Activities in the park include canoeing, kayaking, fishing, wildlife viewing and hiking through willows and cottonwoods along the Red Deer River.

Following a two-day halt in operations due to overproduction, 237 miners resumed work at the Midland Provincial Park mine.

The explosions were likely triggered by a spark, which could have been caused by a rock fall, a lamp flare, a short in an electric cable, or a prohibited cigarette.

This spark ignited methane gas, which stirred up coal dust, leading to further blasts throughout the mine's tunnels.

In addition to the initial explosions, the resultant lack of oxygen and the rise in poisonous carbon dioxide gas, known as "blackdamp" or "afterdamp," posed significant threats.