VANCOUVER—Albert Goodwin is remembered.

In life, he was memorable for his engaging nature, strong opinions and flaming red hair that earned him the nickname “Ginger.” And in death, he is remembered because the B.C. workers’ rights movement he helped pioneer is still going.

The minister of labour has proclaimed Friday, the 100th anniversary of Goodwin’s death, “Ginger Goodwin Day” to celebrate the legacy of the man who played a leading role in the fight for safer work conditions in B.C.’s mines.

“His spirit and dedication to the labour movement lives on, and he is remembered every year in June, as part of the Miners Memorial events in Cumberland,” Minister Harry Bains wrote in a statement Thursday.

“It’s a reflection of our government’s — and my personal — commitment to protect workers and make B.C.’s workplaces the safest in Canada,” Bains wrote.

After immigrating to Canada from England, Goodwin started working in B.C. mines, both in the Kootenays and in the Cumberland mine on Vancouver Island.

More than 250 miners died in accidents while working in the Cumberland mine, with many more fatalities resulting from coal dust, Bain’s statement said. That prompted outrage from the workers, who fought fiercely to defend their rights.

Goodwin was a leader in that movement, who made an impression because of his attitude and strong opinions.

“He was both a peace activist and a labour leader and he was a socialist,” said Irene Lanzinger, president of the BC Federation of Labour, in an interview. “He was fighting against coal barons like Robert Dunsmuir.”

“He was also a very engaging character,” Lanzinger said. “And because Ginger was murdered he became a kind of folk hero in the labour movement.”

Goodwin was shot and killed at the age of 31 by a police constable searching for draft evaders. His funeral on Aug. 2, 1918, saw a massive public response and corresponded with the first general strike in Vancouver.

Lanzinger said the labour movement remembers Goodwin because the fight he helped start in the coal mines is still ongoing. He’s also a part of her institution’s history, having served as its vice-president.

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“People still die in the mines,” she said. “They were fighting for the same things we’re fighting for today.”

The BC Federation of Labour has called for the province to implement harsher penalties for workplace deaths, and higher safety standards.

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