Former firefighter says he has PTSD from 401 pileup — and Lakeshore wrongfully terminated him

Three former Lakeshore volunteer firefighters are saying they were wrongfully dismissed or ended up having to quit from the Municipality of Lakeshore after they were injured.

The men are alleging the municipality should have offered them jobs they could handle, in accordance with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.

One is seeking $20 million in damages. He alleges Lakeshore is not following its own policy regarding discrimination and harassment. 

"I was never made aware that my employment was terminated," said Christopher Cadrin, who was a volunteer firefighter on the Lakeshore Fire Service when he was one of the first responders at the major pile-up on Highway 401 in 1999. He injured his shoulder in 2004 and then says he was told he was removed from the roster of firefighters in 2006.

Cadrin says he thought that meant he was on extended medical leave, but found out in 2019 he was terminated in 2006.

"And because I was collecting WSIB [money from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board] for my shoulder they are listed on all the documentation from WSIB as my employer, I automatically thought they were still my employer," said Cadrin.

The municipality says it followed all the necessary employment laws, and has already been found to be in compliance in some of the cases.

But Cadrin says under the provincial Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the municipality was required to offer him a job he could perform rather than firing him.

According to WSIB, an employer does have a responsibility to try to provide suitable work that is safe, productive, within the employee's function abilities, and matches the employee's pre-injury pay as closely as possible.

"I said I could be the benefits rep. I went to Ryerson University, or now called Toronto Metropolitan, for occupational health and safety and I got a certificate there," said Cadrin.

Former volunteer firefighter Brian Brydges was a captain and the incident commander at the fatal 401 pileup in 1999.

While he has not been officially diagnosed, Brydges says he suffers PTSD from the incident.

"The emotional side was overwhelming for every fireman that was there just to see what was going on not alone having to have to react," said Brydges, who joined the service as a volunteer in 1984. 

He was also on scene at the fire at QM Plastics on Silver Creek Drive in 2006. People were evacuated from the scene due to the concern for hazardous chemicals in the air.