Roy Marchand, 1946-2004
The final person to be killed at the Sydney steel plant was Roy Marchand, a 58-year-old retired steelworker from Dutch Brook, near Sydney. On 24 September 2004, he was employed by Zoom Developers, the company hired to dismantle the Sysco property, when a falling beam struck him on the head and killed him. A bystander explained, “the load was lifted and was laid down again because he wanted to make it safer. He put his hand on the beams, bent over to pick up a chain . . . when the load shifted and crushed him.” [1] Three years after Marchand’s death, 62-year-old George Dearing was issued a $1,000 fine for having violated the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Act at the site of the former Sydney steel plant. The presiding judge, Jamie Campbell, noted in his decision that “it was rather ironic that Marchand died dismantling a century-old industry that had claimed numerous lives.” [2] Marchand’s name is the latest to be engraved on the Steelworkers’ Memorial Monument. He left behind a wife, Sharon, three sons, Duane, Joshua and Roy Jr., and a daughter, Darlene. [3]
In the early 2000s, the future of Sydney Steel was, once again, plunged into uncertainty. The provincial government’s attempts to sell the plant during the late 1990s had failed, and by the spring of 2000 steelworkers were clamoring for other options to keep the plant running. Bill McNeil, President of Local 1064, wrote to the Cape Breton Post lamenting that “promises of steelworker input into the process to sell Sydney Steel have been consistently broken.” [4] Around 650 people were employed at the steel plant at this time. Although there was speculation that two companies were interested in purchasing the plant, the final steel rail was rolled out on 23 May 2000. A spokesman for Ernst & Young, the company hired to find a buyer for the plant, noted: “the workforce will be adjusted to reflect the current operation.” [5]
Two days later, more than 250 steelworkers were laid off from Sydney Steel. [6] Although a skeleton crew remained at the plant, on 27 May they found that the doors to a number of sections of the plant had been welded shut. Sysco claimed that this was “normal procedure” during a shutdown, but the action prompted a number of rumors concerning the future of the plant. The steelworkers were furious. That weekend, nearly 100 angry workers traveled to New Glasgow to confront Progressive Conservative Premier John Hamm on the future of the steel plant. They were told that the province was still considering a number of options for the sale of the plant. [7] This was the same answer that steelworkers and their families were given for the remainder of the year, until it became clear that the deal to sell Sydney Steel had fallen into trouble.
In January 2001, just weeks before the provincial deadline for a sale agreement, one of the interested companies, Duferco, expressed concern over the Sysco deal. The company was “hesitant” to work with Nova Scotia Power, a provincial Crown corporation, and cited a depressed world steel market and low prices. [8] Liberal MLA Manning MacDonald expressed disbelief that Duferco could be unaware of Nova Scotia Power’s status as a Crown corporation. [9] It seemed that Duferco was simply stalling in the hopes of receiving a better deal from Nova Scotia Power, but on 18 January 2001 they backed out of the deal altogether. Cabinet minister Gordon Balser crowed, “It’s time for Nova Scotia to move on,” while worried steelworkers gathered at the union hall to discuss the news. [10] Gus MacLean worked at the Sydney steel plant for 36 years. He expressed what the plant meant to him and the rest of the community:
I can remember when I was just that high . . . holding my father’s hand as he walked to pick up his paycheque at the plant. The steel plant has been a part of my life, my whole life. That’s all we’ve known. [11]
Despite the wishes of workers and their families, the opposition of the union, and a $31 million offer from another prospective buyer, the Hamm government refused to consider prolonging the life of Sydney Steel. Demolition of the structures that remained on the site began in July 2001, and a century of steelmaking came to a close.
Footnotes
[1] Chronicle-Herald, 24 September 2004; Cape Breton Post, 9 May 2007.
[2] Cape Breton Post, 9 May 2007.
[3] Cape Breton Post, 25 September 2004.
[4] Cape Breton Post, 13 May 2000.
[5] Cape Breton Post, 23 May 2000.
[6] Cape Breton Post, 26 May 2000.
[7] Chronicle-Herald, 28 May 2000.
[8] Chronicle-Herald, 5 January 2001.
[9] Chronicle-Herald, 6 January 2001.
[10] Chronicle-Herald, 19 January 2001.
[11] Chronicle-Herald, 19 January 2001.
In the early 2000s, the future of Sydney Steel was, once again, plunged into uncertainty. The provincial government’s attempts to sell the plant during the late 1990s had failed, and by the spring of 2000 steelworkers were clamoring for other options to keep the plant running. Bill McNeil, President of Local 1064, wrote to the Cape Breton Post lamenting that “promises of steelworker input into the process to sell Sydney Steel have been consistently broken.” [4] Around 650 people were employed at the steel plant at this time. Although there was speculation that two companies were interested in purchasing the plant, the final steel rail was rolled out on 23 May 2000. A spokesman for Ernst & Young, the company hired to find a buyer for the plant, noted: “the workforce will be adjusted to reflect the current operation.” [5]
Two days later, more than 250 steelworkers were laid off from Sydney Steel. [6] Although a skeleton crew remained at the plant, on 27 May they found that the doors to a number of sections of the plant had been welded shut. Sysco claimed that this was “normal procedure” during a shutdown, but the action prompted a number of rumors concerning the future of the plant. The steelworkers were furious. That weekend, nearly 100 angry workers traveled to New Glasgow to confront Progressive Conservative Premier John Hamm on the future of the steel plant. They were told that the province was still considering a number of options for the sale of the plant. [7] This was the same answer that steelworkers and their families were given for the remainder of the year, until it became clear that the deal to sell Sydney Steel had fallen into trouble.
In January 2001, just weeks before the provincial deadline for a sale agreement, one of the interested companies, Duferco, expressed concern over the Sysco deal. The company was “hesitant” to work with Nova Scotia Power, a provincial Crown corporation, and cited a depressed world steel market and low prices. [8] Liberal MLA Manning MacDonald expressed disbelief that Duferco could be unaware of Nova Scotia Power’s status as a Crown corporation. [9] It seemed that Duferco was simply stalling in the hopes of receiving a better deal from Nova Scotia Power, but on 18 January 2001 they backed out of the deal altogether. Cabinet minister Gordon Balser crowed, “It’s time for Nova Scotia to move on,” while worried steelworkers gathered at the union hall to discuss the news. [10] Gus MacLean worked at the Sydney steel plant for 36 years. He expressed what the plant meant to him and the rest of the community:
I can remember when I was just that high . . . holding my father’s hand as he walked to pick up his paycheque at the plant. The steel plant has been a part of my life, my whole life. That’s all we’ve known. [11]
Despite the wishes of workers and their families, the opposition of the union, and a $31 million offer from another prospective buyer, the Hamm government refused to consider prolonging the life of Sydney Steel. Demolition of the structures that remained on the site began in July 2001, and a century of steelmaking came to a close.
Footnotes
[1] Chronicle-Herald, 24 September 2004; Cape Breton Post, 9 May 2007.
[2] Cape Breton Post, 9 May 2007.
[3] Cape Breton Post, 25 September 2004.
[4] Cape Breton Post, 13 May 2000.
[5] Cape Breton Post, 23 May 2000.
[6] Cape Breton Post, 26 May 2000.
[7] Chronicle-Herald, 28 May 2000.
[8] Chronicle-Herald, 5 January 2001.
[9] Chronicle-Herald, 6 January 2001.
[10] Chronicle-Herald, 19 January 2001.
[11] Chronicle-Herald, 19 January 2001.