Monument honouring those lost in deadly Nova Scotia mining disaster vandalized
It's a moving sight from a distance -- an oceanside monument honouring 12 miners who were killed in a Glace Bay mining disaster in 1979.
However, a closer look at the monument now reveals a different picture.
“It makes me feel heartbroken that someone would deface a monument that’s been put here for 12 miners who lost their lives and sacrificed everything for their families. It’s very hurtful,” says Joanne Sheppard, a family member of one of the miners who was killed.
A sexually explicit image has been spray painted at the base of the main statue, putting a damper on celebrations for the days-old tribute.
“Coming from Glace Bay, you know your history. You got to have mining in your family, whether it’s your grandfather or your uncle or your father,” says Mary Pat Mombourquette, executive director of the Cape Breton Miners Museum. “It seems like you’re spitting on all of those people and your heritage.”
It was in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 1979, when 12 men lost their lives after an explosion in the No. 26 colliery.
Sheppard's father, Fabian Young, was one of the miners killed. She says she remembers the day vividly.
“I watched my mother go to pieces that day. She was never the same after that. Something like this stays with you forever,” says Sheppard.
Four men survived the blast but there has never been a place for families to reflect and remember, until recently. Twelve lunch pails with the names of the men who died engraved on them surround the main monument.
It's a project, with community support, that Sheppard has been pushing for.
“I think it’s really important that we have something in Glace Bay to commemorate and to remind people the loss miners faced over the years,” she says.
There’s still no word on who defaced the monument. Sheppard says she wants whoever did this to be held responsible and realize the impact of what they did.
“I’d like to appeal to the person who did this to come and make a public apology,” says Sheppard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.