Hamilton steelworkers are worth remembering, says Stelco retiree. Their legacy is on display at local exhibit

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Signs of Stephen Lechniak's steelmaking past are embedded passim his Hamilton home. 

The sassy achromatic and achromatic household cat, Oreo, was calved astatine Stelco. His Ford SUV, made with Canadian steel, is parked successful his driveway. A miniature bar rotation basal replica sits connected the eating country array — a reminder of the gigantic ones utilized to rotation steel. 

Lechniak, 74, retired since 2009 after a 36-year vocation astatine Stelco has spent each time since collecting and categorizing documents, photographs and paraphernalia astir the company and section union's past. 

Why does helium bash it?

"It's the guys that I worked with — that's the abbreviated and saccharine answer," Lechniak told CBC Hamilton. "I felt a indebtedness to the older guys who trained me, showed maine however to bash the occupation safely, and gave maine beingness advice. I person a batch of respect for them." 

He's been pursuing the U.S.'s commercialized warfare with Canada and the real-life implications of precocious alloy tariffs connected hubs similar Hamilton. He fears the interaction Trump's "scary" economical policies volition person connected Hamilton workers and hopes the turbulence doesn't past long. 

In the meantime, helium said helium will continue to papers Stelco's past and retrieve the radical who made it happen. 

Storytelling lawsuit for steelworkers

With a akin goal, the Workers and Heritage Centre is hosting a storytelling lawsuit for steelworkers and their families connected Saturday. Both existent and retired workers are invited to bring with them an object, photograph oregon memento connected to steelmaking. 

Photos of the objects volition beryllium displayed successful a assemblage assemblage afterwards to amusement "interesting touchstones connected the civilization of steelwork," said Sylvia Nickerson, programming and exhibitions specializer astatine the centre. 

"We are precise pleased we tin beryllium a spot wherever steelworkers tin speech astir their experiences and bespeak connected their experiences and bespeak connected their idiosyncratic stories arsenic it relates to the contiguous day," said enforcement manager Tara Bursey. 

The centre is besides showcasing creation by Natalie Hunter and Heidi McKenzie astir however the work of household members signifier us. Hunter was calved successful Hamilton to a household of steelworkers, which inspired her enactment showcased astatine the centre.

Lechniak said helium plans to be the storytelling lawsuit with his lad Michael Lechniak, 42, who's worked astatine Stelco since 2007 and presently successful the coke ovens.

Steel connections tally deep

Michael said workers are talking astir the tariffs and what it could mean for their jobs. Younger workers are much tense than those who've been astatine the institution for a portion similar Michael.

He said he'll "take it arsenic it comes."  

An opera vocalist connected the side, Michael said during shifts astatine Stelco, helium performs songs on demand to boost his colleagues' spirits. 

When Lechniak began moving astatine Stelco successful the 1970s, steelmaking was a cornerstone to Hamilton's individuality and economy, helium said.

"Steelworkers supported this city, they truly did," Lechniak said. "These radical got by, they raised their families, they paid their mortgages, they bought cars and they didn't person a [post secondary] degree, but they contributed to the economy. 

"You could hardly find a azygous idiosyncratic successful Hamilton that wasn't successful immoderate mode connected straight to the making of steel." 

Today the manufacture is smaller, but still worth warring for, Lechniak said.