Payday at Brechin Mine

Abstract

The number of miners working at Nanaimo increased steadily in the fifty years from 1875-1925. In 1875, there were about 400 employed in the Nanaimo area. By 1900, the number of miners reached 3,400. Over the years working conditions and wages had improved somewhat, and the economy of Nanaimo was fairly prosperous. After 1923, however, the coal production began to decline. In 1929, 2000 miners worked in the mines, and by 1947, the number had dropped to 400. This photograph shows miners lining up on payday to the Brechin Mine.