Sunday, July 27, 2008


PEOPLE/CANADIAN LABOUR:
HE CARED FOR EVERYONE:
Here's another news story about the death of Andrew James of Stony Mountain, buried beneath a load of asphalt. The open question of the employment of underage workers at such dangerous sites is still an "open question", despite the obvious violation of Manitoba's labour laws. Most workers who are killed in Canada are young workers who are unaware of the dangers at their workplace. There are child labour laws for a reason, even if they are not enforced enough.
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He cared for everyone
Young worker mourned:
By ROB NAY, SUN MEDIA
Tributes began flowing yesterday for a 15-year-old boy who died in Stony Mountain after being buried under hot asphalt while at work Friday morning.

Early yesterday evening, approximately 125 people had joined a tribute page dedicated to Andrew James on Facebook, a social networking website(I've been trying to findthe site, and I'll post it as soon as possibler-Molly).

"I love you baby brother. I will see you again one day," wrote his sister, Sabrina Ellison.
Firefighters, RCMP and bystanders raced to free James after he was buried in asphalt. Crews shovelled frantically to try to free the Stony Mountain teen, with some suffering burns from the asphalt, but James died at the scene.

"He cared for everyone and was always there to lend a hand for anyone," wrote Brittany Sulyma on the Facebook group.

Elsewhere, people wrote of the teen's strong work ethic and his ability to make people laugh. The page mentioned how James "loved the outdoors, especially camping with his papa."
"You touched many lives, worked hard, and were a friend to many," wrote aunt Kim Ellison. "We love you Andrew, and will miss you."

Many expressed their sympathy for James' family, left to mourn after the sudden passing of the teen.

"To all of those who were closest to Andrew, hold tight to your memories, the good and the bad. It is the best way to honour his short life," wrote Michelle Rossnagel.

Family and friends shared their memories of the teen on the website, while photos showed him playing soccer and snowmobiling.

"I can still picture him on his first day of kindergarten on his bike that he was already very awesome at riding," wrote Tina Campbell.

James had been working for a paving company doing road repairs before his death on Friday, said RCMP.

Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health and RCMP are investigating the incident.

According to provincial guidelines, employees younger than 16 are not allowed to work at construction sites.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey I was just looking for articles about my brother, Andrew, and I came across this. I noticed that you said you were trying to find the facebook site for the memorial group. If by any chance you'd still like to see it, here's the link.


http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20190372718

(hopefully that works)


R.I.P. Andrew James
July 22, 1993 - July 25, 2008
May Angels Lead You In
Forever your Sister,
Sabrina