Coal Miners Employed in the Royal View Mine

Scope and Content: Coal miners employed in the Royal View Mine. Front row, left to right: Frank Santo, Steve Chomicki, Johnny Wukusich. Second row, left to right: Pete Lazzarotto, John Lizzi, Pete Bolokoski, George Ferenz, Pete Tarnoczi, Joe Saccardo, Harry Kutney, Sam Pihora, Andy Sally. Third row, left to right: Th…

History Biographical: The Royal View Mine was located in Southeast 1/4 of Section 31, Township 9, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian. The Mines Branch records of the Province of Alberta identify it as Mine Number 1109. The mine was also known as the Hamilton Mine and the Swedes’ Mine, the latter because the last three owners of the mine had Scandinavian family roots. The Royal View Mine opened on 5 November 1923 under first owner George Hamilton. Between then and 1938 the mine changed ownership 12 times. The owners at the time the photograph was taken were Cais E. Nelson, Ted Hagbland and Fred Lund. They were the last owners of the mine. During its existence the Royal View Mine produced 140,358 metric tonnes of coal. On 17 October 1942, water from the Oldman River broke through the roof of the mine and flooded part of it. Nelson, Hagbland and Lund worked to save the mine, but on 4 November Fred Lund wrote to the Inspector of Mines to day that Royal View Mine was abandoned.

Scope and Content: Coal miners employed in the Royal View Mine. Front row, left to right: Frank Santo, Steve Chomicki, Johnny Wukusich. Second row, left to right: Pete Lazzarotto, John Lizzi, Pete Bolokoski, George Ferenz, Pete Tarnoczi, Joe Saccardo, Harry Kutney, Sam Pihora, Andy Sally. Third row, left to right: Theodore Chomicki, Mike Zasadny, Mike Novak, Steve Turbis, George Ratway, George Vasil, Joe Cartwright, Cais E. Nelson, unidentified, Charles Nelson. Fourth row, left to right: Ted Hagblad, Mike Ukrainetz, Ed Welsh, Dan Crabb, James Spud” Wilkie, Arthur Comai, Bill Wesko, John Fleming, George Burdeny.

Notes: The donor was a coal miner in the Royal View Mine, and appears fifth from the left in the photograph. Supplied source: Content of the photograph.