Remembering the No. 1 Mine Explosion
On the evening of May 3, 1887, at 5:55 pm, a series of powerful explosions tore through the No. 1 Esplanade Mine, located 260 metres beneath the surface near today’s downtown waterfront.
The blasts reverberated through nearly a kilometre of underground tunnels, igniting fires that would burn for two weeks. Due to the extensive damage and lingering dangers, the recovery of victims took several months. Tragically, seven men were never found and their final resting place is presumed to be beneath the Nanaimo Harbour.
The disaster claimed the lives of 150 miners, a devastating loss in a city of just 2,000 residents at the time. The impact on the community was profound - 46 women were widowed, 126 children lost their fathers and the mine itself lost a quarter of its workforce. The explosions of the No. 1 Esplanade Mine are known as the worst mining disaster in British Columbia's history and second worst industrial tragedy in Canadian history, following the Hillcrest, Alberta mine disaster of 1914. A jury blamed the explosion on the firing of an unprepared and badly planted charge that ignited accumulated gas fuelled by coal dust.
To mark the National Day of Mourning and commemorate this tragic chapter in Nanaimo’s past, flags at all City of Nanaimo facilities will be lowered to half-mast from Tuesday, April 28 until Monday, May 4.
A memorial plaque to remember the miners who passed away from the explosions stands in place of the site of the No. 1 Esplanade mine on Milton Street (1151 Milton Street). Visit the walk-through coalmine exhibit in the Nanaimo Museum to learn more about Nanaimo's coal mining history and this tragic accident. Find more information on this award-winning exhibit here: www.nanaimomuseum.ca/permanent-exhibit/the-coal-mine.
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