The family of Summerland Power’s former electrical foreman has donated his tool bag to a young electrical lineman.
In a ceremony on June 11, Candy Chudyk, the widow of Derek Chudyk, presented the bag to Brady Lenardon, a lineman now working on the Hunters Hill development in Summerland.
Derek Chudyk, who had worked with Summerland Power since the late 1980s, died in January at the age of 62.
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Candy Chudyk said one of her husband’s final wishes was that his tool bag be donated to a young lineman.
The cost of electrical tools is significant, especially for someone starting in the trade, she said.
“It took a lot for him to build up the tools,” said Lara Rudniski of Summerland Power.
Clayton Keys, another electrical worker, was unable to attend the ceremony but sent in a statement.
“I’m very thankful for the love he showed me and his family. That helped me grow as a father and as a husband,” Keys said.
Richard Bard, who worked with Derek Chudyk for many years, remembered him as a friend and a mentor.
“He loved his family, his motorcycles and his trade. That’s what he loved,” Bard said.
“He was a good man and he helped a lot of people. I miss him dearly.”
Candy Chudyk said Lenardon deserved to have the tool bag, or tramp bag as it is called by those in the trade.
“Derek was a good man and a proud lineman. You and my husband shared many of the same qualities.”
She said it was important to help a young lineman get started in the trade.
The bag is the one Derek Chudyk used in his work, and the climbing gear and belt were used when he was on the job. The other tools had been donated.
Originally from Manitoba, Derek Chudyk became a journeyman lineman after graduating from high school. After working in Manitoba and in the Northwest Territories, the family moved to Summerland in 1989, where he worked with Summerland’s electrical department.
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