Fonds - Royal Commission Inquiring into the “Bump” at No.2 Mine Springhill

The Nova Scotia Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Upheaval or Fall or Other Disturbance Sometimes Referred to as a Bump in No. 2 Mine at Springhill, in the County of Cumberland, Province of Nova Scotia, Operated by the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company, on the 23rd Day of October, A.D. 1958 was created by Order-in-Council on December 12, 1958. Donald McInnes, Queens Counsel lawyer in Halifax, was appointed chairperson with Harry Wilton-Clark of Calgary, AB, and Thomas McLachlan of Glace Bay, NS appointed as co-commissioners. The Royal Commission was mandated to inquire into the actual disturbance (the “bump”) in the mine, determine if approved mining and work practices were being followed and if those contributed to the disaster, and whether mine operations were conducted in compliance with the Coal Mines Regulation Act. Four days of public hearings were conducted in Springhill between 26 January 1959 and 30 January 1959. Over the course of these hearings, commissioners accepted presentations from 38 witnesses and 50 exhibits. The Commission contacted departments of government at Ottawa and Halifax to learn from their experiences. It submitted its Final Report on June 30, 1959 and then disbanded.