Statue to mark 50 years since 15 men died in B.C. coal mine explosion

SPARWOOD, B.C. – A ceremony in Sparwood, B.C., marks the 50th anniversary of a deadly coal mine explosion.

On April 3, 1967, a blast tore through the Balmer North mine in southeastern B.C., killing 15 men and injuring 10 others.

It happened at 4 p.m., just as the first members of the afternoon shift were entering the mine, but the day shift had already left.

A bronze statue of a miner will be unveiled in Sparwood’s Titan Park to remember the victims.

Statue sculptor Nathan Scott says that as a former miner, he understands the significance of the unveiling.

He says that in B.C.’s small mining towns, disasters such as the one at Balmer North affect many people for a very long time. (CHBZ)