Interview with Bill Cottle

Audio recording and transcript of Bill Cottle's 1979 interview with Myrtle Bergren for the Coal Tyee History Project. Cottle talks about his family history, including how his parents arrived on Vancouver Island, and how his father, who was a miner, was jailed and blacklisted after participating in a strike. A significant part of the interview revolves around Cottle's employment at the Hamilton Powder Company. He talks about different jobs at the explosives plant, including those done by women. He also gives details about several explosions. Cottle shares an anecdote about James Dunsmuir, and he also recalls the Oscar explosion. Near the end of the interview, Cottle shares a story about a coworker in the Granby Mine being killed by gas.