Families finally achieve closure, Weitzel says

By CAROLYN GRANT

Kimberley Daily Bulletin

November 24 2008

It’s been a long haul since that tragic day in May 2006, but George Weitzel, speaking for the families of the four who lost their lives at the Sullivan Mine, says they feel that they finally have some closure.

“I think we’re there,” Weitzel said.  “I asked the families today, do you think our feeling is that we’re there.  We’ve accomplished pretty much everything we’ve set out to do.  It won’t bring back the loved ones we lost, but it will go along way in saving other lives.”

Weitzel is speaking of the long fight he and the families of Kim Weitzel, Bob Newcombe, Shawn Currier, and Doug Erickson have waged to make sure that all the coroner’s jury recommendations from the summer of 2007 were implemented, and that measures are in place so that the same type of accident doesn’t occur again.

What’s happened recently is a change at the upper level of Mining Ministry, where Gordon Hogg is now Minister of State for Mines, and a new Chief Inspector of Mines, Doug Sweeney, is also in place.

Both Weitzel and Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald say that the new leadership appears to be taking a different direction.

“With the appointment of a new Minister of State for Mines, I have noticed a much greater willingness to communicate positively with the families,” said Macdonald.

“Minister Hogg and his staff have been much more forthcoming with the details of changes that have occurred since the tragedy, and this meeting stems from that improvement to communications.”

Macdonald met with Chief Inspector Sweeney, Assistant Deputy of Mines John Cavanagh and members of the victims’ families on November 17 to review progress on the implementation of the recommendations put forward by the Sullivan Mine disaster coroner’s inquest.

“Everybody was encouraged by what we heard,” Weitzel said.  “It was a real refreshing departure from the attitude of the previous two Mines ministers.

“Apparently Norm talked to the Minister when he was brought up to speed, and he asked a lot of the same questions we asked right from the beginning.  It was a real pleasant surprise to hear how he understood everything that happened up there, right from the design phase of the waste dump through the whole incident.  He has rules around inspection and around education and accountability that we are all pleased about.”

Weitzel says one of the objectives of the families was to make sure that an incident like this never happened again and he believes the new Mines Minister and Inspector have made moves that they think will save lives.

“There were rules in place at the time of the incident that were just not enforced,” he said.  “The Inspector appears to be changing the culture of mine safety and of inspections.  He’s doubling the number of inspectors and is committed to inspecting these mine sites and monitoring what operators are doing.”

As for the Ambulance Service, Weitzel says that they have implemented all of the coroner’s jury recommendations with the exception of providing personnel with oxygen sensors.

“I don’t think any amount of fighting on our part will change that,” he said.  “There are varying opinions on the effectiveness of the sensors.  One of the things we are most grateful for is that we now have a unit chief in Kimberley, and so do other communities of the same size.  That goes a log way to addressing safety issues.”

Weitzel says that BC Ambulance was given a $75,000 assessment from WorkSafe BC but that they are appealing it.

“That surprises us because we do believe there were lapses in training,” he said.

Nonetheless, Weitzel says the families are largely satisfied with what has occurred. 

“If these changes are ongoing and permanent – and we will be watching – I think the feeling is that we are at the walk away point.  It’s a good feeling to know we’ve made changes.”

“Minister Hogg is a very different person from Minister Krueger,” Macdonald said, of his sometimes acrimonious dealings with the previous Mines Minster over the issue.

“He committed that he would continue meeting and do whatever it takes to meet the needs of the families.  There’s no questions that things still need to improve but the families have accomplished a great deal.

“Advocates for change like George Weitzel and Bob and Lori Currier refused to give up until their concerns were addressed, and I think it is due to their hard fought battle that the Ministry has taken these steps to protect mine workers and rescue personnel from a similar tragedy.”

Weitzel says he and the other family members are beyond grateful for the help they received from Macdonald.
“Words cannot express how grateful we all are for Norm.  He was just relentless in his determination to help us with this.  He never forgot us and we love him for it.”