Meet Neil Emery — gravedigger, fireworks specialist and all-round odd jobber: Slash Workers

For Neil Emery, heading to odd places is just another day on the job.

"You don't got time for all the jobs that I do," said the eastern P.E.I. native.

This summer, we're highlighting people on P.E.I. who are "slash workers" like Emery — Islanders who work more than one job at a time.

Emery works as a gravedigger, a fireworks specialist, and he also runs a modelling agency.

"You gotta be flexible if you're living on this sandbar. I just can't be stuck doing one job. I don't know how you people in the offices and so forth can work in the offices. That would drive me crazy," he said.

He can work anywhere from four to 60 hours a week, depending on the jobs he has lined up.

"If you only have one job the security of that job is unknown because you don't know if that company is going to go bankrupt or if it's going to go out of business or if they're going to give it to somebody from away," he said.

Seizing opportunities

Emery is a gravedigger with the Southern Kings and Queens Funeral Co-op in Murray River, P.E.I., as well as its president.

"It's great exercise," he said. "I've had some of my girlfriends and ex-girlfriends help me dig graves."

Emery was roped into the job by one of his buddies more than 20 years ago. What he thought was some work to dig some fence posts turned out to be digging graves in Cardigan, P.E.I.

The first hole he dug he hit a coffin, but it wasn't enough to deter him. Emery has buried more than 2,000 people since 1994.

"With work and stuff being around here, you have to be able to, even if an opportunity comes up, take it because somebody else is going to take it if you don't," said Emery.

A spark of inspiration

Emery's work with fireworks also started with just a spark of inspiration. He saw no one was offering those kinds of services on P.E.I. and decided to start his own business. He claims he has the only all-female pyrotechnics team in Atlantic Canada.

"Again, I don't know why I got my girlfriends licensed to do explosives, but anyway, life goes on," joked Emery.

He organizes fireworks displays for parties and town celebrations, and operates indoor pyrotechnics displays for concerts.

When Emery isn't busy as a gravedigger or fireworks specialist, he also runs a modelling agency. He's organized background acting work for television and film shoots here on P.E.I., including Pogey Beach.

Helping others

These are just a handful of the jobs Neil Emery has worked on over the years. For this Islander, being a slash worker means earning enough money to survive. It also means helping others find work, too.

"I try to be opportunist and I try to help out as many people as I can because when I was growing up there wasn't a whole lot of people helping me out," said Emery.

"If I can help out someone along the way for a change of something from their destiny or path or whatever it may be, I don't mind sharing my opportunities if opportunities can be shared."

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