Nova Scotia strike that turned deadly a century ago a milestone for workers’ rights

HALIFAX — During Nova Scotia’s storied 300-year history of coal mining, one deadly riot in 1925 proved to be pivotal for workers’ rights in Canada.
One hundred years ago today, William Davis — a 37-year-old Cape Breton coal miner and father of nine — was shot to death by a special constable hired by the British Empire Steel Corporation (BESCO) — a monopoly mine owner that had repeatedly turned to violence to end strikes over poor wages and unsafe working condi