Jan Goes Underground

My oldest brother Vern worked for INCO most of his life, where he was a mine survey engineer. He didn’t have the opportunity for a postsecondary school education, although he definitely wanted to attend university. He earned a survey engineer designation through correspondence courses while he worked in the mines.

In 1981, he was working at the Coleman Mine in Levack. The mine offered a “Ladies’ Day” to allow mine worker families the opportunity to see where their husbands, brothers, and fathers worked.

Here’s a photo of my group, taken in April 1981 (I’m third from the left, front row). I’ve always been fascinated by ‘how things work’, including mine operations, so I jumped at the chance to go underground in a working mine.

However, my innate curiosity apparently caused quite a kerfuffle that day. The group leader was delighted with my interest and was happy to answer my never-ending questions. He ended up taking our group into a couple of areas that were not on the designated tour route, and we were ‘under’ for quite longer than expected. So much so, that the management topside was getting worried (no cell phones back then, lol, not that they would have worked underground), so they sent down a search party to ‘recover’ us.

I didn’t learn all that until supper time, when Vern, looking at me over his glasses, told me the story. He knew I was responsible. But then he added, “and I got two marriage proposals for you as well…”

I know that today, ‘Ladies’ Day’ and brothers getting marriage proposals, seem outrageously sexist, chauvinistic, etc. But this was 1981. About ten years earlier than my book setting. I found it amusing, as did my brother. Being from a specific time doesn’t mean you reflect, or accept, its values…you find and live your own. I had a blast that day and I’m profoundly grateful that I got to see a little of my brother’s day-to-day world.