Kingston causeway workers get severance pay nearly a year after bridge torn down

After months of waiting, workers who operated the LaSalle Causeway lift bridge in Kingston, Ont., have finally received their severance.

It comes nearly a year after the century-old crossing was demolished following what was supposed to be a repair job, but instead ended with the entire structure being scrapped.

"I'm glad it's over. It's a chapter in my life I don't have to worry about again," said Doug Stewart, who worked as a bridge operator for about a year-and-a-half before it was torn down.

Stewart, along with bridge master Tom Vilneff, was among the three causeway workers laid off at the end of January.

Their collective agreement said they should have received the thousands they were owed within 30 days, but as the weeks added up without any pay, their savings began to take a beating, the men told CBC in a story published May 6.

The next day, they heard from the pay centre for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the federal department responsible for the bridge.

In a phone interview on Wednesday, Stewart described the update from PSPC as a "relief."

"It was three months before I got any any action out of the PSPC, and it was only the day after the CBC story ran about that I saw any real action," he explained.

Vilneff confirmed he has also since received a compensation package and severance pay. CBC has not been able to confirm whether the third worker received their severance.

In a statement to CBC sent Thursday afternoon, PSPC said it couldn't provide personal pay information for staff, citing privacy considerations.

"We understand the impact, such as delays, and the financial stress that this may have caused on individuals and their families," the department wrote.

Grievance filed over financial distress

The crossing connects downtown to the city's eastern suburbs and was known as the "singing bridge" for the sound made by the tires of thousands of commuters who crossed it every day. A temporary span is currently in its place.

Stewart said he's filed a grievance with PSPC about the severance not being paid in a timely fashion, causing financial distress for his family.

"I'm not really after any extra money out of them," he said "I'm just [sending a] 'do better next time' note to my government."

Stewart has since found work as a tour guide around the city and said he's happy to have a new way to share his knowledge and show his appreciation for Kingston's history.

Still, the former bridge operator said he remains frustrated by how both the crossing and his career there were discarded, adding the way the workers were treated showed a "lack of respect."

"It was sort of, 'OK you're done, now off you go.' We weren't responsible for the catastrophes that happened to that bridge," he said.

"And I still miss it. I miss the sound of it."