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Explosions in the workings of prairie coal mines were unusual, unlike the situation in the volatile, mountain mines, where deadly combinations of methane gas and highly explosive coal dust created an ongoing threat. Although methane had seldom been detected at the Coalhurst Mine, an unexpected explosion killed 16 miners there on December 9th, 1935.

Snow blanketed the ground when shortly after 4:30 pm, three miners staggered out of the mine badly scorched. A methane explosion had taken place deep within the mine between 4 and 4:30 pm when shifts were changing. More than 200 community members gathered at the pit to see whether loved ones had survived.

Rescue teams made eight trips into the mine and eventually recovered 16 bodies many of whose faces were burned beyond recognition. The following were killed: Mike Kadilak, married, two children; Steve Zmurchuk, widower, one child: James Workman, widower, two children; Eben Williams, married, two children; Angelo Ermacora, married, 10 children; Lee Gossul, single; Anthony Gresl, married, one child; Louis Gresl, married, two children; Friz Gresl, married, one child; bill Lukas, married, one child; Albino Simeone, single; John Cook, married, five children; Andy Prokop, married, two children; E. Rota, married, two children; Harry Duggan, married, two children; and John Sarog, widower, one child. The three injured miners were John Saccardo, Frank Prusik and Andrew Kucji, who is quoted as follows:

God, but we are lucky to be here. It was quitting time. We start to walk out...Suddenly, fire, like might wind, come quick explosion! I think this is the finish. Coal dust swirl through air, gas gag us, we get no air, fire burn our clothes...Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty, we crawl along...Pretty soon we stagger out. We were pretty lucky. Those other men. They never came out alive.

At the Royal Commission established to investigate the accident, evidence suggested that a mine worker might have dropped his electric safety lamp, shattering the bulb and creating a spark—an outcome that defied the standards used in the construction of the safety lamps. No precise cause for the explosion was ever determined. Work continued in the mine, but it closed less than six months later when the Galt No. 8 Mine came into production.

The multiple funeral took place on Friday, December 13th. Mayor D. H. Elton of Lethbridge made arrangements for a special train to bring 300-400 people to the city. The funeral had the proportions of a state funeral with three different church services, based on the religious denomination of miners. At 9 am Catholic Mass was celebrated at the Greek catholic Church in North Lethbridge. At 10 am Mass was said the St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church and, finally, a Protestant service at 3 pm. A giant funeral cortege of cars took the deceased and mourners to the Catholic cemetery and City cemetery for Protestant miners. Thousands of Lethbridge residents as well as most of the population of Coalhurst walked in the procession. Miners from other centres including the Crowsnest Pass came as well as members of the Canadian Legion. There were various bands with covered drums. An estimated 5,000 mourners assembled at the cemetery and heard the bugler play the "Last Post." With the shutting down of the mine, Coalhurst's economy shrank and today it is suburb of Lethbridge.

This article is based on the account titled "No Christmas this Year" by Janine Coombes, in Our Treasured Heritage: A History of Coalhurst and District (Lethbridge, Alberta: Coalhurst History Society, 1984), pp. 154-161.