The expression "king coal" was derived from coal's great importance throughout the industrial age. Coal was the power source for steamships and locomotives when these modes of transportation carried almost all people and freight over long distances. The black fuel heated furnaces and ran electric generators that kept buildings and communities warm and well lighted. Coke, produced from coal, burned hot enough to liquefy ores used in the manufacture of countless metal objects. Coal was thus essential to the economic well-being of industrial society.

The importance of the black fuel became clear when coal production was interrupted. Labour shortages and coal mine workers' strikes could lead to extreme measures being taken to keep the supply of the black fuel moving. Conversely, dramatic reductions in coal markets could threaten the very existence of coal mining communities and connecting transportation routes. By depending so much on coal, industrial consumers and coal mining families were very vulnerable to changes in the supply and demand for this resource.

British Columbia was a central stage for this drama characterized by conditions that were constantly changing. Here were extensive coal reserves and markets for the black fuel. The Elk Valley, Vancouver Island and Yale District coalfields were developed to the greatest extent in BC prior to the 1950’s. Collieries in this province sold huge amounts of coal and coke to numerous railways and smelters in southern BC. Coal was king and BC was one of its greatest domains.