A documentary that aims to tell the story of a construction cave-in that killed six Dutch immigrant workers in Dresden decades ago has reached its crowdfunding goal.
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The 30-day effort in support of Dresden 1957 collected $78,925 towards the film’s production costs, slightly surpassing its $78,000 target.
At the time, it was believed to be the worst workplace disaster in Ontario’s history.
“One of the most gratifying things about this project is how new people keep coming forward to help,” Eric Philpott, writer and director, said in a release.
“Crowdfunding has allowed us to grow the circle of supporters – people who have not only contributed financially, but who will follow the progress of the project through to completion.”
Philpott’s late father, Keith Philpott, was the site engineer in Dresden where a deep pit was excavated beside the Sydenham River for the construction of a pumping station. This was to feed a new water treatment plant for the town.
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Keith Philpott was concerned about the stability of the soil, and shared his concerns with the contractor, but no measures were taken. This remained a family story until 2020, when Keith’s diaries, photos, drawings, and other documents related to this project were discovered.
These materials reveal what happened leading up to the disaster.
The successful crowdfunding campaign will allow the filmmaking team to complete production this summer.
A total of 128 people from southwestern Ontario, across Canada, the US, the Netherlands and Germany contributed to the film.
Philpott and Joseph Crawford will be filming in the area throughout August and into September.
“The Dresden 1957 documentary will save an important piece of our local history, not only for us today, but for future generations,” Rhonda Jubenville, Chatham-Kent councillor for Ward 4, which includes Dresden, said in the release.
“And I’m proud to see the level of support that so many Chatham Kent residents are giving this project.”
Anyone with personal or family memories of the tragedy is encouraged to reach out through the film’s website: www.Dresden1957.com
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