Men of The Deeps 1967 at St. Francis Xavier Univ.	Mem of The Deeps at Present 2016

Director, Jack O'Donnell, Director of The Men of The Deeps, received The Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016. As a recipent of the Dr, Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 ECMA gala concert in Sydney, Cape Breton, Jack O'Donnell is reflecting on a connection with the legendary folklorist that began in 1966.

It was 50 years ago this April, that Creighton encouraged him when he was a professor in the music department at St. Francis Xavier University to collect coal mining songs from Cape Breton.

Helen wanted him to become the director of a singing group composed of miners and former miners. Now 50 years--and tens of thousands of kilometers later ---with tours of the US, Canada, Kosove and China under their miner's belts, the group became an iconic symbol of Cape Breton's mining heritage.

At 80 years of age, O'Donnell is making the transition of the next chapter of his life. He has been immersed in writing a book about his 50 years with The Men of The Deeps, which he hopes will be published this year.