The Footloose Chronicles: The life of a miner

I think I’ve been pretty lucky. Of all the jobs and careers I’ve had, I’ve never suffered hardships. I’ve never worked outdoors, or in the rain, in the dark, in the cold. I’ve never come home filthy dirty after a day's work. I’ve never been exposed to hazardous materials that could cause illness or death. I’ve never lost a friend or loved one to a workplace accident. The only times I’ve ever come close to any of this is when, as a union member, I had to picket during a strike. But it was summer and the weather was fine, so it really wasn’t so bad.

In Glace Bay in Nova Scotia, the Cape Breton Miners Museum immersed us in the life of a coal miner through the 19th and 20th centuries. We learned of the terrible and sometimes frightening conditions the miners experienced every day, and even after they punched the clock to go home. We toured the re-created Ocean Deeps Colliery (mine shaft) that was quite realistic – right down to the cramped tunnels with little headroom, the water dripping from the ceiling, and the muddy ground you walk on. The power even went out while we were deep in the mine shaft, resulting in complete, almost claustrophobic, darkness. I’m not so sure if the outage was intentional, but it was certainly disconcerting, and I was ever so thankful when the lights came back on seconds later. Our guide though, was not concerned. He only called out to us, “Does everyone have a cellphone with a light?” Likely something he experienced regularly when he worked as a miner.

The guides are all retired miners, with first-hand experience working in the less than optimum conditions that most of us can only imagine. And although the working conditions have greatly improved since the first mines were opened in the area, the personal stories our guide described as we crouched down in the dark, damp, and muddy shaft made me shudder with the thought that people will do anything to make a living, even risk dying, each and every day.

Damn I’ve been lucky.