Editor: The Canmore Coal Miners Parade always brings back memories for me, of Black Friday. The day Canmore mines closed for good.
I was called by Ron Riva to come right away to the Mine Managers office. I was selected by the members of the United Mine Workers Union District #18 in Canmore to be the Employment Assistance Committee Coordinator.
It was an agreement with the Provincial and Federal government and Canmore Mines to assist coal miners to find other employment, training, relocation or retirement.
As coordinator, I had the privilege of working with a great bunch of workers. Subsequently, I was the coordinator when Canada Lafarge laid off workers in the Exshaw cement plant.
The UMWA selected me because of my research I was doing on Black Lung disease and why miners could not get Worker’s Compensation.
The coal miners and myself flew to the West Virginia Black Lung Clinic for testing and my report and study is filed with the Alberta Government.
I was allowed to go into the Canmore Mine seam Grande Cache and a mine in Pennsylvania.
In those days it was bad luck for a woman to enter a coal mine.
Eileen Patterson,
Canmore
