Former Atlas Steels workers reunite
It was a day for catching up with former colleagues who worked at one of Welland’s largest industrial companies.
On Saturday afternoon, former employees of Atlas Steels reunited at Tailgates Bar and Grill.
One of the four organizers of the reunion, Gloria Richard said the gathering was very much like a family reunion.
She worked at Atlas Steels in various departments for 30 years and was there on the last day when the doors closed forever in 2003.
She said the people she worked with became like family.
On Saturday people stopped and hugged one another and got excited for seeing each other for the first time in many years.
Al Creighton worked at the company for 40 years. He said Saturday was the first time he had seen many of his former coworkers in years.
Like Richard, he worked in various departments, but spent most of his time there as a carpenter and bricklayer. He retired three years before Atlas closed.
He said Atlas was a great company to work for and while many people might jump to the conclusion that it was just because of the pay and the benefits, he said it went beyond that. For him, the people he worked with made a big difference in how enjoyable his work was.
When he learned about the reunion, he said he responded right away, eager for the opportunity to be a part of it.
Richard said the reunion came together after she and fellow planner Sheila Roach had a chat about not seeing anyone in a while.
Although many still live in the area and will see each other from time-to-time, there hadn’t really been any opportunity to get together in this way.
Because of that, Richard and Roach started planning with the help of Butch Provost and Aileen Lampman.
Richard said they weren’t sure how many people to expect; word was spread about the reunion over social media and by word of mouth. Richard said they were very happy with the number of people who came out.
Because of the positive response to the fair, she said they would probably be looking at renting a hall for a next one.