Jerry Dias: Buzz Hargrove was a true rank-and-file union president
When Buzz Hargrove spoke, you listened. He was an electric public speaker that drove his message through compassion and wisdom. He could carry the room with his knowledge.
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He would never ask you to do anything he wasn't prepared to do himself. He led more plant occupations and corporate dust-ups than anyone in the country. He knew how to win and gave us all the confidence to fight against great odds. 'You can't win if you are not prepared to fight,' he would often say.
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I was fortunate to have a front row seat as one of Buzz's assistant's in the final years of his presidency of the Canadian Auto Workers. I was able to watch the master in action. He was brilliant in battle but compassionate and articulate in life.
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He understood that the most important role of the union was how we impacted the lives of the rank and file through collective bargaining. With that in mind, Buzz was the best. He knew better than anyone that our collective solidarity fused together as one, created unlimited strength. When facing the pillars of the corporate community, he was like a pit bull terrier with an abscessed tooth. Brains and brawn that drove success regardless of the situation.
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He really was a legend respected by all whose lives he touched.
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Buzz above all was a rank and file leader. He came from the shop floor and was proud of it. His working class roots are what defined him. He would often say that you can't build a union surrounded by lawyers and academics. They had a role but they just couldn't lead it. He believed that the rank and file's heart and soul was the foundation on which to build.
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Globe and Mail
19 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
The first half of Russ Murrell's life moved fast. The second half was decidedly different
Russell John Murrell: Pilot. Grandfather. Father. Husband. Born Sept. 22, 1937, in Vancouver; died Dec. 20, 2024, in Cloverdale, B.C., of medically assisted death; aged 87. To know Russ was to know his many turns of phrase ('That's the ticket!'), one of the small ways he expressed joy. He loved to play and tinker and joke, especially with his four grandchildren. Tumbling rocks and agates, shooting BB guns, an extra serving of dessert when mom wasn't looking and annual camping trips at Cultus Lake, in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. Those trips offered a glimpse of who he was as a younger man. The campground clubhouse featured a pool table that the kids would monopolize for hours. Papa, as his grandkids called him, would occasionally join. He was an ace. Any shot, any angle. Straight in the pocket. 'Where'd you learn to do that?' we'd ask. 'When you spend enough time in bars, you pick up these skills,' he said. Russ joined the Royal Canadian Air Force right out of high school. He earned his wings in 1958 and in 1960 received the Vincent Trophy, awarded to Canada's top aerial marksmen, at the Air Defence Command's annual rocket shoot in Cold Lake, Alta. Over the next 10 years, he was stationed at military bases across Canada and in Europe, coinciding with Canada's role in the Cold War. During that same period, Russ married his first wife, Kay Morrow, and welcomed three daughters in five years: Chris, Heidi and Robyn. They remember many nights on base in Chatham, N.B., when their dad had to leave in the middle of the night, the sirens calling the pilots for patrol. Russ slept with his flight suit and boots beside his bed. Tensions ran high. His struggles with drinking began during this time. The impacts of his addiction were felt by his family the most, it led to divorce and many years of long-distance, often absentee parenting. After he retired from the Air Force, Russ rarely spoke of his years flying, but once a pilot, always a pilot. His granddaughter Kaitlyn loved watching him drive. She never got to fly with him, so this was the next best thing. His blue Ford Escape was equipped with a manual drive mode and he put the gear shifter through its paces. Instead of using the brake, he'd meticulously shift down at every red light. He was in control. The first half of Russ's life moved fast and left little room for self-reflection. The second half was decidedly different. He met Joyce Harries when he was 44. A second marriage for both, it took them 12 years to tie the knot. Their union defined 'in sickness and in health.' Joyce witnessed many relapses and supported Russ on his sobriety journey. Throughout their struggles, Russ and Joyce set a good example for what retirement can be. They travelled, kept a beautiful, well-kept garden and most importantly, spent lots of time with family. Joyce's devotion to Russ was returned when she later developed Alzheimer's and required more care. Russ refused to move her to an assisted-living facility and dismissed support from both family and nurses. He said it was his time to give. But he had started giving back long before then; to neighbours, friends, distant relatives and his daughters. He had become the person you call when you need help the most. Recovering from surgery? Convalesce at his home. Need a place to store a fixer-upper sports car? Russ's driveway had a spot. Transitioning jobs? He'd float you until you were back on your feet. Those were the public acts. Many more went unnoticed, unannounced. In 2018, he underwent multiple surgeries for esophageal cancer. It left him unable to chew and swallow food. The next year, he elected to undergo another surgery in the hopes of being able to eat normally once again. The procedure was risky. Working with his surgeon, they pressed forward with an all-or-nothing approach. If the surgery was going to plan, he'd wake up. On paper he was cancer-free, but he remained frail and underweight. In late 2024, he developed pneumonia and his body began to shut down. In his final days, Russ's request for a medically assisted death was granted. He was at peace, finally in control over his body and mind. Kaitlyn Rosenburg is Russ Murrell's granddaughter. To submit a Lives Lived: lives@ Lives Lived celebrates the everyday, extraordinary, unheralded lives of Canadians who have recently passed. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go online to
CBC
43 minutes ago
- CBC
Nanaimo, B.C., debates joining municipalities that ban invasive species
The City of Nanaimo might soon join a list of municipalities that prohibit the sale and distribution of invasive plants, in absence of provincewide laws on the matter. On Monday, city councillors are scheduled to consider a staff report that recommends a bylaw to ban specific species on the Invasive Species Council of B.C. (ISCBC) list, including some common household vines and flowers like English ivy, baby's breath and foxgloves. "Over 60 per cent of our invasive plants are actually intentionally planted," said Gail Wallin, ISCBC's executive director. "So great work, great step forward." The report says invasive plants can harm the environment, human health and even the economy. "They can thrive on land and in aquatic environments and can impact biodiversity and natural habitats," according to the report. "Since the plants are introduced, they have limited natural predators and tend to grow rapidly, out-compete native plants, and can be challenging to manage even with a long-term approach." Invasive plants can damage infrastructure, alter water flows and become fire hazards, according to the report. It also states that provincial regulations like the Weed Control Act have outdated species lists and little effective means of enforcement, but the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has been reviewing current legislation regarding the sale of invasive plants and their seeds in B.C. Other municipalities with similar prohibitions include Squamish and Oak Bay. "There is a need for stronger provincial regulation on on invasive species," Wallin agreed. Many invasive plants can be found at nurseries across B.C., where they're sold on their own or as part of ornamental baskets, she said. Worries about implementation Walter Pinnow, operations coordinator at Green Thumb Nursery in Nanaimo, said his workplace doesn't sell invasive plants — even though some customers still ask for them. "We just had a customer asking us for foxglove the other day," Pinnow said, adding people often ask for chickory, a plant with little blue flowers commonly seen on the side of B.C. highways. Gardeners don't always know that many of the flowers they see are actually invasive, Pinnow said. He supports the report and the creation of a bylaw to ban the sale of invasive plants, but said he worries about how it would be regulated or enforced. Pinnow also cautioned the city to list plants under their proper Latin names if the bylaw does go through, to ensure that plants that are sometimes categorized under their common names aren't included — like ivy.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
40 years after Air India bombing, son's grief fuels his work in counterterrorism and victim support
Social Sharing Susheel Gupta was 12 years old when his mother, Ramwati Gupta, boarded Air India Flight 182. It was supposed to be a special summer for the Ottawa boy, whose family had planned a trip to India to visit relatives. He was originally meant to fly ahead of his parents so that he could spend some extra time with his grandparents. But his Grade 7 graduation ceremony was coming up, and he didn't want to miss it. "Had I gone early, I would have missed Grade 7 graduation, so I nagged and nagged my parents," Gupta told CBC's The Early Edition. Ultimately, the family changed their travel plans, and Gupta's mother flew ahead, with the intention that he and his father would join her a few weeks later. "She was travelling on my plane ticket and my seat," he said. That flight never made it. On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people onboard. Around the same time, a bomb exploded at Japan's Narita Airport, killing two baggage handlers transferring a Vancouver suitcase to an Air India flight. It is considered the worst mass murder in modern Canadian history. Irish compassion, Canadian silence Monday marks 40 years since that tragedy. Gupta, now a senior RCMP official working in counterterrorism, said the pain never fully goes away. "I've got two little girls and not a day goes by that I don't wish my mom were alive so they could meet her." But Gupta says it wasn't just the loss that devastated families. It was also the way they were treated. In the hours after the bombing, Gupta remembers his family scrambling for answers but facing a void of official information. "There used to be something called a phone book … and my father was trying to reach government agencies," he said. "There was no one answering any of our calls. "We didn't know if there was a rescue mission or a recovery mission." Two days later, Gupta and his father flew to Cork, Ireland, using the two tickets Air India had offered each family. His brother, 18 at the time, stayed behind. In Ireland, they joined "thousands" of grieving relatives from around the world seeking answers. "There were U.S. government officials, U.K., France had officials, India, of course, and so forth," Gupta recalls. But there were no Canadian officials present at the site — and it would be nine days before any officials arrived to speak with the families. "Here's a tragedy where the majority [of people killed] were Canadian citizens, and there's not one Canadian official who could even bother. That's how the country treated it at the time." Despite the absence of Canadian support, Gupta said he'll never forget how Irish residents opened their arms. "[Locals] would come out of their homes in tears," he said. "They would invite us to have tea, to have a meal, and to have cookies with them." "Just the kindness we received from the Irish … certainly contrasts with how we were treated by our own government." Gupta believes Canada has still not fully accepted the tragedy as its own. "I think many Canadians unfortunately think that terrorism is something that happens somewhere else," he said. "I don't think they acknowledge or understand that it has happened here." No support for victims' families According to an RCMP press release marking the 40th anniversary, the bombing exposed "major gaps in intelligence-sharing, inter-agency coordination, and the way we support victims' families." A 2010 federal inquiry led by former Supreme Court Justice John Major described the government's early response as " wholly deficient," saying victims' families were treated like "adversaries." Gary Bass, a former RCMP deputy commissioner who later oversaw the Air India investigation, acknowledges that families weren't given timely updates. WATCH | Ujjal Dosanjh says Air India bombing should be recognized as a national tragedy: Former health minister of Canada speaks at Air India anniversary memorial in Vancouver 2 years ago Duration 0:42 "There were no victim services supports back in 1985," he said in the RCMP statement. "One of the big complaints from victims' families was that they were not getting any updates." Bass credits Gupta's father, Bal Gupta, for helping establish regular briefings that eventually built trust between families and investigators. In the months that followed the tragedy, the Air India Victim's Families Association (AIVFA) was formed, which according to the RCMP, continues to play a pivotal role in advocating for justice, remembrance and police reforms related to terrorism. Senior Gupta acted as the coordinator for the group from 1985 to 2005. "It was through Bal Gupta that we started setting up a series of briefings two to three times a year," added Bass. Turning pain into public service The tragedy and its aftermath became a turning point in Gupta's life. "If there was a way to deal with the frustration of how we were treated … it was to become part of the system." Now 52, Gupta is the Senior Strategic Operations Director with the RCMP's Counterterrorism and National Security section in Ottawa. He has also served as a federal prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. His current role involves planning and delivering support for victims of terrorism and mass casualty events. It's work that has taken him across Canada and abroad — most recently to Vancouver following the April 2025 Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy, when a driver struck a crowd at a street festival, killing 11 people and injuring many more. "We organized a gathering of over 100 victims and families because we felt it was important." He said many of the families didn't know each other before that event, much like the Air India tragedy, but shared trauma creates an important bond. "We become a sponge, we absorb that grief and absorb that pain." On Monday, memorials are being held across Canada and in Ahakista, Ireland to mark the 40th anniversary of the Air India bombing and the 20th National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. In a statement, the RCMP said it reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the tragedy and its lessons are never forgotten. For Gupta, the anniversary is not just a time to mourn but to reflect on the change that's still needed. "Our national security framework was ultimately changed because of this tragedy and because of families who never gave up," he said. "I don't want any Canadian to have to go through this the way we did."
