes, the application of electricity to lighting, ventilating and draining facilitated expansion of the mines. The maintenance men who serviced large generators, like the one pictured here, were crucial to the safety of the mines and both labour and management understood that this group had to be excluded from strike action. If the pumps ceased operating the accumulation of water and gas could render the mine permanently unsafe. One side effect of electrification of the mines was that most mining towns had electricity long before surrounding communities. Since the supply of electricity was controlled by the company, however, its mastery over the community was further increased. Relations between municipal governments, which tended to be controlled by the miners, and the companies were strained during the strikes when the owners cut back on the power supply. This photograph appeared in Francis W. Gray's The Coal-Fields and Coal Industry of Eastern Canada; A General Survey and Description (Ottawa: Government Printing Bureau, 1917; Canada. Department of Mines report no. 430).
Courtesy: Library, Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology
