Union starts fund for man killed while working on Edmonton tunnel

The union representing a City of Edmonton employee who was killed on the job Nov. 1 while working on a tunnel has started a trust fund for his family.

CUPE Local 30 also identified the man as 44-year-old Saturnino Sonson, who leaves behind his wife and two daughters, 12 and 14.

“They’re landed immigrants,” union president Mike Scott said. “They’ve been in the country for a fair amount of time but Melanie, the widow, works in precarious work and we want to make sure that the future for the children is taken care of.”

Scott said he didn’t know Sonson personally but attended his memorial service and was overwhelmed.

“Saturnino was a stellar part of his community and I think that community is mourning… mourning greatly because of his loss… There were a lot of tears shed.”

Scott described Sonson as a pillar of his community.

“He did a lot of work with the Filipino community. He helped a lot of people with their taxes, he helped a lot of people with their immigration status and their paperwork. The guys who knew him very well at work said he always came to work with a smile on his face, was willing to do that extra stuff, never a bad word to say… Always a great outlook on life.”

READ MORE: OHS investigating after worker dies at south Edmonton work site

Police were called to a site at 14260 Ellerslie Rd. at around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, after reports of a workplace accident. A 44-year-old worker was found dead. A stop-work order was immediately issued for the site.

The city manager said he was working with a crew “below ground” on a 155-metre sewage tunnel.

“It’s about 20 metres down and they were about a quarter of the way through the right angle, tunnelling parallel to the ground,” Linda Cochrane explained.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's about 20 metres down and they were about a quarter of the way through the right angle, tunnelling parallel to the ground," Linda Cochrane explained.

She said the city was heartbroken by the tragedy. The following day, the city voluntarily suspended all tunnelling projects across Edmonton until there was more information on what led to the death.

READ MORE: All Edmonton tunnelling projects suspended after man killed at southwest job site 

CUPE Local 30 started the fund by contributing $5,000 and is hoping the public will donate as well.

“Our union is a family,” Scott said. “When one of us falls, it hurts us all deeply.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our union is a family," Scott said. "When one of us falls, it hurts us all deeply.

“We can never bring our brother back, but if we can help his family with a few bills, it’s the least we can do.”

The trust fund has been set up with River City Credit Union. Donations can be made by email transfer to local30trustfund@gmail.com, cheque (made payable to Local 30 Trust Fund) or in person at River City Credit Union using account number 722420166414.

Occupational Health and Safety is investigating the fatality and the city is conducting an internal investigation as well.

Scott said he doesn’t know what the findings of those investigations will be.

“We know that the tunnelling work has begun. I’m not 100 per cent certain, but I think the TBM (the tunnel boring machines) are still shut down since the incident and work has not resumed at the site that the incident happened (at),” he said.

“What I wish for is this is the last time it ever happens,” Scott said. “We applaud the City of Edmonton for being very proactive on keeping the site shut down until they’re 100 per cent certain that people can go back to work safely.”