Saturday, Oct 5, 2019, marks the 110th anniversary of a tragic event that rocked the community to its core. The Extension Mine disaster claimed 32 lives and destroyed countless others.
To mark the 110th anniversary, the Ladysmith & District Historical Society is inviting the public to join them in front of the Metal Collage on the corner of First Avenue and Gatacre, to remember the 32 miners’ lives and its impact on the Town of Ladysmith. We will be meeting at 8:30 am to 9 am. All welcome.
Many of the miners are buried in Ladysmith Cemetery where the gravestones are a mute witness to the suffering endured by those remaining behind.
The explosion occurred in the morning at the No. 2 W. Mine in Extension. Many lives were lost due to gas poisoning between 8:30 to 9 am on that tragic day.
The gathering is to honour the men of Extension’s lost shift of Oct. 5, 1909, and all the miners who lost their lives on Vancouver Island.