October 1944

A bulletin from the Ontario Department of Mines details how the accident occurred. Alex Heino was drilling a bootleg hole, one that had residual blasting powder in it. His partner, John Bies, after issuing a warning, sought shelter ten feet away.

Ernie Bies wrote me, “My mother was six months pregnant with me and had 6 other kids to look after so it was a pretty tough couple of years before we moved back to the farm as my Dad could not work and required medical treatment. No Workman’s Comp in those days.”

His injured father, Jan, would have been carted across Mine Road to the Little Long Lac Hospital.

(Continued in post 4 of 7)