Tuesday marked another significant and emotional day at the Picadilly potash mine near Sussex — it was the last day of work for several employees.
The 120 employees have been there temporarily since the January announcement that the mine would be closing and 430 people would be put out of work.
The workers were kept on to transition the mine out of service. All but about 35, who will keep the equipment operational, worked their last shift Tuesday.
READ MORE: PotashCorp mine closure has Sussex residents fearing worst about economy
By Wednesday, the facility will be fully into its care and maintenance structure plan.
April Glendenning worked at the mine for a decade. and says her former co-workers were on her mind today in a situation she says doesn’t seem real.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s what’s supposed to be happening and I wish the best for the folks that are leaving today,” Glendenning said. “I hope they have the same kind of luck that I’ve had.”
Glendenning, an environmental technologist, was fortunate to find work in Saint John through one of the job fairs held after the mine closure.
“I was only unemployed for three weeks and then I found out that I was the successful applicant and had a week to get my mindset into a different role,” she said.
It’s hoped the tight-knit community of Sussex will remain strong and rebound from this set-back quickly.
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“You hope you never see a day like today, when 100 families are kind of looking at what their next step at developing a livelihood is,” Sussex CAO Scott Hatcher said.
READ MORE: Sussex moves toward strategic plan after Picadilly mine closure
There will be some work at the mine harvesting salt, a byproduct of the potash process that will serve the region well for the next year.
With a new strategic plan in the works, hopes are high for the future.
“It’s a resilient community, it’s a beautiful community,” Glendenning said. “The people are very warm and friendly and I believe that this just a little hiccup in the town’s history.”
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