Category: In The News

Local 793 members are working hard for J-AAR Excavating on their low-rise project in Kitchener, ON. This project will provide more housing and additional retail and service options for residents. Below is a photo of Local 793 members (L to R) Steve Wilson, Kevin Carruthers, Dan Jacques and Lee Carvalho who are standing in front of a CAT 352 […]

Local 793 members are working hard for J-AAR Excavating on their low-rise project in Kitchener, ON. This project will provide more housing and additional retail and service options for residents.

Below is a photo of Local 793 members (L to R) Steve Wilson, Kevin Carruthers, Dan Jacques and Lee Carvalho who are standing in front of a CAT 352 excavator onsite.

Local 793 members are hard at work for the Township of Huron-Kinloss on the Ripley Industrial Park subdivision project in Bruce County, ON. This project which is projected to be completed by summer 2022 involves the constriction of roadways and ditches, the installation of gravity and low-pressure sanitary sewage systems, the installation of watermains, and […]

Local 793 members are hard at work for the Township of Huron-Kinloss on the Ripley Industrial Park subdivision project in Bruce County, ON. This project which is projected to be completed by summer 2022 involves the constriction of roadways and ditches, the installation of gravity and low-pressure sanitary sewage systems, the installation of watermains, and the construction of a storm water management facility.

Below is a photo of Local 793 members (L to R) Tim Weber, Dave Spoenlein and Local 793 steward Bob Blackwell standing in front of a Cat 770G grader and a Cat 930K loader at the Ripley Industrial Park shop.

Local 793 is dedicated to providing members with the latest COVID-19 news so that you are able to stay informed on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Click on the links below to read selected articles from reliable news sources. CBC: Canada could be seeing the start of a variant-driven 4th wave, chief health officer warns Washington […]

Local 793 is dedicated to providing members with the latest COVID-19 news so that you are able to stay informed on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Click on the links below to read selected articles from reliable news sources.

CBC: Canada could be seeing the start of a variant-driven 4th wave, chief health officer warns

Washington Post: ‘The war has changed’: Internal CDC document urges new messaging, warns delta infections likely more severe

The unmarked graves of an estimated 751 people have been discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan on Thursday. The number could be the most substantial to date found in Canada. The news came less than a month after the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation uncovered evidence of unmarked […]

The unmarked graves of an estimated 751 people have been discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan on Thursday. The number could be the most substantial to date found in Canada.

The news came less than a month after the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation uncovered evidence of unmarked graves containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. There are certain to be more revelations.

These discoveries reopen old wounds about the lack of transparency and accountability around the residential school system in Canada, which forcibly separated indigenous children from their families and subjected them to malnutrition and physical and sexual abuse. These residential schools and unmarked graves represent the systemic racism and discrimination of Canada’s past and the effects are still felt today.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed the Vatican to make an official apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the system. Pope Francis said in early June that he was pained by the Kamloops revelation and called for respect for the rights and cultures of native peoples. But he stopped short of the direct apology.

IUOE Local 793 stands with Indigenous people, both across the country and within our Union membership, as they call for action to bring truth and reconciliation to address the horrific tragedies that occurred at Canada’s residential schools.

RESOURCES:
Indigenous History in Canada
Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

June is National Indigenous History Month and today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the rich heritage, diverse cultures and unique contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. While there is much to celebrate, there is also much to grieve. Full transparency […]

June is National Indigenous History Month and today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the rich heritage, diverse cultures and unique contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

While there is much to celebrate, there is also much to grieve.

Full transparency is needed to discover the truth behind Canada’s residential school tragedies

Last month, we learned about the terrible news of the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the lands of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia. Since this tragic news broke, other bodies have been found near former residential schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
An estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children attended one of the more than 130 residential schools established in Canada between 1831 and 1996. The schools were government-funded and mostly run by the Catholic church. These children were taken from their families to be stripped of their culture, heritage, traditions and language with the goal of assimilating these children into a predominately European/western culture. These innocent children were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and thousands died. The exact number is not known. In the 1950’s, Indigenous children attending a residential school had a greater likelihood of dying in that school than did soldiers fighting in both of the world wars.

The only way to discover the truth and support true reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples is to have full transparency and accountability. This begins with the Catholic church providing full disclosure of all records related to the residential schools. Without knowing the truth, it will be impossible to bring any meaningful closure to the thousands of Indigenous families who lost a child/children.

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that the province would invest $10 million over the next three years on efforts to identify, investigate, protect and commemorate burial sites at former residential schools in the province. The federal government has set aside $27.1 million to assist Indigenous communities in identifying unmarked burial sites at former residential schools.

IUOE Local 793 stands with Indigenous people, both across the country and within our Union membership, as they call for action to bring truth and reconciliation to address the horrific tragedies that occurred at Canada’s residential schools.

RESOURCES:

Learn More About National Indigenous History Month
Learn More About Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous History in Canada

Local 793 wishes all members and their loved ones a Happy Easter. Easter symbolizes a sense of joy, renewal, and new beginnings. These sentiments have never been more important as we continue to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. While public health restrictions will disrupt many of our Easter plans with family, friends and our […]

Local 793 wishes all members and their loved ones a Happy Easter.

Easter symbolizes a sense of joy, renewal, and new beginnings. These sentiments have never been more important as we continue to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. While public health restrictions will disrupt many of our Easter plans with family, friends and our communities, this provides us with a great opportunity to reflect and appreciate our loved ones over the holiday weekend. There is of course hope and light at the end of the tunnel with the availability of vaccines. Let’s continue to support each other and stay safe and stay vigilant.

This excerpt from Pope Francis’ message about encouragement and strength captures the essence of Easter perfectly:

“Even if we are isolated, thought and spirit can go far with the creativity of love. This is what we need today: the creativity of love.”

Have a Happy and Healthy Easter weekend!

March 8th is a global day of recognition celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The earliest Women’s Day observance, called “National Women’s Day” was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City when 15,000 women marched through the […]

March 8th is a global day of recognition celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

The earliest Women’s Day observance, called “National Women’s Day” was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City when 15,000 women marched through the streets demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and voting rights.

Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.

Business Manager Mike Gallagher had a few words for this year’s International Women’s Day:

“I think it’s a very important day. It’s a day to celebrate the accomplishments of all women who fought very hard for basic human rights, such as the right to vote.

But there’s more work to be done for women’s rights. The union needs to do more. Recently I hired a female Business Rep., named Torie Coqu, who comes from three generations of union members. We hope she will be with us for a very long time.

I’d also like to congratulate IUOE International Representative Lorna Harnum, whose appointment to the Government of Canada’s Women in the Economy task force, was just announced today.

As a union, we can do more to encourage women to join our trade. We have a number of female crane operators and apprentices that have done very well. But there’s not enough women in the trades, and it’s important that the opportunity is emphasized to both boys and girls at an early age.”

“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist, nor to any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.” -Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist, and activist

Karl Maria Stadler (1888 – nach 1943), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons