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Cassiar Courier

the Voice of Cassiar Country

JULY 1981

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONS

CASSIAR MINE RESCUE TEAM
L—R Don Toth (coach), Cary Frazer, Steve Hanley (Capt ), Larry Prince, Sid Tschritter, Glen Compton,

Danny Harrison and Darren DeCecco

JACK BERRY

On June 6, 1981, Jack Berry retired after 26 years of sere
vice with Cassiar Resources. Jack graduated in 1943 from
Queens University with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Mining Engineering. From 1943 to 1945 he served as a
Lieutenant R.C.E. in the Canadian Armed Forces. From
1945 to 1955 he worked for O’Brien Gold Mines in Kewa-

.gama, Quebec. He was a member of the engineering staff

doing field work in summer and mine work in winter. In
1951 he was promoted to Chief Engineer and in 1952 to
Mine Superintendent,

Jack came to Cassiar in June 1955 as Mine Superintendent.
At that time the “townsite” left much to be desired — as
Eleanor will testify. We did hear that Eleanor refused to
get out of the car: for two hours when they arrived— a

“graphs for his“ Church History.”

fact which Eleanor did not recall. However, in true pio-

neer spirit the Berrys decided ‘to™ hang in there”

In- 1961, Jack was promoted to General Superintendent
and in 1965 he moved to Toronto as Manager of Opere
ations. In 1967 he was promoted to General Manager. He
remained in Toronto until 1974 when the Head: Office
was relocated to Vancouver, In 1978 Jack became Assist=
ant to the Chairman and President, a position he held un-
til his retirement.

Long-time residents will remember Jack and Eleanor as ar-
dent supporters of the Anglican Church here in Cassiar.,
Jack was even able to supply Rev.*Morrison with photo
Jack also served as the
School Trustee for Cassiar for a number of years.

Thespian Jack = was Mr, Interlocutor in the first Minstrel
Show in Cassiar, in the spring of 1956 and participated in

“many other stage productions.

Jack the Gardener— As a mining engineer, Jack knew
that nitro prill was good for breaking rocks and fertiliz =
ing crops, At 115 Connell Drive he ladled it on with a
shovele instant brown =but the grass did grow well two

~ years later!

_Jack the Hunter He was the only hunter in Cassiar

known to have cornered and shot his trophy=a pack
ratein a piano.

Eleanor said, “It was a good shot — not between the eyes
but between middle C and high C.” On her last visit to
Cassiar Eleanor went to check out 115 and discovered
that the hole is still there (in the wall that is).

After a long vaction Eleanor aug Jack will continue to re=
side in Vancouver.

Note = Thanks to Jack and Joyce Thornicroft for sharing
some of their memories with us.

<A <<

The Cassiar Mine Rescue Team has just returned from
Kamloops 8,C., after having won the Provincial Mine
Rescue Competition.

The team has been in full time training since mid-May,
and the first test of their abilities was in the Northern
Zone Mine Rescue Competition held in Smithers, B.C. on
June 6th,

The problem entailed a premature blast which had serious-
ly injured a blaster and damaged a pick-up truck, The
driver of the truck suffered a fractured spine.

There were five teams competing, but Cassiar won by a
healthy margin, gaining almost full points,

The Cassiar No, 17 first aid team, in a separate competit-
ion in Smithers, also won, so Cassiar carried all the hopes
of the North into the Provincial Competition, Also coms
peting in the Zone Competition were Equity Mines, Gran-
isle Copper, Bell Copper, and Endako Mines.

There were three teams competing in Kamloops, Island
Copper (Southern Zone) Brenda Mines (Central Zone)
and Cassiar Resources (Northern Zone), As each: team had
already won in their own zone, the callibre of Mine Rescue
work had to be good to win,

The problem in Kamloops was that a 5,000 gallon gasoline
truck had collided with a pickup truck carrying explosives,
Contd. on on Page 15

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Ex-Cassiar Resident
ae
Killed

Stan Mrkva, 50 years old, was killed when the pick-up
he was driving plunged over a 25 meter embankment.on
the access road to the new grain and coal terminal on
Ridley Island near Prince Rupert. Police said it was not
known whether he died from injuries suffered in the
accident or from: the heart attack which apparently
caused: the accident. Stan resided in Cassiar until the
latter part of 1980.

em em es ae a Ss <=

UNION CONTRACTS
RATIFIED

Memorandums of Agreement between Cassiar Resources
(division of Brinco Mining Limited) and United Steel
workers of America Locals 6536 and 8449 were signed
late on June 11, 1981, The memorandums were ratified
by a significant majority of both locals at votes held June
15—18.

The Unions and Company had met on two previous oce:
casions, in March and April without reaching an accord-
The most recent meetings were held under the direction
of Mr, Vince Ready who was appointed as mediation
officer following application to the Ministry of Labour,

During the final round of negotiations the parties
met all night in an effort to reach agreement in the lim=
ited timeithe mediator was available.

‘The agreements, covering approximately 550 employees
are for a period of two years, commencing July 1, 1981.
It is believed that this is the first time since 1974 that an
agreement has been reached between the parties prior to
a strike.

A Union spokesman when contacted to comment on the

agreements said “It is a fair contract— nothing exception.

al but we can. live with it for two years if the Company
a

can.