One of Ontario's worst workplace tragedies is being retold through a documentary.
Eric Philpott has been working on his project "Dresden 1957" for over two years. The documentary tells the story of an excavation collapse that killed six Dutch immigrant workers.
He told CK News Today that he became interested in the historical event after being told that his late father was the site engineer during the cave-in.
When he started to do his own research, Philpott realized there was very little information.
"I couldn't believe a story like this could disappear," he said.
Philpott had trouble finding any historian who had heard about the incident, let alone had any information.
A lot of the information he was able to collect came from his dad, as he had kept several documents about the tragedy. These documents and conversations he had with his mom helped Philpott realize that his dad was concerned about the site's safety, but his concerns were ignored.
A big part of creating the documentary for Philpott is being able to tell his dad's story, but it wasn't the main driver. He was deeply connected with the victims, specifically how so many people had forgotten them or didn't even know who they were.
During filming, Philpott was able to connect with each of the victims' families.
"They have had to live with this alone for all these years as if society didn't care," he added.
Filming for the documentary is complete, including a 3D scan of the bank along the Sydenham River where the tragedy occurred.
Philpott is aiming to have it fully edited sometime in 2026, but that will entirely depend on a new crowdfunding campaign. He's aiming to raise $60,000 to hire a professional editor.
"I could probably do everything on my own, but it would probably take me 10 years," he laughed.
Philpott also explained that he's crowdfunding to ensure the victims' families don't have to wait years to see the final piece.
