Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 19/99) - A Giant miner, considered "the hub of the wheel" of a lawsuit revolving around the mine's 1992 explosion, has been ordered to continue to undergo a court interviewing process against his will.

Harry Seeton, who was the president of the union representing Giant mine workers at the time of the blast, has been interviewed by lawyers for over 32 hours in the past year about his involvement in the 1992 strike. He swore an affidavit last week saying he would not endure three more days of examination for discovery interviews, scheduled for January.

Seeton's lawyer, Austin Marshall, argued to Supreme Court Justice John Z. Vertes Tuesday Seeton is reaching his breaking point.

"These days were difficult for him, troubling his conscious and his beliefs," Marshall said. "He went through a great deal of stress and anxiety. He was starting to see the other side. Now he has to give three more days to this."

Seeton, who continues to work as part of the skeleton crew at the mine, is named in a $34-million wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a Sept. 18, 1992 incident when a bomb blast at Giant killed nine miners.

The suit, laid by the Worker's Compensation Board and the widows of the nine workers killed, also names Royal Oak Mines, the Canadian Auto Workers and other workers.

An official of the Worker's Compensation Board said it could not be confirmed whether or not the widows and dependants of the workers killed received benefits.

However, the official would say if a worker is killed on the job in a work-related accident, their spouse is entitled to benefits.

Roger Warren was convicted of setting the bomb which killed six Royal Oak employees and three employees of Procon Mines. However, the plaintiffs contend the defendants in the case are responsible for the situation leading to the miners' deaths.

Bryan Sarabin, of the Edmonton firm Bishop and McKenzie, argued Seeton's examination for discovery is essential to the plaintiff's case.

"Seeton's knowledge is the hub of the wheel, from which many spokes of information and areas emanate," Sarabin said.

As president of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers (CASAW) and a part of the strike mechanism, Seeton could still shed light on what part the union played in the situation leading to the blast, Sarabin said.

"We want to look into the interaction of the union at a local, national and international level," Sarabin said.

Vertes said he sympathized with Seeton, but had to order him to continue with the interviews in January, since the plaintiff had relevant questions to the building of the case.

"It seems to me the discovery has been quite long," Vertes said, "but I understand the issues are relevant because of Seeton's position at the time (of the explosion)."

Vertes said Seeton's refusal to finish discovery would not help anyone in the case.

"I'm wondering if Mr. Seeton has fully contemplated his position's effect on himself and his co-defendants," he said.

Seeton would not comment on the decision. His next bout of questioning will take place Jan. 17-19.