This statue of a woodsman and his
family at the Reesor Siding site of the
1963 shooting of three lumber and saw-
mill workers replaces the one that has
been there for the last 20 years. The
original, made of wood, has rotted, so
@ new one was commissioned by Local
2995. The statue serves as both a mem-
orial and a reminder of the strike and
the resulting deaths.

STATUE

Continued from Page 6

Sawmill Worker’s Union Local 2995
president Normand Rivard. “We are
committed so people won't forget.”

The replacement monument is
identical to the original in size and
shape but the material is more
durable.

Benoi Deschesnes, of St. Paul Joli,
Que., constructed the new one out of
tubular steel, foam and fibreglass.
“It should extend its lifespan,” said
Damien Roy, a Hearst union repre-
sentative on hand as part of the
work crew. *

He said that the original statue,
which is now in Hearst, will be
worked on and, if it can be salvaged,
be put on display in front of the
union office in Kapuskasing.

The story begins and ends on Feb.
11, 1968, when the Spruce Falls
Power and Paper Company
bushworkers, having been involved
in a lengthy strike, were protesting
the mill’s buying of lumber from
farmers and laborers in the district.

Reesor Siding was the spot in the
area where they would bring their
four-foot long logs to be taken by rail
to the mill. At about 3 a.m., the
strikers arrived on the scene with
the intension of stopping any load-
ing that might take place that day.
Somehow the suppliers got wind of
the plan and were waiting in the
bushes for them to arrive.

Shots were fired in the general
direction of the union men killing
three and wounding eight others.

“It's good that
it’s up so people
will never forget
and never start
something like
that again.”

After a lengthy investigation the
union was fined $52,000 for illegal
assembly and the farmers were
charged with dangerous use of

firearms.

The strike ended soon afterward
and the statue was erected three
years later.

“It’s good that it’s up so people
will never forget and never start
something like that again,” said

Tanguy.

LUMBERWORKER/JUNE, 1988/7
bia bia taceih