Another B.C. giant passes
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Updated: November 16, 2009 5:47 PM
Editor:
It wasn’t all that long ago that the commercial fishery was a huge contributor to B.C. and to Steveston.
Time has passed, and now people focus less on how great the fishery was—and how much it contributed to Steveston’s roots. It was remarkable in its size and importance to our community.
As we continue to debate the loss of this huge fishery, we have suffered another loss from the commercial fishing era.
Jack Nichol, long-time president of the United Fish and Allied Workers Union, passed away a week ago last Friday. He’s another B.C. giant who has passed into our increasingly rich history. He was a hero in the B.C. labour scene, and had a heart as big as all outdoors for his members—and others.
He was eloquent beyond his schooling, and was a heck of a negotiator. He was a big man—and still is in my memory. He had a great knowledge of the coastal fishery, and told me about salmon farming in Norway back in the ’80s—long before it came to the B.C. coast. He also had a devastating—often wry and dry—sense of humour. His ethics and respect for his colleagues, members and opponents, were exemplary. God bless him and his family. He will be missed.
There will be a special memorial to Jack this Friday, Nov. 20, at 1:30 p.m., organized by the Fishermen’s Union at the Maritime Labour Centre (1880 Triumph St., Vancouver).
Bruce Rozenhart,
Richmond
