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UER Forum > UE Photography > Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry (Viewed 2171 times)
Ground State 


Location: Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
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Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< on 9/19/2014 1:55 AM >
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I took a completely different approach with this posting. Who am I to talk about the history of this place? I instead sent the photos to several personal contacts that worked here – some who lost their jobs over 15 years ago – to have them reminisce and tell the real story. This post is made up of their returned comments. Through them, it is my hope that we can experience the camaraderie, the dangers and the memories.


Many years ago, the John Deere plant in Ontario, Canada shut its doors for good. Like a chain reaction, the effects were felt throughout the region. John Deere was one of the major customers of steel fabricated at nearby Russel Metals in Port Robinson. Without Deere’s business, and with cranes and other equipment too outdated and expensive to replace, Russel suffered financially. It did not take long for the company to terminate its final 18 employees; the remains of a workforce that had been whittled away year after year over the previous decade. For many of them, it wasn’t the first time they had survived a plant closure; many had worked for Union Carbide when it shut its doors in 1982. Several of the 18 went on to metal-related operations in Hamilton, some after putting in 39 years at Russel Metals.

Such is life in the southern Ontario steel industry.



Ennis Steel 01
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“You won't fucking believe this but I worked here from 14 years of age till the end of my under grad. Shit 8 or 9 years, every summer. My dad was the plant manager.” – R.A.



Ennis Steel 02
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“The plant was originally called Ennis Steel...the original owner was Bunny Ennis (yes Bunny)...it was sold in the early nineties to Laurel Steel...a Quebec Company...and then again to Russell Metals in 2000 or so...They gave it the Green Paint Job. The original colour was a baby blue.” - T.P.



Ennis Steel 03
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“The work that was done here was steel fabrication. They would receive stock steel. Anything from round bar, plates, Tubes, I bar, etc, and then sell it to construction companies and cut it to the size ordered.” – R.A.



Ennis Steel 04
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“Holy SHIT! I can't believe what I am seeing!! They lights are still there? That brings back a thousand memories!! - R.A.



Ennis Steel 05
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“I know all the guys named on the wall!!” - R.A.

“R2 stands for Runway Two...One leg Willy actually had one leg He lost it there at work...he drove the overhead crane after that...” – T.P.



Ennis Steel 06
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 07
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 08
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“Pic 08 is of the stairs to the cab crane ... the only overhead crane that had a small cab for a man to drive it. It was the fastest most productive crane. The heart of the plant. 3 very unique guys drove that crane on the 3 rotating shifts. One was the guy named on the wall...Willy One Leg.. he was a grumpy old bastard!” – R.A.



Ennis Steel 09
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“Pic 09 is the train tracks where they used to shunt cars full of steel into the back runway. Once a driver named Skip was backing up his load on the scale in front of the shipping house (that you can't see in the pic) and a train was coming in but he didn't hear or see the signals. The train hit his trailer, flipped his load and his rig on its side and he was pinned in the cab with transmission fluid leaking all over him. He had a minor leg injury and went to hospital.” – R.A.



Ennis Steel 10
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 11
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 12
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 13
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 14
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“That chair in 14 was where a guy named Norm would always fall asleep while cutting his steel. We swore he had narcolepsy! There was a giant cold saw right in front of that chair.” - R.A.



Ennis Steel 15
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 16
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 17
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 18
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 19
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 20
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“Number 20 is of where I worked. Maintenance department. My uncle Joe actually suffered a serious injury here...he feel off a trailer of steel he was unloading down at the far end of this photo and hit his head on a piece of steel...major head injury...was never the same afterwards...” – T.P.



Ennis Steel 21
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 22
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 23
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“I sprayed that "B1B" sprayed on the wall in photo 23...likely back in 1999!! I was making sub-sections so the workers could find stuff easier, then later we came up with those printed signs "1021" to narrow our searches even more.” – R.A.



Ennis Steel 24
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“My uncle Nino working here in Building One...he moved round bar he worked their for 33 years and retired from there...my Dad retired in 2008 he put in 38 years there. He worked his way up from saw helper to Plant Manager. Both my brothers worked there as well in the summer.” – T.P.



Ennis Steel 25
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 26
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 27
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 28
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 29
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“One gentlemen lost his life on the job here in building Two...He was wedge between two I Bars and past hours later in the hospital...tough year that year.” – T.P.



Ennis Steel 30
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 31
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 32
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 33
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr



Ennis Steel 34
by Ground State Photos, on Flickr

“Yes I used to bait deer back here behind the plant so guys on the midnight shift could shoot them with BB guns... didn’t kill them.... It was just for fun...smoked a lot of weed here as well....fucked up place but also a lot of good memories.” – T.P.






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Baldran 


Location: The Ira Bemis House
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Solvitur Ambulando

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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 1 on 9/19/2014 3:48 AM >
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I really like this set. The recollections of the people that used to work here add another dimension entirely to the photos. It's easy enough to define an abandonment on a technical level, but it's something else entirely to actually get to hear what it meant to the individuals who spent so much of their time there.



[last edit 9/19/2014 4:07 AM by Baldran - edited 1 times]

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randomesquephoto 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 2 on 9/19/2014 4:04 AM >
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Great to include these memories.




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MisUnderstood! 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 3 on 9/19/2014 4:21 AM >
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Not only are your photos amazing, but so are the real life accounts of the workers. Really liked this idea and their names
Love pic 4. The green light-bulb works so well with the greenery in the background.




A place of Mystery is Always worth a curiosity trip!
Monkeybrainzzz 


Location: Cartersville, Georgia
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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 4 on 9/19/2014 1:38 PM >
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Amazing photos and great captions. The stories definitely add a whole new feel to the atmosphere in the photos. Great stuff!




MustangGina 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 5 on 9/19/2014 3:06 PM >
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Great photos and great idea to get the history from the folks who actually knew worked there!




MustangGina
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billgeorge 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 6 on 9/19/2014 8:09 PM >
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Excellent.




azuro1125 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 7 on 9/21/2014 12:40 AM >
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Amazing pics and I love the recollections of the workers. Well done!




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relik 


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There is no truth, Only a perspective.

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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 8 on 9/21/2014 8:40 PM >
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Bravo! Great work, sir.




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nephron 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 9 on 9/21/2014 10:22 PM >
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Awesome job with this. Gives us an entirely different perspective on workers in the industry, nice job




nephron 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 10 on 9/21/2014 10:24 PM >
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Edit: double post



[last edit 9/21/2014 10:42 PM by nephron - edited 1 times]

Aran 


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Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.

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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 11 on 9/21/2014 11:08 PM >
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I gotta say, the quotes from some of the former workers really added something special. Being able to read about some of the worker's experiences in the plant made it that much more amazing, and complemented the pictures perfectly.




"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.

Ansion 


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The same, except different.

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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 12 on 9/22/2014 2:50 AM >
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Very nicely done.

I have some friends who worked there & @ the John Deere plant mentioned. They're not so well off now, as a result...




"Explore thyself." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"...and abandoned stuff & things that look neat." ~ Ansion
TheSwanStation 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 13 on 9/22/2014 8:39 PM >
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I was really drawn into this. The pictures and stories really went perfect together, top notch work all the way around!




Light__ 


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Re: Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry
< Reply # 14 on 9/22/2014 9:41 PM >
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This is a killer set!!! Great work, seriously!!!




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UER Forum > UE Photography > Steeling Lives: Reflections on Hardships in the Metal Fabricating Industry (Viewed 2171 times)


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