Paul-Henry Dallaire

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Paul-Henry Dallaire
Title: Death at the Belmoral mine at Val D'Or, QC.1980
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To add a footnote to this story is I don't know why I wrote the song it's probably because I worked in similar circumstances in the mines and was lucky I guess not to have been hurt. However my father was badly in injured at the Preston East Dome mine near Timmins and eventually died of his injuries years later and he always walked with a limp. I remember the whole story as it was told to me by the guy named Buster Gervais another miner who lifted the loose (rock) of off my father enough so he could breathe. I myself worked for Evert Ross and Findlay Mining Contractors at the McIntyre mine in Timmins, Ontario. I worked as a raise miner. I also know the feeling of riding a skip bucket hanging on for dear life on the cable riding up and down the shaft emptying the skip. Passing the levels was just a flash of light and a burst of air so you'd better hang on tight. or else. Cette chanson est un temoignages a la memoire de Lucien Belanger Guy Daigle Guy Desruisseaux Marc Godbout Gille Legare Normand Masse Yvan St-Pierre Marcel Vienneau decede lors de la tragedie a la mine Belmoral Le 20 Mai 1980: catastrophe a la mine Belmoral, situee a quelque kilometres au Sud de Val D'Or. Lefondrement du toit de la mine provoque le deverdisement de millers de tonnes d'eau et de boue. Huit mineurs perissent ensevelis. Vinght ans plus tard ce trise evenement demeure grave dans la memoire de Sylvain et Lise Legare et de Jean Paul Bordeleau, qui a vecu de pres ce drame. INTRODUCTION The Belmoral mine disaster occurred at, or about 22:00 hours on May 20,1980 in the Ferderber mine, located 10 Km north-east of the town of Val d'Or. Quebec. The mine started development in October of 1978 and had been in production since August 1979. The principle mining method was shrinkage stoping , with the possibility of sub-level stoping, for wider Or zones. The development of the mine consisted of trackless access ramp from surface at a grade of 17%, connecting four levels at 100, 200, 250 and 500 feet depth. There were eight stopes at the time: four in production on the 200 level; two in production on the 350 level. Twenty four miners were working underground during the evening of the disaster, eight of whom lost their lives; sixteen narrowly escape serious injury or death. AFRICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALURGY Volume 1 Témoinage de Guy Morneau Mon nom est Guy Morneau. J'ai rencontré Paul Henry Dallaire il y a 3 ou 4 ans a la piscine Archie Dillon de Timmins. Paul a écrit une chanson au sujet de la tragédie de la mine Belmoral a Val D'or au Québec. Il rencontre tres bien la situation de cette tragedie. J'etais electrician et la compagnie m'a envoyé avec un mécanicien et 2 ope'rateurs pour installer une foreuse afin de sauver les mineurs emprisonnier sous-terre mais i'll était trop tard. Moi j'appelle Paul Henry Dallaire le Johnny Cash Canadien. Félicitation PHD. Merci: Guy Morneau Death at the Belmoral mine in Val D'Or P.Q. 1980. Eight miners perished in the mud below ground. Men of no tomorrows T'was Tuesday the twentieth of May nineteen eighty was the year the miners of Belmoral gold mine that morning went down with their gear Their work place a dark damp burrow where only the brave dare to try Like the sun never shines in a hollow down there it's as black as the night The officials claimed it was inspected tho no one seemed to know when Gold stock was high on the market So they gambled the lives of their men They spoke of the grave situation and felt the earth tremble and quake the new road was under construction to drill was a fatal mistake Some say they heard an explosion some say they really don't know the fact is it's too late to reason for the eight men entombed there below On Tuesday may twenty seventh a cry was heard it was said the rescue attempt was doubled in a frenzy to dig for their friends They tried but in vain for to reach them for the slime kept pouring inside two weeks in that cold dark dungeon they all were doomed there to die Now mothers and fathers and relations will grieve for the rest of their lives for the miners on shift who descended In the depth of the Belmoral mine This song has been executed by a hard rock miners who knows your chances are less than expected and a man don't reap what he sows Now young fellas heed to my story if your lured by the lust of the mine your body will rust and turn into dust and your future will run short of time Repeat chorus/end For bookings and personal appearances paulhenryd@yahoo.com Words & Music Paul Henry Dallaire Paul Henry Pub. SOCAN Recorded at Snocan Recording Studio Holly lane Dr, Ottawa, ON. Canada (No longer exist) produced by Dave Dennison Lead guitar: Dave Dennison Drums: Sam henry Bass : Dusty King Jr. Background vocals: Rick Evans (Ottawa) Rhythm stereo Ovation: Paul Henry Dallaire