Governor General Jeanne Sauve has awarded medals of bravery to two miners at Noranda’s Mines Gaspe in Murdochville, Que., for their heroic actions during a fire in 1987 that killed one miner.
In the early evening of April 1, when fire broke out in the underground copper mine, Denis Minville “was everywhere at once,” the citation reads. As foreman, he helped direct his men to the lunch room in accordance with established fire procedure, tried to find two men who were missing, helped a miner who was overcome by smoke and, going back and forth four times, saved 20 men from a smoke-filled lunch room.
Roger Cote, an experienced miner, worked continuously during the 24 hours from when the fire broke out until help arrived. He organized searches to find missing miners, helped put out the fire and took steps to make eventual rescue easier. “Thanks to his leadership and courage,” the citation reads, “all the miners in that part of the mine came out alive.”
Moments of such peril happen more and more infrequently in Canada’s mines, but when they do happen the bravery and clear-headedness of such men is all that stands between life and death. Medals recognizing their courage is a small acknowledgement of how their efforts are appreciated.
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