King Coal

A Social History of Coal Mining in Alberta

King Coal presents the rich history of Alberta coal mining, and the people and culture that emerged out of the industry, from the 1870s through to the modern era. King Coal invites the reader to discover Alberta’s coal history, its triumphs and tragedies, and its legacy in the province today. Uniquely, the book’s carefully researched historical sources are augmented by a vision of the era imagined through a fictional account of the author’s coal mining ancestors, as well as a variety of poetry, song lyrics, archival and modern photographs, and appendices that contain maps, charts, and links to multiple museums and historic sites around the province. These features of the book complete a full portrait of miners and their families, presenting how they lived and worked, the innovations they created, the tragedies they endured, and the life cycles experienced in the towns where they lived—including those boom and bust towns that have disappeared from the Canadian landscape. Made to feel like insiders in a different time, readers will emerge from King Coal with an excellent view of the social side of coal mining in Alberta, a time in Canada’s history when Coal was King.