Occupation and Mortality - Sydney, Nova Scotia

Question

I have a patron looking for cause of death for coal miners in Sydney Cape Breton (historical 20th century). I have found Occupational Surveillance in Canada: Cause-specific mortaility among workers, 1965-1991, but this doesn't do geography. Any other suggestions?

Answer

Here are notes a couple of sources for mortality data which if I remember correctly break down data by province and major cities. I was looking for taxi drivers so I can't tell you if these cover coal miners.

Vital Statistics Branch Annual Report, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 (Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, 1926, 1927, 1929 and 1930).

The reports for these four years give numbers of deaths by occupation for five selected causes (accident, suicide, cancer, pneumonia and tuberculosis). Data is broken down by 5-year age groups (under 15 to 75 and over). Homicides are not included. Total deaths for all causes are given in the 1925, 1926 and 1927 reports.

Special Report on Occupational Mortality in Canada, 1931-32 (Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Vital Statistics Branch, 1937).

Gives numbers of deaths by occupation for "ten important causes" and another "fifteen causes for which rates have not been computed". Homicides are not included. Data, based on the 1931 census, is broken down into five age groups (20-24 to 55-64). Also gives total population of males in each occupational group as well as death rates.