Ginger Goodwin and Cumberland Labour Cultureby Miranda NelsonCumberland, BC is a town on the edge of a greater past. Anyone who drives to this small village, located six kilometres west of Courtenay/Comox, BC, is transported into another era metaphorically speaking. Along the main street, Dunsmuir Avenue, the buildings have maintained the same look they had during the 1890s. Barely anything has changed since then except a few paint jobs and a paved road.
 Dunsmuir Avenue, 1890s, Cumberland, BC The culture of this town has roots as old as its buildings, most of it centred on labour. Founded as a coal-mining town by James Dunsmuir, Cumberland natives often have grandparents or great-grandparents who worked in the coal mines. And, of course, everyone who lives in Cumberland or has roots in Cumberland has an opinion about its most famous miner, Albert "Ginger" Goodwin.
Goodwin was a coal miner originally from Scotland and a great supporter of unionized labour and socialism. He developed tuberculosis and was therefore exempt from the draft of 1916. In 1918, when soldiers ran low, his exemption was overturned and he fled into the woods around Comox Lake. A warrant was put out for Goodwin and on July 26, Dan Campbell, a former police officer, shot and killed Goodwin. The debate reigns as to whether Ginger was murdered or accidentally shot. It is known, though, that Ginger’s death raised him to martyr status. The entire Village of Cumberland joined his funeral procession; by the time the front of the procession reached Cumberland Cemetery, the end of the line was still in the village, over a kilometre away. The labour movement in BC has always been strong and the Ginger Goodwin issue has galvanized the people of Cumberland in a unique way. The section of the Inland Island Highway near Cumberland was named "Ginger Goodwin Way" in 1996, under a pro-labour NDP government. Long-time Cumberland Mayor William "Bronco" Moncrief was re-elected to council in 1997 and raised issue with the highway sign, claiming it was offensive to some members of the community and that the section of highway should be renamed "Miner’s Way" to celebrate all miners. During the summer of 2001, the sign was finally removed altogether, but that did not kill the controversy. In October 2001, a pro-Ginger Goodwin Way concert was held. I see bumper stickers reading "Ginger Goodwin Way" stuck on storefronts in Victoria. So, why does the name Ginger Goodwin still elicit so much response?
 Primarily, it is what Ginger stands for. While a strong labour town, there are people in Cumberland who believe that Ginger was a no-good scoundrel who merely caused trouble. Some are offended that he is the symbol of the years of toil and death that occurred in the mines upon which Cumberland was built. Some believe he got what he deserved.
You don't need to be from Cumberland to participate in this sub-culture, although it helps. Since it is an offshoot of BC labour culture, labour supporters are welcomed. It's such a strange culture as it spans all age groups, all political affiliations, and almost anyone can participate. It is fairly unaffected by outside groups; indeed, the debate comes from within. The pro-labour side is subversive and in-your-face while the anti-Ginger faction is more conservative and more likely to have Cumberland roots. Pro-labour has promoted itself heavily lately in its support of "Ginger Goodwin Way" with banners, bumper stickers, protest, and fundraisers. The anti-Ginger faction just sits quietly in the bar, drinking its beer and surveying its surroundings. The hierarchy that exists is based on length of residence in Cumberland, who you know, and how old you are. The elders seem to command more respect and the longer you have lived in Cumberland, the more an authority you are considered to be.
I was a volunteer at the Ginger Goodwin Way concert in October 2001 and
it was an interesting experience. While the headlining act was DOA, a
thrashy punk band, people of all ages were there. People were friendly,
happy to discuss new ideas, and supportive of each other. And that's just
the labour side. If you go into any bar in Cumberland anytime, especially Sunday afternoons at the Cumberland Hotel when they play meat bingo you will encounter long-time residents of this dusty town who are willing to discuss why Ginger should be hated, why he was a scoundrel or an egotist or a subversive. It's amazing to realize that you are only an outsider, that you haven't grown up with the folktales and legends of the Goodwin saga. You might believe you know the whole story but you don't. Cumberland is a fascinating town with a colouful past and an unusual subculture, and I urge anyone interested in the culture to spend a day or two there exploring the landmarks and the museum. And definitely go to the bars.
 Dunsmuir Avenue, present day
 Cumberland Cultural Centre, present day Links:
Cumberland Museum and
Archives
Ginger Goodwin is a name you don't often hear or see. Song by Richard Von Fuchs
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