Elaine Falconer is confident Dr. Dorothy Saffron is looking down with pride at Springhill.
The community came together on Thursday, June 6, 2024, to honour its coal mining heritage with the opening of a park on the property formerly occupied by the lamp cabin, the last place miners went before going underground during the coal industry’s heyday in Springhill.
Funding for the park was provided by the estate of Dr. Saffron, who was born and raised in Springhill and went on to a successful career in psychiatry in New York City.
Large scale mining came to an end in the community following the 1956 mine explosion and the 1958 bump that garnered international headlines for the community. The lamp cabin building was demolished in 2020 after falling into disrepair.
“Dorothy Saffron was a unique individual who became one of Springhill’s extraordinary women. Her bequest and the vision of our municipal council set in motion the creation of this beautiful green space on the site of the former lamp cabin,” Falconer said during the official opening of the park.
Falconer said it was a privilege for Springhill Communities in Bloom to part of the project in the inclusion of a brick planter at the centre of the park, the Wellspring of Hope.
The women of Springhill, she said, were the real heroes following the mining disasters as it was them who were left hold their families together and face life with little or no income. The well and the park pay tribute to those women.
These women were supported by the community, neighbouring housewives, teachers and shop clerks, who became a sisterhood of sorrow solidarity.
“The Wellspring of Hope is a simple, yet beautiful structure, that encourages you to view the lives of these women of Springhill through a different lens – a perspective which takes these women beyond the walls of their homes and placing them firmly on a heroic path to new horizons,” she said. “The wellspring suggests not mere endurance but new accomplishments – ever evolving actions and dreams.”
The Lamp Cabin Memorial Park includes interpretive signage detailing the history of the site and mining in Springhill, a sign in tribute to the women of Springhill, a brick planter, a walking trail, benches and accessible picnic tables.
Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Murray Scott said the lamp cabin building meant a lot to the history of Springhill, the miners and their families. Unfortunately, it could not be saved from demolition, but thanks to contribution from the Saffron estate a new park will continue that legacy.
“The building is no longer here, but the ground and the history are still here. Now to have the interpretive panels to tell that story is so important. It’s a big part of our community,” the mayor said.
The mayor said it’s a day of mixed emotion considering the prosperity and tragedies that came with the mining industry. Saying that, the former mines are a key part of Springhill’s future with their potential for geothermal energy.
“The mines are our history, but they’re also our future,” Mayor Scott said.
The mayor said the park pays tribute to the women of Springhill, who stood vigil by the pitheads waiting for news on their husbands following the two mine disasters that ended coal mining. They’re an example of perseverance and their story will be carried into the future through the brick planter as well as the panels.
“The women here faced a lot of challenges their brothers, boyfriends, husbands and fathers went underground. As they waited for word of their loved ones they faced enormous challenges. And even after the mines closed there were no programs. They had to pick up looking after their children without any income,” the mayor said. “The wellspring of hope is dedicated to them. It’s very beautiful and respectful of the community and those who have gone before us.”
Springhill and area residents will come together again on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, on Miners Memorial Day, also known as Davis Day.