Two Truro sisters seek new life

TRURO, N.S. – The final straw for Vennetta Cameron and her sister, Bonnie, was being laid off from the Tandus Centiva carpet factory in Truro last year.

The pair were among 240 workers to lose their jobs as the plant relocated to the United States. Bonnie described it as a “devastating blow.”

Since then, Vennetta has been unemployed and Bonnie is in a minimumwage job.

“It just makes me feel sad every day when we get up,” Vennetta said.

They took in a job fair run by the EACOM Timber Corporation last week.

A labourer’s job at EACOM’S sawmill in Gogama, Ont., may yet change their fortunes. While the location itself is remote – 580 km northwest of Toronto – the tiny community is the sisters’ idea of a dream setting. Residents can enjoy hunting, fishing, boating and snowmobiling.

Tracy Jackman, human resources manager for Elk Lake and Gogoma, said the average labourer’s wage at EACOM’S plants is $25/hr. Employees also receive full health-care benefits and pension plan and such positions are unionized.

“If we could attract a couple of people to come join our team that would be amazing,” said Jackman. “We have opportunities in Ontario and Quebec in the forestry industry, sawmills and woodlands.”

For Vennetta and Bonnie, a new job with EACOM will also let them travel to Italy, their ancestral homeland, as well as buy a new home.

“We’d buy a nice little piece of land on the outskirts and just enjoy the rest of our lives,” said Vennetta. “We’ve lived half of them already.”