DAVIS DAY
Davis Day, also known as Miners Memorial
Day, is an annual day of remembrance observed on June 11 in coal mining
communities in Nova Scotia, Canada whereby citizens recognize all miners
who were killed on the job in the province.
Davis Day originated in memory of
William Davis, a coal miner who was killed during a protest near the town
of New Waterford by striking miners. The protest was in response to a
decision by the mining company, British Empire Steel and Coal Company
(BESCO), to shut down the drinking water supply and electricity to the
town as a result of the strike, while miners were attempting to shut down
electricity to the mine's surface workings and pumps for removing
seawater.
Davis was shot and killed at
approximately 11:00AM on June 11, 1925 and many other miners were injured,
when striking miners were charged by the company police force, whose
officers fired over 300 shots. In the weeks and months following Davis'
shooting, company facilities were looted and/or vandalized, despite the
deployment of the provincial police force and 2,000 soldiers in what
remains Canada's second-largest military deployment for an internal
conflict (after the Northwest Rebellion).
In commemoration of Davis' sacrifice,
the United Mine Workers of America designated the day in his honour, with
miners in Nova Scotia vowing to never work on "Davis Day" ever again.
Davis Day was renamed District Memorial Day in 1938 (after District 26,
U.M.W.A.) and in 1970, the date was changed to the second Monday in June.
In 1974 this was reverted, with the original name (Davis Day) and the date
(June 11) being restored. For the remainder of the 20th century, the
pledge of never working on June 11 was maintained and Davis Day was
observed as a quasi-civic holiday in most mining communities. The closure
of Nova Scotia's last coal mine in November 2001 by DEVCO has somewhat
muted the importance of Davis Day, however it has evolved to become a
remembrance day for all workers killed in mines in the province.
Davis Day is observed in some or all of
the following communities where the UMWA organizes services:
- Alder Point
- Florence
- Sydney Mines
- New Victoria
- New Waterford
- Dominion
- Glace Bay
- Stellarton
- Westville
- Springhill
- River Hebert
In 1999 the provincial legislature of
gave Royal Assent to a private member's bill that officially designates
June 11 as Davis (Miners Memorial) Day.