Interview with Steve Plecas

Audio recording and transcript of Steve Plecas's 1979 interview with Bernard McNicholl for the Coal Tyee History Project. Plecas opens the interview by talking about some of his family's history, including his father's job as a miner. He explains how he started working as a coal miner at the Richardson Mine in South Wellington when he was 14 years old to try to help support his family, since his father was ill as a result of silicosis. He talks about being the youngest person to ever get a miner's certificate, which he earned when he was 18. Plecas touches on union organizing and how that impacted wages, hours of work, and safety conditions in the mines. He speaks about medical care for miners, his housing and living conditions, and his time working in the Northfield and Number 10 Mines. He shares how he tried to join the air force during the war, but was told to return to the mines, and he also talks about his subsequent frustration at his exclusion from the Royal Canadian Legion. Plecas reflects on participating in mine rescue practices and competitions, and he talks about local social activities, transportation, politics, and ethnic communities. Plecas concludes the interview by sharing some of his thoughts about the difficulties of finding employment after a career in mining, and he also mentions some mining accidents.