 |
|
NIAGARA REGION APPROVES FUNDING
|
The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial is much closer to becoming reality thanks to funding from Niagara Region's Waterfront Investment Program. On June 8, Regional Chair Alan Caslin announced $234,000 in funding for the memorial.
"The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial will be a lasting tribute to the workers who lost their lives building the Welland Canal, one of Niagara's most recognizable and valuable assets. The memorial will also provide a vibrant and accessible public space where residents from across our region can gather to learn more about the history of the Welland Canal and the thousands of workers who built it. Investing in our region's waterfront properties will generate social and economic benefits for all of Niagara's residents."
|
|
|
|
COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
|
After fundraising more than $
934,000 to date, the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force is seeking support from the community to complete the project and install the memorial later this year.
Donations can also be made in person at the Welland Canal Centre and St. Catharines Museum or in person at the Citizen's First counter at City Hall. Donations of $10 or more will receive a tax receipt.
|
|
|
|
LYNCH FAMILY DONATES TO FALLEN WORKERS MEMORIAL
|
Mayor Walter Sendzik and fundraising chair Greg Wight recently accepted a donation from the Lynch family, descendants of Elzear and Leo Lynch, a father and son who died in a construction accident building the fourth Welland Canal in 1925.
Karen Hunt and Carol Reid, both granddaughters of Elzear Lynch, spoke about the importance of the memorial to their family and the descendants of the fallen workers.
"We are so pleased to see the memorial finally coming to life. It will be a special place for family members to remember their loved ones and for the community to gather and remember their sacrifices. We hope that other families and community members will come together to support the memorial."
The Mayor thanked the Lynch family for their generous donation.
"The story of the Lynch family's tragic loss is a story that resonates with many families across Niagara whose loved ones were lost during construction of the Welland Canal. This memorial is about honouring the fathers, sons, brothers and families of the 137 fallen workers who helped build our community and our economy by building the canal," stated Mayor Sendzik.
Link to press release
|
|
|
|
UNIFOR LOCAL 4212 DONATES $25,000 TO MEMORIAL
|
UNIFOR workers on the Welland Canal have donated $25,000 to the memorial honouring the men who built the canal nearly a century ago.
Members of UNIFOR Local 4212 and family members of lost workers presented a cheque to Mayor Walter Sendzik and the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force at a ceremony marking the National Day of Mourning on April 28.
"As we gather for National Day of Mourning, we remember the fallen workers injured or lost on the job, and we reflect on past generations who helped build our community and create safer workplaces for all," stated Mayor Sendzik.
Link to press release
|
|
|
|
HILLIARD RADFORD DONATES TO FALLEN WORKERS BOOK
|
Thank
you to Hilliard and Dawn Radford who made a generous donation towards the upcoming publication Triumph and Tragedy:The Welland Ship Canal.
Hilliard Radford is
related to David Radford, fatality #123, who died on January 27, 1930 when his clothing became tangled in a motor pump he was oiling. Hilliard and his wife have been strong supporters of the memorial project from the start and we thank them for their on-going support.
Triumph and Tragedy: The Welland Ship Canal
will profile each of the
137 fallen workers and shed light on the construction works. The book will touch on the communities impacted by the works, the construction railway and the problems of health and safety, bringing together many aspects of the engineering marvel that is the fourth Welland Canal.
Coming Soon! Watch for further information to pre-order your copy of the book.
|
|
|
|
CANAL WORKERS MEMORIAL DESIGN PROGRESS
|
In mid-April, members of the Task Force joined designer Dereck Revington on a visit to Mariani Metal Fabricators to review progress on the memorial fabrication.
The Gates of Remembrance are now a work in progress. Pictured here is the inside of one side of the Gates, which awaits the full-length blackened, powder-coated steel panel with the names of the Fallen etched through.
The names of each worker will be carved into the steel, with the date they died, and their age at the time of death.
|
|
|
|
THE WELLAND SHIP CANAL AND THE MEN WHO DIED TO BUILD IT
|
Since August 2015, a series of columns complementing the significance of the memorial has been featured weekly in The St. Catharines Standard. These stories bring to life the men who were a part of the construction.
|
|
|
Construction trains on the Welland Ship Canal would sometimes include two engines, one at each end of the train with the series of dump cars in between. Operational considerations at the work site required that trains be able to move in both directions, and sometimes the extra engine was needed due to the steep gradients encountered. (St. Catharines Museum)
|
This newsletter will continue sharing this series, complementing the work of the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force.
Thank you to our partners at the St. Catharines Standard for helping to remember these men. Their work and sacrifice helped shape our communities and indeed, our entire country.
|
|
|
|
Interested in learning more about the fallen workers and other topics related to the Welland Canal? Below is a list of upcoming community presentations.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 | Lions Club of Merritton
Thursday, June 22, 2017 | St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
Launch of
This Colossal Project:
Building the Welland Ship Canal, 1913-1932 by Roberta M. Styran and Robert R. Taylor. Robert Taylor will give a short talk entitled "Our Forty-Year Welland Canals Project". He will also be available to sign copies of both books.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 10:45 a.m. | Oakville Probus Club
Life & Death on the Welland Ship Canal: The Untold Story of 137 Worker Fatalities by Arden Phair
Monday, October 30, 2017 | Thorold & Beaverdams Historical Society
The Welland Canal Construction Railway by Andrew W. Panko
|
|
|
|
|
THANK YOU
To Our Funders, Sponsors and Supporters
|
|
|
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Ce projet est financé en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.
|
|
|
Platinum Crane $25,000 +
Project Partners
|
Canadian Canal Society and, Welland Canals Foundation
|
|
|
|
|
The
Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force
is a volunteer group established to finance, design, build and install a memorial to recognize workers who died while building the Welland Ship Canal between 1914 and 1932. Members of the Task Force include representatives from all Welland Canal communities, Niagara Regional Council, the federal government, the marine industry, local historians, the labour community, and community partners from the Canadian Canal Society, the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre and the Welland Canals Foundation. Administrative and project support is provided by the City of St. Catharines.
|
|
|
|
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Walter Sendzik, Mayor St. Catharines
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN CHAIR
Greg Wight
|
|
|
|
