Canadian True Crime - 99 The Nanaimo Mill Shooting

Episode Date: November 1, 2021

BRITISH COLUMBIA | In 2014, a disgruntled and disillusioned former employee of a Nanaimo sawmill returned to his workplace to seek revenge.Canadian True Crime donates monthly. This month we have donated to:Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime If you or someone you know might be suffering from depression:Understanding and Finding Help For Depression - CAM-HSupporting a family member or friend with depression - MayoclinicWorkplace Violence resources curtesy of Safer.ca:Download the PDF of the 2018 report “Workplace Violence in Sawmills in BC”Safer.ca - Safety Advisory Foundation for Education and Research * Red Shirt Foundation is now under their umbrella. Thanks for supporting our sponsors!See the special offer codes here Ad-free episodes:All episodes, ad-free and often early on Patreon and Supercast. Website and social medias:Website: www.canadiantruecrime.caFacebook: facebook.com/CanadianTrueCrimeTwitter: @CanadianTCpodInstagram: @CanadianTrueCrimePodInstagram: @kristileehelloCredits: Research: Gemma HarrisSpecial thanks to Dr Lynne Jacques and Marlene LunnWriting: Kristi LeeAudio editing and production: We Talk of Dreams Disclaimer voiced by the host of TrueAll credits and information sources can be found on the page for this episode at canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian True Crime is a completely independent production, funded mainly through advertising. The podcast often has course language and disturbing content, and it's not for everyone. Situated on the east side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is Nanaimo, a vibrant harbour city set between the water and the hills. It's a busy transportation hub that about 90,000 residents call home. But for many of us, the thing we think of when we hear Nanaimo is Nanaimo Bars, the quintessential Canadian no-bake dessert. For non-Canadians, they're little squares with a flavour that I can't really put my finger on except to say it's about the

sweetest thing you'll ever taste. The history of the Nanaimo Bar is the subject of many a local legend and debate, and I wanted to look up where it came from. It seems that no one can agree precisely where it did come from, but it seems a 1952 cookbook put it on the map. The woman's auxiliary to the Nanaimo Hospital cookbook didn't contain a Nanaimo Bar recipe per se, but it did contain a recipe that's very similar, called chocolate square. There are three layers, the base which has graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, chopped almonds and coconut. The middle layer is the unique part with the magic ingredient which is custard powder mixed with cream, butter and icing sugar,

all topped with a thin layer of chocolate. According to an article by Monty Cristo magazine, a Vancouver woman named Susan Mendelson started baking the recipe in the 1970s to sell so she could put herself through university. The bars were a hit and led to a lot of media retention, which then led to a new career in catering for Susan, as well as a cookbook, a radio show and more. The company she co-founded, Lazy Gourmet, is known to be the first company to produce Nanaimo Bars commercially, and the bar got a big boost in 1986 when it was featured in the official cookbook of Expo 86 which was held in Vancouver. Susan's company curated that cookbook. Other local legends talk of a Nanaimo housewife who entered a recipe for chocolate squares

in a magazine contest. This is actually based on fact. At around the same time as Expo 86, the mayor of Nanaimo, Graham Roberts, started a contest inviting people to submit their recipe for the ultimate Nanaimo bar. They received around 100 variations of the bar and the winner was a local resident named Joyce Hardcastle and it was her recipe that is now referred to as the ultimate Nanaimo bar. The Nanaimo bar standing as a Canadian cultural icon seemed to be cemented in 2006 when National Post readers voted it as Canada's favourite confection. The contenders included beaver tails and butter tarts, so it was a very serious contest. In any event, while Nanaimo bars seem to overshadow the entire city of Nanaimo and I've just done it again,

this episode is about the local forestry industry, particularly one sawmill that was located in an industrial area near Nanaimo's waterfront. Before 2008, the logging industry was thriving in British Columbia and Western Forest Products was one of the largest integrated forestry operations in the province. With eight sawmills and two remanufacturing facilities, it shipped timber products to around 25 countries internationally. But the global financial crisis caused an economic downturn in the logging industry and the coastal sawmills and pulp mills of British Columbia were hit hard. Dozens of mills were closed down. Supply was outpacing demand by a lot, so at Western Forest Products,

they announced they needed to shut down their Nanaimo operation to try and save money. A staff meeting was held announcing the changes and all 150 employees in Nanaimo were told they would soon be out of work. They were all unionised employees which meant they paid fees to the United Steel Workers Union to represent their interests according to a collective agreement. Leading up to the closure, management offered some advice and information to the displaced workers about alternative roles available within the company at other mills, but everyone was strongly encouraged to take other employment opportunities if they found them. The Nanaimo mill closed down and over the next two years, Western Forest Products

proceeded to slash another 700 jobs at other mills. But as 2010 rolled around and the industry was starting to write itself again, reopening plans became a reality. In November of that year, the Nanaimo mill reopened and rehired former employees on the basis of seniority. But it was just to be a skeleton crew to start. 41 workers, the ones who'd been working there the longest before the closure. Among the men rehired was Michael Lund. In his late 50s at the time, he'd worked at the mill for 34 years, starting as a forklift driver and thanks to his leadership abilities and affable personality, he was promoted quickly, eventually serving as plant chairman and as a union representative. While the 41 workers like Michael Lund would have

been relieved to have been offered their jobs back, the other workers who missed out were of course disappointed. As a union representative, Michael advocated for the rights of the workers and one of his responsibilities was to help them with any problems they might be dealing with. And at the time, since less than a third had been rehired when the Nanaimo mill reopened, there was quite a bit of tension. One of the workers that had not been rehired wanted to file grievance. He believed that the mill had not followed the rules of their collective agreement when deciding who to bring back, who was the most senior, and Michael Lund helped him file a grievance. It must have been awkward for Michael as a worker who was brought back,

helping one who wasn't, to file a grievance about it. But Michael enjoyed the challenge of union work and wasn't afraid of speaking his mind about what was fair to the workers. The union investigated the grievance but weren't able to substantiate it so it was deemed to be without merit and abandoned. The aggrieved worker did not get his job back. It wasn't long before another union issue arose that Michael Lund had to help with. The union initiated arbitration proceedings with the company for avoiding paying severance pay. Here's what happened, when Western Forest Products reopened in 2010, it was conveniently just before an important milestone date specified in the union's collective agreement. If that deadline came,

and the mill was still closed, the company would have had to pay out severance to the laid-off employees. So, just before that deadline arrived, the Nanaimo mill had reopened with the skeleton crew. This meant that the company avoided having to pay out that severance to the more than 100 other workers who weren't rehired. In 2012, an arbitrator ruled in favour of the company, which of course upset the workers. Legally, they had done everything right, but the ethical and moral impact of being stiffed of their severance pay greatly upset the workers. The union launched an appeal which turned into a dispute that would fester in the background over the next year or two. 2014 came around. The date was April 30th. Mill Superintendent Fred McEcheran arrived at the

mill bright and early, after 6am. The 53-year-old was another of the first 41 workers who had been rehired based on seniority when the first mill opened. Like Michael Lund, Fred was a leader, a member of the management team and known to be a dedicated family man. It was quiet at the mill. It wasn't scheduled to ship out any wood that day, so there were few cars in the parking lot. The mill operated on one shift, which started at 7am. Before then, Fred had coffees and early morning water talk with some colleagues, including Vice President of Manufacturing Tony Suda and Mill Supervisor Earl Kelly. As it got closer to 7am, the start of the shift, a security guard was in the office looking over the parking lot. Union Representative Michael

Lund, then 61, pulled into the car park and parked his truck in the same parking spot that he had been using for years. The guard watched as Michael got out of his truck and reached into the back, when suddenly there was a man walking beside him with his front arm outstretched. He looked like he was in a zombie-like state. For a split second, the security guard watched, trying to make out who the man was and what he was doing when all of a sudden there was a loud explosion. The security guard fell to the ground to be safe. Then a minute or so later, he got up to find that Michael Lund had fallen to the ground, motionless, and he seemed to be seriously injured, and the man walking behind him was gone. The security guard realized that the explosion he heard was actually a gunshot

and the outstretched arm was actually a gun. The guard ran towards the main office to warn people there was an active shooter on the premises. Inside the office, Tony Soudar, the VP of Manufacturing, was on his way to administration to check that a meeting room would be available for a later meeting. All of a sudden he heard a bang and felt a rush of air past his face. He fell to the ground. His first thought was that the ceiling must have collapsed and fallen on him. Thinking quickly, he realized that he had seen a man by the wall, a man he didn't recognize who he thought might have come from a homeless camp that was outside the mill. But as Tony regained his composure, he realized that the man he saw

had actually been holding a gun and that rush of air he felt must have been a gunshot. The man had shot Tony in the face. He was bleeding and didn't know what to do, but just then the gunman appeared again and started running towards him so his decision was made. Tony ran out of the office and out of the building and slid among a pile of lumber just outside the front entrance. Once there, carefully hidden, he peered through the gaps in the wood to see if he could see where the gunman was, but the gunman did not follow him. Tony saw two employees and yelled out at them but they didn't hear. He decided to make a run for it yelling at them to call the police. By this time, a number of other workers had run out of the mill after thinking they'd heard a gas tank explosion

and saw Tony with blood streaming down his face. He was taken to the first aid room for a preliminary treatment where he immediately called his wife to tell her what had happened, that he'd been shot in the face. Quote, There's a guy with a gun inside. I'm okay, but my friends might not be so lucky. In the main building, Mill Superintendent Fred McEcheran was in the Office of Production Coordinator Earl Cully. Mill Manager Andy Vanger was there too for an early morning meeting. They had no idea there was an active shooter on the premises. According to court documents, from behind his desk, Earl suddenly saw movement in the hallway outside and then what appeared to be a gun barrel inching out from the door frame towards where Fred was standing with

his back to the door. Before Earl had time to process what was happening, there was a bang and Fred was shot in the back. As Earl dove for cover behind his desk, the gun fired again, shooting him in the back too. A scuffle then ensued where Fred, suffering a serious injury, was somehow able to pick up a chair which he hit the gunman over the head with and then the manager Andy Vanger seized the opportunity and wrestled him to the ground. At that exact time, the security guard arrived to find Fred and Earl with serious injuries and Andrew yelling to call 911 as he pinned the gunman to the ground. The RCMP were quick to take action and arrived within three minutes to a scene of chaos. In the car park, one officer, the security guard and others

were now trying to administer first aid to Michael Lund. The 61-year-old had been shot from behind. The bullet went through his right arm and chest, his lung had collapsed and the gunman had left him to bleed out in the parking lot. Michael passed away from his injuries at the scene, leaving behind his wife of 44 years Marlene, their three children and even more grandchildren. R-CMP officers continued to secure the scene and make sure everyone was safe, making their way to the office where they had been told more gunshots had been heard. At this point, they didn't know where the gunman was at, but they soon found a scene in Earl Kelly's office that gave them all the answers they needed. There was a man,

clearly the gunman, just sitting there, subdued and emotionless, with a sawn-off shotgun almost waiting to be arrested. And they found two seriously injured and bleeding men who needed immediate medical attention. Earl Kelly was airlifted to hospital in Victoria for emergency surgery, but Fred McEcheran died of his injuries just over an hour after he'd been shot, leaving behind his wife of 25 years Lorraine and their two adult children. Despite suffering serious injuries to his right diaphragm, liver and intestine, as well as internal bleeding, Fred's last act was to muster the energy to pick up that chair and stop the gunman from doing any more damage. All Western Forest products mills were immediately shut down while everyone processed

what had happened. They had lost two senior well-respected employees, two others were injured, and everyone was in shock trying to figure out what had happened and who was responsible. Earl Kelly, who was shot in the lower right side of his back as he dove behind the desk, underwent emergency surgery in hospital in Victoria. He had suffered a perforated kidney and liver, partially collapsed lung and several broken ribs, and would be released from hospital after two weeks. Tony Suda was taken to hospital in Nanaimo, where he learned that a bullet had entered his right cheek and exited below his earlobe, leaving a trail of black on his skin as the bullet burned right through it. Tony's main concern was getting out of hospital as quickly

as possible, to be there for his co-workers and their families. Do you have a passion project that you're ready to take to the next level? Squarespace makes it easy for anyone to create an engaging web presence, grow a brand and sell anything from your products to the content you create and even your time. When I launched this passion project six years ago, I needed some kind of online hub to manage all the non-podcasting tasks that come with podcasting. I chose Squarespace because it's an all-in-one platform that seamlessly helps me achieve multiple goals. It's important to have a website that looks good, and I was inspired by Squarespace's wide selection of clean and modern templates. They can be easily

customized with pre-built layouts and flexible design tools to fit your needs, and you can even browse the category of your business to see examples of what others have done. I use the built-in blogging tools to create a new page for each episode, and there are so many intuitive options from embedding an audio player so listeners can stream episodes to scheduling posts to be published on a certain date, an easily moderated comment section and automatically displaying recent episodes on the homepage. Every Squarespace website and online store includes SEO tools to help you maximize your visibility in search engines, and I love the powerful insights I can get from the analytics tools, helping me better understand who's visiting

the site, where they came from, and how they're interacting with it. Do you have a passion project or business idea or something to sell? Go to squarespace.com slash ctc for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch, use offer code CTC to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com slash ctc with offer code CTC and get your passion project off the ground today. The identity of the gunman was known almost immediately. He was Kevin Addison, 47 years old, a former employee of the Nanaimo Mill until it closed down in 2008. He had not been rehired when it opened. At the Nanaimo RCMP office where Kevin was waiting to be interviewed, he was seen throwing his head back and grimacing. He was charged with two counts of first-degree

murder and two counts of attempted murder. As the investigation into what happened began, the media were trying to get the dirt on Kevin Addison. What kind of man was he and why would he have done this? The answers they were looking for were not forthcoming. One of Kevin's neighbors told CBC News, quote, all I can tell you is he was a hell of a nice man and I don't know what happened. This was common feedback. Those who knew Kevin described him as soft-spoken and a diligent and competent worker. He had no previous criminal convictions and no history of violent behavior. A retired mill employee told McLean's magazine that Kevin was an absolutely super nice guy, quote, but me, you, anyone else can crack under pressure. I don't know his situation.

According to court documents, this was the situation. Kevin Addison started working at the Nanaimo Mill in the mid-1980s as a forklift driver in the production and maintenance departments. And according to reporting by the Globe and Mail, he struggled with both financial and family pressures. His mother Lorraine told police about a pivotal moment in their family's life. Kevin was an experienced hunter, and when he was 30 years old, he and his father Ray went on a trip together. At one point, he found Ray lying on the ground unconscious. Kevin managed to get his father in the truck and set off for the hospital, but one of their tires blew out before they got there. And while Kevin was desperately trying to fix it, his father Ray passed away.

His mother would later say that Kevin was never the same afterwards and carried around a lot of guilt for not being able to save his father. And in the years after that, Kevin's finances and personal life took a nosedive. He had purchased a property with his partner, but they'd struggled over the years to pay down the mortgage. His mother told police that he was a very loving father who was devoted to his child, something many others noted too. He didn't want to declare bankruptcy, but he was jealous of his siblings who could afford nice vacations for their kids when he couldn't. By 2002, five years after his father's death, the house was in foreclosure and it was sold. And after that, Kevin and his partner went their separate ways. 2008 was when the

Nanaimo mill closed down and all the workers, including Kevin, lost their jobs. At first, he took a custodial job at a local hospital just to bring in an income to pay his bills and support his child. But he had been working at the Nanaimo mill for 22 years. That was his skillset and he wanted to be working back there. So when he found out that the mill was reopening in 2010 and hiring people back by seniority, he thought he would be a shoe-in to get his job back. But he just missed out. According to court documents, 41 workers were offered their job back and Kevin Addison was number 42. He was devastated and took it as a personal slight. He believed he'd been wronged. The union collective agreement specified the rules were

that the mill had to rehire fairly based on seniority, but Kevin developed a belief that they circumvented this. And they kind of did. The union worker president, Brian Butler, would testify that Kevin was the first senior person on the list not to be called back to work at the mill. And someone who was junior to Kevin was called back simply because they had the necessary first-aid training, which Kevin did not. The union didn't like the decision at the time, but as a sawmill, they were required to have workers with first-aid training, and it was easier to rehire someone who already had it. But Kevin had other grievances too. He was also upset about how the labor was distributed among the returning workers.

He saw people giving jobs that he was much more experienced to perform, yet he had not been rehired to do it. Kevin was the one who filed the grievance with the union, the one that Michael Lund helped him with. Before long, Kevin had started to develop a belief that the mill had not just neglected to rehire him, but they had actually hired additional people off the street with no mill experience in his place. When the union dropped the grievance after not being able to substantiate it, Kevin told the local head that he was unhappy about the outcome, but that was it. He had filed previous grievances, at least one of which was successful, but he was not considered someone who kicked up a fuss. He wasn't aggressive,

didn't make any threats of more action, and as far as anyone knew, he didn't seem any more disgruntled than other former mill employees. After all, of the 150 unionized workers, only 41 were rehired, so he was one of more than 100 workers who had not been rehired. If Kevin had been in a different frame of mind, he may have accepted this as one of those times life dumps on you for no reason and moved on mentally. Instead, he took the union's abandonment of his complaint very personally. In his own words, he was crushed by the outcome. He was so upset that he called in sick at the hospital where he worked. He had no motivation to work or even talk to anyone. Kevin would later claim he laid on the couch for four or five days

and had thoughts of taking his own life. Before long, his beliefs about who and what had slighted him started to morph. He developed a belief that his grievance had been abandoned, not because it was without merit, but because his former co-workers had been conspiring somehow to keep him out of the mill. How Kevin arrived at that conclusion is anyone's guess. Feeling like the odd one out is never a nice feeling, but Kevin had no logical reason to feel that way. After 22 years on the job, he was a respected worker with a flawless record, no reprimands in his file, and he was also very capable as demonstrated by his ability to quickly find other work when the mill closed down. But Kevin just couldn't accept what had

happened and his anger was growing. And the strange thing was that he actually did have something legitimate to be angry about, like the fact that the company had tried to avoid paying people like him severance pay, something that was still making its way through arbitration. But Kevin focused his rage not on the company, but on three individuals. One was Michael Lunn, his union rep who had dedicated time to help him file his grievance and had spent time counselling him before and after the decision. Kevin decided that Michael hadn't handled things adequately, and he must have made some kind of deal with the manager of the mill, Andy Vanger, to ensure that Kevin would not be hired back. The third man that Kevin

blamed was Fred McEcheran, the mill superintendent. Kevin believed him to be in on the plan too, because he had supposedly performed union work that Kevin thought he should have been rehired to perform. To Kevin, it was all a big conspiracy to keep him out, but no one knew he was harboring these feelings because he kept it all to himself, at least for a while. In 2013, the year before the shooting, Kevin decided it was time to leave the hospital and get back into milling, so he took a job with another milling company in Fort St James. After a time, Western Forest Products announced they were employing at another sawmill, Lady Smith, so Kevin applied for a job there and got it. It was reportedly a more junior role than his

experience warranted, and with less money, he still wanted to be back at the Nanaimo Mill. In 2013, the arbitration proceedings for the severance pay avoidance complaint was delayed, and at around the same time, Kevin's friends, family and co-workers saw his state of mind go rapidly downhill. He started to exhibit classic signs of clinical depression. His mother Lorraine would say that at Christmas of 2013, he was very low, he was weeping uncontrollably and refused to answer his phone or even come out of his house. By mid-January 2014, Kevin visited his doctor to ask for help. Depression was something that ran in their family, with multiple generations affected by

the mental illness, so it wasn't something that came out of nowhere. His doctor noted that he was tearful and upset as he said he'd been feeling depressed ever since the Nanaimo Mill reopened, which was, by that point, more than three years earlier. Kevin described more of his symptoms. He was starting to withdraw socially, was having trouble talking to people, didn't want to go out and was struggling to go to work. As for the cause of all this, Kevin told the doctor that his union hadn't backed him up in lodging his grievance, and it still stung. Also, by that time, the Nanaimo Mill had rehired for a second round, but Kevin had lost his seniority the first time and missed out on the second round as well.

The doctor diagnosed the 47-year-old with major depressive disorder. He was prescribed a starting dose of an antidepressant and told to come back for a follow-up appointment in a few weeks to see how he felt. But Kevin did not return. In less than three weeks after that, he suddenly stopped showing up for work at the Lady Smith Mill. With his unblemished record, this was extremely unlike him, and company management noticed immediately. According to court documents on three separate occasions, groups of union members, co-workers, and company management visited Kevin at his home to try and resolve the matter. On one visit, a manager told Kevin that he was making a bad choice. His job at the Lady Smith Mill was a good job,

and Kevin needed it to pay the bills and take care of his child. But Kevin insisted he was quitting. He told them it had nothing to do with the Lady Smith Mill or his colleagues there, and it also had nothing to do with him not being rehired at the Nanaimo Mill. He said he felt that Western Forest Products had, quote, fucked him over, and he couldn't work for the company anymore. But he was an experienced hunter, and he had a plan that involved his 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. His rage was directed towards three main people, Union rep Michael Lund, Superintendent Fred McEcheran, and Mill Manager Andy Vanger. He knew they would all be at work

ready to start the 7am shift, so Kevin planned to meet them there, but before he left, he had some things to take care of. He soared the barrel off his shotgun and filled it to capacity with five shells. He then filed down the area where he soared so it wouldn't scratch his leg, because he planned to conceal the gun under his pants leg. He cut a hole in the front pocket of his jeans and shoved the gun into it so it rested hidden against his leg as he walked. He then walked the short distance to the Nanaimo Saw Mill, walking into the parking lot just before 7am. Just as 61-year-old Michael Lund was pulling in too. Michael was looking to retire in the next 12 months. He and his wife Marlene had been married

for 44 years and were very much looking forward to starting retirement with travelling and camping and just enjoying life, but they would never get to realise that dream. As Michael got out of the truck from the same spot he always parked in, he had no idea that Kevin was approaching him from behind, just six feet away when he fired the gun. Kevin left Michael to die to bleed out in the car park and calmly made his way to the administration office. When he entered, the first person he saw there was Tony Suda. Kevin had no grievance with Tony, in fact he didn't even know him at all, but he shot him in the face anyway. Then he left to find Fred McEcheran and Andy Vanger. He found them in Earl Cully's office having an early morning meeting.

Fred's 25-year wedding anniversary was coming up and in just five days he and his wife Lorraine were flying to Las Vegas with friends. They wanted nothing more than to celebrate by watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, but Kevin Addison put an end to that when he raised his rifle and shot Fred in the back, just as he did with Michael Lund before any of them knew what had happened. As for Earl Cully, Kevin also had no idea who he was but shot him anyway as he dived under his desk. Andy Vanger, the third individual on Kevin's hit list, was the only one of the three who survived. The next day the RCMP conducted a search of Kevin Addison's house for any evidence of planning and intent. They found multiple collection notices, pay stubs, telephone bills and black

electrical tape. In a bedroom they found a rifle case, ammunition and the part of the gun barrel that had been sawn off. There was also a broken hacksaw blade nearby. There was a gun safe covered with a blanket and inside they found nine firearms including bolt action rifles, a .22 caliber rifle, lever action rifles, shotguns and more ammunition. That same day Kevin Addison's family issued a statement to reporters saying that they were saddened and devastated by the events that took place. The families of Michael Lund and Fred McEcheran released statements too. Fred's family thanked the community for their overwhelming support and asked for privacy. His co-workers described him as a dedicated family man, passionate hockey player and coach.

He never missed a game and often went straight to the rink after work with sawdust still on his shoulders. Michael Lund's wife Marlene told the Nanaimo bulletin that he was always positive and ready to do whatever it took to make people happy. Quote, Michael never held a grudge, it's just not in our vocabulary. She also said she felt for Kevin Addison's family. Michael had obviously helped Kevin in previous years with his grievance and had counseled him afterwards but quote, Angers not going to change anything. Hundreds of people gathered at the memorial services for Michael Lund and Fred McEcheran. Bagpipes played at Fred's funeral and a display was set up to honour him with a hard hat,

work gloves and a hockey stick. His obituary described him as someone who made friends everywhere he went and while he took a practical approach to life he never lost sight of the fun parts. At Michael Lund's funeral there was a sea of red, his favourite colour and he was remembered for his infectious sense of humour and jolly personality. Michael loved his forklift and for more than 20 years he played the part of Santa at the Christmas party. In the days following the shooting the fence outside the Nanaimo mill had been lined with flowers and mementos, including red t-shirts. The red shirts had major significance because Michael always wore a red shirt. His daughter Marcy had written on one of the t-shirts hanging

from the fence that he was the best father a daughter could ever ask for. But the incident that took his life didn't appear to be the first time that Michael had experienced workplace violence. A friend of his told CBC News that he experienced some violence and resulting trauma early in his forest industry career and quote, recognise that the frustrations of people can have some pretty devastating effects. Behind the scenes his family and friends had already started putting plans together to start a red shirt foundation, an organisation designed to put an end to workplace violence. The Nanaimo mill reopened a week after the shooting with flags remaining at half-mast. Workers had been advised that they could return to work when they felt

ready and counselling was available on site. The mill had also increased security measures in place to ease everyone's minds. The shooting was a big deal to local residents in Nanaimo and beyond. Then Premier of BC Christy Clarke said in a speech to the legislature that this kind of tragedy is almost unknown in British Columbia, quote, most of us here today cannot imagine what the victims and their families must be going through. The Nanaimo mill was such a large part of the community that most people in the area knew someone who either worked there or used to work there. They were terrified and the question of workplace safety was on everyone's minds. A 2004 statistics Canada study found that there were at least 350,000 cases of workplace

violence each year in Canada and that number was likely underrepresented since many incidents of workplace violence aren't reported. Also one of the many factors that increase the risk of workplace violence is periods of intense organisational change like strikes or layoffs. So when the company first closed the Nanaimo mill and then two years later chose to reopen with the skeleton crew, what procedures did they have in place to protect current employees and were there other ex-employees out there waiting to do something similar? Edward Taylor an expert in workplace grievances and violence and director of the School of Social Work at the University of BC was quoted by the Vancouver Sun saying that a common theme in shootings like this is when someone

feels wronged and in their own minds they're denied the justice they feel they're owed and while there's an assumption that shootings like these happen when the perpetrator just snaps and starts shooting indiscriminately, Taylor said this almost never happens. It most frequently escalates over time. Quote, it's usually a process that starts out with belief systems that become obsessions that lead to a feeling that I'm owed the right of reprisal for this. The Vancouver Sun also quoted Heather McKenzie, lawyer and founder of the integrity group that helps prevent violence in the workplace. She said that when companies do mass layoffs it needs to be thoughtful and the ones who do it right

have quote, thought things through and are able to offer support, structure and severance in a way that's as helpful as possible is dignified and allows somebody to leave with their head held high. Four months after the shooting the union dispute over severance pay avoidance was settled with Western Forest products agreeing to pay out 1.2 million which would be split between eligible employees from two mills. The press reported that Kevin Addison could be entitled to a share of that but a union representative told the Canadian press that it was too early to save for sure. In October of 2014, not even two months later, the company announced that the Nanaimo mill would be closed permanently so they could reduce costs and focus on ramping up productions

at their other mills. Nanaimo employees were offered jobs at other mills and there were severance packages available for those who didn't want to move. The Nanaimo mill would be demolished three years later. In September of 2016, Kevin Addison pleaded not guilty to all charges including the first degree murders of Michael Lund and Fred McEcheran and the attempted murders of Earl Kelly and Tony Suda. If convicted, he was facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no parole for 25 years. At trial, Kevin's defense was that he had no intention of killing anyone and the crime was not premeditated. The violent behaviour was out of character for Kevin. His lawyer told the court

that there was little doubt that Kevin fired the gun but the attack resulted from his depression. It wasn't intentional and therefore didn't qualify as first degree murder. If you're wondering, this is a different defense of that of not criminally responsible or NCR. In that case, the person would have to have a serious mental illness that rendered them incapable of knowing right from wrong or appreciating the gravity or consequences of their actions. An NCR defense has also not argued at trial there's a separate hearing to determine if it's appropriate. In Kevin Addison's case, the argument was not that he was so depressed he didn't know right from wrong but that the depression caused his actions to be so unfocused that he couldn't

possibly have planned or intended the murders and therefore manslaughter would have been the more appropriate charge. Kevin would testify in his defense but first the prosecution would need to prove that there was planning and intent to get a conviction for first degree murder. Their job was not a difficult one. Their case was that Kevin was angry and frustrated after he was not re-employed by western forest products when the mill reopened and it dominated his thoughts and actions over the almost four years that followed. The crown told the court that he was motivated by revenge and he intended the shootings to happen. Expert witnesses testified about the evidence of his planning and intent like the fact that before the crime Kevin sawed off the barrel

of his shotgun making it shorter like a handgun and easier to conceal. He cut the hole in his jeans pocket to conceal it under his pants and even took the precaution of filing down the area on the gun where he cut the barrel short so it didn't scratch his leg as he walked. And the reason he did all of this was so he could approach the mill site unnoticed and undetected. Planning and intent. He also loaded the gun to capacity with additional cartridges in his pockets indicating his intent to reload if he had to during the situation that he was about to instigate. Witnesses from the day spoke about all they saw and heard including the security guard who saw Kevin approach unsuspecting Michael Lund from behind in the parking lot. Kevin knew that the

day shift started at 7 a.m. and he knew that the three individuals he wanted to hurt would all be just before then and he shot two of them in cold blood from behind completely unprovoked. The court heard that during the rampage Kevin yelled you know who I am accompanied by expletives. Others testified to his zombie-like state seeing that his face was frozen expressionless and rigid. Kevin Addison took to the stand in his defense. He told the court that in the lead up to the shooting he suffered from depression. He had trouble sleeping and had been dealing with suicidal thoughts. He insisted he didn't mean to do any of it and didn't know what happened to him that day. He then gave his account of the shooting saying that he was angry that morning because he'd been

on the phone with Service Canada and couldn't get the info he wanted. It's a predicament that most Canadians can sympathise with but Kevin's reaction was anything but typical. He told the jury that when he got off the phone he decided to take a shotgun and walk over to the mill. He had no plan on what to do with the gun beyond using it to intimidate he said but his first thought was to confront Andy Vanger and force the mill manager to explain why he'd ruined his career. Although at some points Kevin said he couldn't remember what he was thinking at the time he was able to describe his thought process quite well as he walked into the parking lot and saw Michael Lund drive in. Kevin told the jury that he had no problem with Michael and didn't know that he would be there.

He then pulled the gun out of the pocket, aimed it at Michael and crept up behind him. Quote, I thought to myself you don't need that fucking arm anymore. He fired and remembered walking away as Michael collapsed. Michael's family were distressed to hear this. His daughter Marcie would say it was hard hearing the way he described looking at her father shooting him and then watching him fall to the ground. On cross-examination Kevin admitted that he intentionally shot Michael Lund without provocation but he claimed his intention was only to wound him in the arm not kill him. He admitted that none of what he was saying made sense to him now but it was what he was thinking at the time. As for the scuffle in the office Kevin's version of events

was completely different to that of the manager Andy Vanger. In Andy's version he wrestled with Kevin after he fired the shots that would kill Fred McEcheran and seriously injure Earl Calley. But according to Kevin he didn't shoot anyone. He said the gun, quote, just went off as he struggled with Andy and he thought he just shot a wall. It was only when he'd been pinned down that he realized he'd hit two people. The most bizarre comment from Kevin was about Tony Suda, the man who Kevin didn't even know yet shot through the cheek. On the stand Kevin denied shooting him all together. Kevin urged the jury to conclude that he did not have the required mental state to commit murder. When it came to giving evidence of this mental state the defense played the recorded

police interview with Kevin's mother Lorraine who had sadly passed away six months earlier. The jury heard about Kevin's low mood, his refusal to leave the house, his visit to the doctor, his diagnosis of depression and how he didn't show up for his follow-up appointment. After a three-week trial the jury found Kevin Addison guilty of the first degree murder of Michael Lund and Fred McEcheran and the attempted murder of Tony Suda and Earl Calley. Outside court Michael's wife Marlene told Global News that it was a great example of justice being served and they were happy with the verdict. In the lead-up to sentencing three RCMP officers were formally recognized for their dedication and bravery in responding to the shooting.

Nanaimo RCMP Sergeant Paul Minkley and Constable David Buchanan were among the first to arrive at the scene of the shooting within minutes of the 911 calls and they were the ones that took Kevin into custody. They were presented with a citation and Medal of Valor for, quote, placing themselves at substantial risk to enter a building to search for and apprehend an active shooter. Another officer, Constable Michael Gibson, was presented with an award of meritorious service for his efforts in giving first aid to the victims of the shooting. The sentencing hearing was held in December of 2016 and there were more than a dozen victim impact statements. Michael Lund's widow Marlene said she missed his bear hugs and his

booming voice. She compared her husband to the hub of a bicycle tyre that held all the spokes together. When the hub was removed, the spokes went flying everywhere. Marlene was sad that their grandkids would miss out on the person that their grandfather was and that Michael will miss out on walking his own daughter down the aisle at her wedding. Marlene then addressed Kevin directly, telling him that his actions had changed so many lives, including his own. Lorraine McEcheran said her husband Fred was a gentle soul and described an emptiness that she feels will never truly heal. They were just days from leaving on their 25th wedding anniversary trip. Their daughter and son will miss out on having their father at their weddings

and any grandchildren they have will not get to know their grandfather. She told Kevin that he has taken away so much from so many people. Other victim impact statements spoke about how Nanaimo had lost its innocence that day and now every loud bang reminds them of what happened. In delivering his sentence, Justice Robin Baird told the court that while Kevin did appear to be depressed at the time and this sort of violence was out of character for him, there can be no doubt that his acts were consciously and willfully committed. Kevin's depression did not affect his sanity or his reasoning. Quote, Mr Addison's own testimony made it perfectly clear to the

contrary that he was not suffering from delusions or acting involuntarily. He was not incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of his acts, nor was he deprived of his ability to know right from wrong. Everything that happened was at odds with Mr Addison's claims of disordered thinking. The judge described the shooting as an ambush in the workplace where people were going about their daily affairs. Kevin Addison was an experienced hunter and well acquainted with the damage that his shotgun would cause. He knew exactly what he was doing and why and his actions were precise, calculated, cold, determined and merciless. Quote, the fact that Mr Addison's violent rampage did not result in four counts of first-degree murder has everything to do with

luck and good fortune and precisely nothing to do with any restraint or forbearance on his part. For the two charges of first-degree murder and two charges of attempted murder, Kevin Addison was given four life sentences to be served concurrently or at the same time with no parole for 25 years. Justice Baird told Kevin he was 47 years old at arrest and he's going to be 72 years old when he will first be eligible for parole. Quote, all of your remaining productive, healthy and useful years you have sent up the spout by your inability to overcome a workplace setback which to the rest of us in the scheme of things seems pretty minor. Kevin was also required to provide a DNA sample and is barred for owning firearms for life.

When asked if he had anything to say, he declined to address the court. The Red Shirt Foundation was established by Michael Lund's family and friends, with the mandate to move pain to purpose. The Foundation was quick to organize fundraising activities including Red Shirt Foundation walks where money raised was going to be put into research and education to prevent workplace violence. In partnership with Western Forest Products, United Steelworkers Union and WorkSafe BC, the Red Shirt Foundation funded a research study into workplace violence across seven prominent sawmills in British Columbia. More than 350 mill employees participated in the study which also included interviews

and focus groups. The resulting report was released by the Red Shirt Foundation in 2018 with findings that verbal abuse, swearing, bullying and demeaning and discriminatory actions were commonplace in mills. So too were threats of violence, threatening emails, being pushed, shoved or punched, sexual harassment and suicidal thoughts. And when it came to reporting, 27% said they wouldn't report abusive behaviour because they feared negative repercussions from management or co-workers and also they felt that no one would actually do anything about it. The report included the further concern that 28% of respondents knew of a situation at their sawmill that could potentially lead to violent actions.

When asked what the main drivers of workplace violence were, respondents identified conflicts between employees, workplace stresses, poor communication and general lack of trust, worker to worker violence plus a host of issues ranging from job dissatisfaction, personal difficulties, emotional problems, substance use disorder and mental illness. Additionally workplace changes and the constant pressure to produce combined with the impact of not having job security all compound the risk for workplace violence. The report provided practical recommendations for how workplace violence can be reduced or prevented. To promote a culture of trust and safety, there were some things that needed to be prioritized again, like the reinstatement of

coffee breaks, which are often discouraged by management in pursuit of perceived higher productivity, but you can't work humans to the bone. Not only do they require time to rest, but coffee breaks are used for important conversations including brainstorming how to solve problems on the floor. It was also recommended that positions be reviewed. Some were overloaded, others were prone to boredom and they needed to be more of a balance. The report also recommended establishing a zero-tolerance policy on workplace violence with clearly defined protocols and policies, joint safety committees and more education for management and employees about alternative avenues for dispute resolution. That was 2018.

In 2019, there was a serious labour dispute between Western Forest Products and the Union. They couldn't reach an agreement and almost 3,000 workers went on strike, shuddering the operations. According to CTV News, the Union's grievances included unsafe conditions and expectations, including the gruelling way the shifts were arranged, which resulted in fatigued workers and safety issues, not to mention a negative impact on their families. Other complaints included wages, vacation allotments, pensions and an arbitrary drug and alcohol policy. The workers were on strike without an income for months, with a dispute bringing economic devastation and hardship to the area. Families relied on

food banks and help from volunteer groups, properties were foreclosed, mayors on Vancouver Island rallied together to beg the company and Union to reach an agreement before the damage to the community became irreversible. The strike ended in February of 2020, after nearly eight months, with Union President Brian Butler telling CBC News that while they had made ground in improving conditions for the workers, there was still some anger toward the company over some issues. For example, Western Forest Products would not budge on those dangerous alternate and split shifts, citing profitability issues, but the Union did achieve the first step of gaining the right for workers to propose other alternative shifts that they feel are safer

and equally profitable for the company. Whether the company has actually accepted any of these proposals is unknown. Thanks for listening and special thanks to Marlene Lun and Dr Lynn Jakes from the Red Shirt Foundation for their help in creating this episode and also to Gemma Harris for research. If you think you or someone you know might be suffering from depression, see the show notes for helpful resources. As well as court documents and news archives, this episode relied on the journalism of Carl Yoo for the Nanaimo News bulletin and Cara McKenna for McLean's magazine. For the full list of resources and anything else

you want to know about the podcast, including how to access ad-free episodes, visit canadiantrucrime.ca. The podcast donates regularly to Canadian charitable organisations that help victims and survivors of injustice. This month, we have donated to the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, who offer support, research and education to survivors, victims and their families. You can learn more at crcvc.ca or see a link in the show notes. Well, that's it for this episode. Thank you so much for your kind ratings, reviews, messages and support. It means so much. Thanks also to the host of True for voicing the disclaimer and We Talk of Dreams who compose the theme song. I'll be back soon with a new Canadian True Crime

story. See you then.