Cape Breton Post

Collective grief and strength

- ADAM MACINNIS

PLYMOUTH — There's a feeling in Nova Scotia this spring that reminds John Ashton of 1992 — a feeling of Westray.

“It's a different time period, but still the emotion is the same,” he said.

The mass killings that began in Portapique and spread throughout Northern Nova Scotia leaving 22 dead have brought back for him the collective grief — and strength — that poured out following the Westray Mine Explosion that killed 26 people, 28 years ago in Pictou County.

“It was a horrific time,” Ashton recalls. “I can remember the day it happened. It was a Saturday morning. It was cold and wet.”

Ashton remembers turning on the radio that day and hearing there had been an accident at the mine. Everyone was glued to their radios and television­s, waiting for more informatio­n that came in dribs and drabs.

Like in Portapique, during Westray details were slow to come out at first, with the death toll growing over time.

“It reminds me of what we're going through in Nova Scotia now with all the terrible things,” Ashton said.

But amid the tragedy, he sees good happening.

“What I'm seeing on Facebook and in the papers and on television is everybody's heart is pouring out. They're wanting to do anything to help. That happened in '92.”

SYMBOLIZIN­G STRENGTH

In 1992, Ashton was a young father, working as a graphic designer from his Bridgevill­e, Pictou County home. He had been doing some freelance work in those days for the Pictou Regional Developmen­t Associatio­n.

When the disaster happened, he was asked to create a symbol to remember the men who died. In some ways it's similar, he says, to the NS Strong symbol that people have gravitated to on social media since the Portapique and area killings. Only in those days, there was no public internet, let alone Facebook. But still there was strength in symbols.

Ashton's design, which features a miner's lamp with 26 rays of light coming out of it, quickly became something people could relate to. The rays were meant to be symbolic of eternal love and strength that emanates from the miners' memories. The light pays tribute to the kindness, courage and humanity that people extended to one another throughout the tragedy.

“The families adopted it and really appreciate­d it,” he said. “For a designer that makes it all worthwhile.”

Some were so touched they started to cry and told him how thankful they were for the design. The symbol was later used for the monument in the Westray Park, the location in Parkdale that is believed to be above where the miners died.

While he's had other logos and symbols win national awards, Ashton says, the Westray image is still probably his most widely known work.

“To this day, there is still strength in that symbol.”

 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D ?? John Ashton designed this symbol in the aftermath of the Westray mine disaster.
CONTRIBUTE­D John Ashton designed this symbol in the aftermath of the Westray mine disaster.

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