April 17, 2024
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COMMONS
WORK 5 – The Westray Disaster
The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the expense of so many lives?
Arshy Mann
Host & Producer
Jordan Cornish
Producer
Noor Azrieh
Producer
André Proulx
Production Coordinator
Karyn Pugliese
Editor-in-Chief

This episode was originally published on November 24, 2021. 

 

Twenty-six men were working underground when an explosion tore through the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia. Their friends and colleagues went into the wreckage to try to save them.

The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the expense of so many lives?

 

Featured in this episode: Vernon Theriault, Tom Sandborn

 

To learn more:

Westray: My Journey From Darkness to Light by Vernon Theriault and Marjorie Coady

“Hell’s History” by Tom Sandborn in The Tyee

The Last Shift by CBC’s The Fifth Estate

 

Additional music from Audio Network

 

Sponsors: Douglas, AG1

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