Hamilton steelworkers are worth remembering, says Stelco retiree. Their legacy is on display at local exhibit | CBC News
Signs of Stephen Lechniak’s steelmaking past are embedded throughout his Hamilton home.
The sassy black and white family cat, Oreo, was born at Stelco. His Ford SUV, made with Canadian steel, is parked in his driveway. A miniature bar roll stand replica sits on the dining room table — a reminder of the gigantic ones used to roll steel.
Lechniak, 74, retired since 2009 after a 36-year career at Stelco has spent every day since collecting and categorizing documents, photographs and paraphernalia about the company and local union’s past.
Why does he do it?
“It’s the guys that I worked with — that’s the short and sweet answer,” Lechniak told CBC Hamilton. “I felt a debt to the older guys who trained me, showed me how to do the job safely, and gave me life advice. I have a lot of respect for them.”
He’s been following the U.S.’s trade war with Canada and the real-life implications of high steel tariffs on hubs like Hamilton. He fears the impact Trump’s “scary” economic policies will have on Hamilton workers and hopes the turbulence doesn’t last long.
In the meantime, he said he will continue to document Stelco’s history and remember the people who made it happen.
Storytelling event for steelworkers
With a similar goal, the Workers and Heritage Centre is hosting a storytelling event for steelworkers and their families on Saturday. Both current and retired workers are invited to bring with them an object, photograph or memento connected to steelmaking.
Photos of the objects will be displayed in a community gallery afterwards to show “interesting touchstones on the culture of steelwork,” said Sylvia Nickerson, programming and exhibitions specialist at the centre.
“We are very pleased we can be a place where steelworkers can talk about their experiences and reflect on their experiences and reflect on their personal stories as it relates to the present day,” said executive director Tara Bursey.
The centre is also showcasing art by Natalie Hunter and Heidi McKenzie about how the work of family members shape us. Hunter was born in Hamilton to a family of steelworkers, which inspired her work showcased at the centre.
Lechniak said he plans to attend the storytelling event with his son Michael Lechniak, 42, who’s worked at Stelco since 2007 and currently in the coke ovens.
Steel connections run deep
Michael said workers are talking about the tariffs and what it could mean for their jobs. Younger workers are more nervous than those who’ve been at the company for a while like Michael.
He said he’ll “take it as it comes.”
An opera singer on the side, Michael said during shifts at Stelco, he performs songs on demand to boost his colleagues’ spirits.
When Lechniak began working at Stelco in the 1970s, steelmaking was a cornerstone to Hamilton’s identity and economy, he said.
“Steelworkers supported this city, they really did,” Lechniak said. “These people got by, they raised their families, they paid their mortgages, they bought cars and they didn’t have a [post secondary] degree, but they contributed to the economy.
“You could hardly find a single person in Hamilton that wasn’t in some way connected directly to the making of steel.”
Today the industry is smaller, but still worth fighting for, Lechniak said.
