Massey’s Janice Martell was emotional when she learned the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups is holding a memorial cycling ride between Massey and Elliot Lake this May in tribute to her late father, Jim Hobbs.
The veteran miner made that same trek countless times between 1978 and 1990 while working for the area’s underground uranium mines.
In retirement, Hobbs was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which his daughter attributes to his exposure to a finely ground aluminum dust known as McIntyre Powder.
He took his life in May 2017.
The members are recognizing the significance of occupational disease on the province’s workforce while honouring her father and other miners impacted by McIntyre Powder exposure.
To greet the riders, Martell is planning a welcoming reception on Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26 at the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre in Elliot Lake.
