Richards report on the horrible tragedy took years to complete and was costly. This book does fall in the category of using the stereotypical, blue collar nova scotian families with men who drink too much and the women quietly suffering because of it. The absence of investigative reporting in favour of sensational stories about accidents and the pain and suffering of the bereaved obscures the truth. Anyone from the area will quickly note that this book was inspired by the westray mine disaster in the 90s. This is a mustread book for everyone who recalls the horror of hearing the news about the westray mine disaster on may 9, 1992. In still dying for a living, steven bittle turns a critical eye on canadas corporate criminal liability law. Drawing theoretical inspiration from foucauldian and neomarxist literatures and interweaving indepth interviews and parliamentary transcripts, bittle reveals how legal, economic, and cultural discourses surrounding the westray bill. Many of the miners bodies remain buried there to this day. Nova scotia libraries are doing more than you know to support local writers by philip moscovitch.
Vern theriault wasnt working the night shift at plymouth, nova scotias westray mine when the methane gas and. The disaster occurred in an area that is now within the borders of modernday china, but was at the time part of an area occupied by japan during world war ii. Ubc press still dying for a living corporate criminal. The westray mine that exploded in plymouth, nova scotia, on may 9, 1992, killed 26 miners.
The westray coal mine explodes, killing the 26 miners. Over the ensuing days, mine rescue teams attempted to find survivors without success. Westray is the true story of the 1992 mine disaster at the westray coal mine in nova scotia. It recounts the stories of the miners who died and the families they left behind, as well as the corporate and political machinations behind the development of the illfated mine. The day the westray mine blew kill a worker, go to jail on may 9, 1992, at 5. We remember those lost 28 years ago in the westray mine. Following the explosion there were 52 regulation violations brought forward, but were dropped in favour of criminal charges against the two mine managers, including manslaughter and criminal negligence. The westray mine disaster was a totally preventable tragedy. Coal mining can be done on the surface of the earth and on mountaintops. The book delves into records and testimony that show consolidation. The reports from the accident explain that they believe that sparks from the cutting head of a continuous mining machine ignited methane gas, creating a fire and explosion that then stirred up. Theriault took part in the perilous rescue operation that followed, as the small community hoped against hope that survivors would be found. In 1992 a preventable explosion at the westray mine in plymouth, nova scotia, killed twentysix miners.
Westray was the only operating underground coal mine in pictou county at the time of the explosion. Westray was owned and operated by curragh resources incorporated curragh inc. The westray death toll was canadas worst mining disaster since the 1958 bump in the springhill coal mine that claimed the lives of 75 miners. The story of the westray coal mine disaster as told by one of miners who attempted to rescue the 26 men. Ken schwartz when the westray mine exploded, the human tragedy and suffering which resulted were chilling proof that the ageold price paid for coal is human blood. From a perspective of whitecollar crime, particularly governmental crime and corporate violence, this paper asserts that the negligent actions of inspectors. It follows the lives of some of the employees and widows of the. My journey from darkness to light by vernon theriault.
The government of nova scotia has appointed a judge to head a commission of inquiry. Westray mining disaster archives atlantic books today. In still dying for a living, steven bittle turns a critical eye on the westray bill, revealing. Free essay, term paper and book report coal mining general information coal mining is the extraction of coal from the earth s ground. Published on may 10, 2017 the westray mine disaster revealed safety gaps at the mine and holes in canadas workplace laws. The previous three inquiries into major explosions in queensland coal mines.
On may 9th 1992 an explosion ripped apart the westray coal mine in pictou county, nova scotia killing 26 miners. It is argued that if the goal is to protect workers and nothing else, then the politicaleconomic context that promotes the creation of hazardous. Bittle examines the aftermath of the westray disaster to deal with one of the more intriguing problems criminal lawyers, criminologists, and sociologists face. More than a decade later, the government enacted bill c45, commonly known as the westray bill, to hold organizations criminally liable for seriously injuring and killing workers and the public. The presiding judge, justice richard, pointed out that criminal law did not provide an avenue to properly punish those responsible, and that the law should change. The westray bill or bill c45 was federal legislation that amended the canadian criminal code and became law on march 31, 2004. The inquiry that followed pointed to greed, incompetence and total disregard for the health and safety of the workers. More importantly it presents a false truth so the question, what happened at. Find the westray tragedy by comish, shaun at biblio. A methane gas explosion and subsequent coal dust explosions ripped through the mine killing all 26 miners working the shift that night. Seventy eight miners died during a disaster that rocked west virginias coal fields 43 years.
Essay questions on the life at the westray mine book. This book is a study of how the media represented the events surrounding westray. The 1968 farmington coal mine disaster, chronicles the explosions and their aftermath. The truth behind the westray mine disaster remains a highly contested matter.
About the author vernon theriault was a miner at the westray mine in plymouth, nova scotia, when disaster struck, killing twentysix coworkers. The westray mine was in operation less than a year when disaster struck. Westray mine disaster the last shift the fifth estate. This paper addresses the catastrophic westray mine disaster that rocked the east coast of canada in plymouth, nova scotia, in may 1992 and outlines the causes and factors of the deadly explosion that resulted in the death of 26 miners. Each of these three dimensions of the politics of causation is explored through an analysis of the 1992 westray mine disaster which killed 29 miners in nova scotia, and the official responses to it. The cherry mine disaster was a fire in the cherry, illinois, coal mine in 1909, and surrounding. It linked to corporate gluttony, bureaucratic bungling, and administrative incompetence, which led to the loss of lives.
Vernon theriault was off shift when the westray mine exploded in 1992, killing twentysix men in plymouth, nova scotia. The pictou coalfield had been mined for some 200 years, and elements of the disaster rest in the nature of that coalfield with its thick and gassy seams. Corporate criminal liability after the westray mine disaster 20. In his book, managing major hazards lessons of the moura mine disaster. Between 1838 and 1950, 246 pictou county miners were.
Report of the westray mine public inquiry, westray mine public inquiry n. The westray mine is located at plymouth, near stellarton, in pictou county, nova scotia. How the westray disaster changed canadian job safety youtube. Having many books on early mine disasters mainly victorian era this was a gem of a find to add to my collection. Calculated risk nimbus publishing, 1994 is the only comprehensive account of the worst mine disaster in modern canadian history. The fifth estate and the journal coproduced this story about the tragedy. Westray tragedy transcends the simple, horrible incident. In examining at the westray disaster, vernon theriault provides a deeply personal look into the lives affected, especially as someone with firsthand experiences. Westray mine explosion, plymouth, 1992 museum of industry. The bill introduced in 2003 established new legal duties for workplace health and safety, and imposed serious penalties for violations that result in injuries or death. Vernon theriault was a miner at the westray mine in plymouth, nova scotia, when disaster struck, killing twentysix coworkers. Family and friends are shown in 2002 marking the 10th anniversary of the westray mine disaster. Sean comish provides a voice for the miners, those who witnessed the incompetence and complete disregard for safety in the mining company. The westray mine was a coal mine in plymouth, nova scotia, canada.
Report of the westray mine public inquiry volume 2 of the westray story. In the aftermath of the 1992 disaster, he struggled with ptsd and illiteracy while lobbying for a workersafety law in ottawa. Still dying for a living not only tells an interesting story about a drama worthy of public attention, but it also explains how we make laws, how political forces coalesce and confront each other, and how the dominant relations of production. In this feature documentary, filmmaker paul cowan offers an innovative, moving account of the westray coal mine disaster that killed 26 men in nova scotia on may 9, 1992. How a 1968 disaster in a coal mine changed the industry. Westray mine disaster facts images all disaster msimages. Westray mine disaster facts may 1, 2018 jarwato disaster maryquinto maryquinto98 on a father s day gift to the donkin mine cape breton accountability and reform in the aftermath of westray accountability and reform in the aftermath of westray accountability and reform in the aftermath of westray. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the event. On april 26, 1942, in the benxihu honkeiko coal mine, what is believed to be the worst mining disaster in history, took the lives of over 1,500 people. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers.