Silas O'Brien

Silas O'Brien

In the news today, May 10, 2012 is the announcement that the driver who killed Silas O'Brien in a hit and run, was sentenced today to five and a half years in jail.

I worked along side Silas on the Sea to Sky job, not long before he was killed. He and his dad were contractors to BC Hydro, and were on our site to help us install new power poles. They used a small excavator to get into the tight spots that our big gear wouldn't fit into. As the Hydro contractor, they were responsible for all the work being accurate to the design.

In the newspaper articles, you will see Silas always smiling...a big genuine smile. He was like that at work also...we had some challenging days, when things didn't go well...but Silas always had that big smile, and a "we can do it attitude"

That poor little excavator used to toss it's rubber tracks off, a half dozen times a day...always in the mud, always in the ugliest spots. Silas wouldn't let go of his smile even when this happened in the cold pouring rain.

That's what I remember about Silas o"Brien, a tall, good looking kid with a smile that just wouldn't quit. I have to imagine that with all that he had going for him, he was going places in his life....it wasn't going to be ordinary.

That's Silas with his back to the camera, his small excavator beside one of the large ones. This is on the old Squamish highway, right across from Pasco Rd.