A group of Local 793’s Irish members took a stroll down memory lane on Friday, June 13, as they took part in a panel discussion on the role of Irish immigrant labour in the building of Ontario after the Second World War.
Hosted by St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto as part of the three-day Canadian Association for Irish Studies (CAIS) annual conference, retired members Michael Quinn, Frank Horan and Peter McLaughlin were joined on stage by active member Michael Deasy to talk about their experiences as Irish Operating Engineers from the 1950s to the present day.
Brother Quinn, an Honourary Lifetime Member, was born in London to Irish parents, Brother Horan is from Co. Galway, Brother McLaughlin was born in Co. Donegal and Brother Deasy, the most recent arrival in Canada, hails from Co. Mayo.
Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher introduced the panel and also spoke about his own father’s journey from Ireland’s County Westmeath to Canada in the early 1950s. Gerry Gallagher went on to become a revered Union leader in his own right, and winning key rights for workers and immigrants.
