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WESTRAY MINE

Remembering those lost 29 years ago

DON DICKSON D.M. Dickson is a former Westray worker. He lives in Sydney.

Mother’s Day, May 9, will mark the 29th anniversary of the Westray mine disaster in Pictou County.

Seems like yesterday. Yet so much time has passed and life goes on. But one never forgets the loss of 26 fellow workers that night in 1992.

Nor those who were left behind to grieve. They say time heals all wounds, but unless you suffered those wounds, you can’t know if that’s true.

Those who were lost that night ranged in age from 25 to 58; good men — husbands, fathers, grandpas and boyfriends — all loved or cherished by someone.

As I remember them, a couple of stories come to mind. One is sad.

That evening, as I was on my way home after shift, I was changing in the Dry (the change room for the miners and staff). A fellow sitting on the bench, dressed ready to go underground, spoke to me. I looked up and there sat Peter Vickers!

I said, “What the hell are you doing here?”

His reply was, “I’m a miner now, Don.”

“Peter, that’s a long way from the store’s clerk’s job you had at the Port Hawkesbury heavy water plant.”

He laughed, and we agreed to go for coffee on our next days’ off.

Peter died that night. The other story is about the oldest fellow we lost, John Bates, but it’s on the lighter side.

The shift was in the lunchroom. Someone asked John, “How do you meet so many women?”

His reply was, “Well, I go to the laundromat and pretend that I have no clue how to use the washers or dryers. Being an Englishman, they are willing to help so I chat them up,

They say time heals all wounds, but unless you suffered those wounds, you can’t know if that’s true.

and get to go for coffee, or a lunch.”

“It works, try it sometime,” he said. We all laughed.

So, do I remember them all? No, but if I see the face or the name, it brings me back to that time. Some stand out, as we did work opposite shifts.

But, after 29 years, one never forgets the pain of a tragedy like that. So, as the anniversary comes around, it makes one wonder what happened to all the others who survived. What are they doing? How many are still alive?

As the years slide by, one on top of the other, I can say that I don’t know the grief the families are feeling. But I can tell you, as a fellow worker

of the lives lost, you never forget.

So, to those who lost loved ones in the Portapique and surrounding areas, time will go on and your mind and your heart will heal slowly. So, as you have good days and bad days, there will come a time when the good days will outweigh the bad.

For those of you who wonder why anyone would work in such a hellhole as Westray, this is your answer: My hourly rate in May of 1992 was $15.89 per hour, and miners were paid more. It came down to money or safety.

So, in conclusion, to all Nova Scotians, suffering the loss of a loved one, I leave you with this quote from U.S. President Joe Biden: “A smile will come to your face before a tear comes to your eye, then you know you made it.”

However, you will never forget! Words are only words, until they mean something to you.

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

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