#silcosis

In some instances, these men passed on this communicable disease to family members. Although tuberculosis was not a serious problem in the community initially, by 1935, Timmins had the highest rate in the province. While the rate of tuberculosis elsewhere declined sharply in the 1930s and 1940s, this mining center experienced only a marginal reduction. Even by the end of the period, the incidence of this disease in Timmins continued to be almost double the provincial average. Reports to the provincial Board of Health in the 1930s reveal that local health officials were well aware that hazardous working conditions in the mines were having a deleterious effect not only on the health of miners, but also on their families. Concerned with the situation, the district health nurse approached local mining companies in 1933 about donating funds for tuberculosis prevention work, and with their assistance, a public health nurse was subsequently hired for this sole purpose. Mine executives refused to publicly admit, however, that the mine environment contributed in any way to this ongoing health problem in the area. They took the position that silicotics were not the ones principally responsible for the spread of the disease; instead, “contacts” in the community, particularly family members, were infecting the men. They further suggested that a poor “home environment” rather than an unsafe workplace was the main cause of the high tuberculosis rate. A similar line of argument was later used by the mining companies to resist Workmen’s Compensation coverage of miners with tuberculosis uncomplicated by silicosis.