‘Rocco was a bright light in the lives of all who knew him’
Two Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) officers are among three people charged with obstructing justice in the carbon monoxide death of a 19-year-old worker in Lively, Ont., according to a report.
The new charges deepen a rare workplace fatality case under the Criminal Code. A pool company and two men already face charges of criminal negligence causing death.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged Kris Ferguson, 46, of Lively, Alex Balloway, 43, of Sudbury, and Jason Bonish, 43, of Sudbury, according to CBC. Bonish is a GSPS sergeant and Balloway a constable, and both were off duty at the time, Global News reported on Nov. 12, 2026.
Both officers remain suspended with pay, and all three accused are due in court on Jan. 6, 2027. None of the allegations has been proven in court.
In a statement reported by CBC, the GSPS said it “recognizes the concerns these allegations raised within our community and the importance of maintaining public trust and confidence.” The service added, as reported by Global News: “We remain committed to the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and respect, both on- and off-duty.”
Carbon monoxide death followed maintenance work
The charges stem from events on May 23, 2025, when Roch (Rocco) Renaud died of acute carbon monoxide poisoning while working at a residence in Lively, CTV News reported on Oct. 9, 2026.
A preliminary report to Ontario’s labour ministry said the worker was “fatally injured while performing maintenance work,” according to Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) coverage of the 19-year-old worker’s death. The OPP took over in June 2025 after the GSPS determined it had an institutional conflict of interest, Global News reported.
Three probes have run in parallel: the OPP’s investigation into the death, its investigation into the officers’ conduct, and a separate Ministry of Labour investigation, Sudbury.com reported in November 2025. “Rocco was a bright light in the lives of all who knew him,” his family wrote in his obituary.
Hazard remains under scrutiny
Investigators have not disclosed the source of the gas. Carbon monoxide becomes a hazard when fuel-burning equipment runs in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas, and very high concentrations can cause coma or death, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
CCOHS, which calls the gas odourless, colourless and deadly, publishes guidance on the engineering controls and personal protective equipment needed where it may be present.
Those controls carry added weight where young workers are involved. Renaud was 19, and none of the published reports on his death describe what training or monitoring equipment he had at the job site.
Westray charges remain rare
On Oct. 8, 2026, the OPP charged Craig Boyer, 59, of Sheguiandah, Dennis Beaudry, 53, of Lively, and Sunswim Pool Concepts and Design Limited of Coniston with criminal negligence causing death, Global News and CTV reported. They face the same Jan. 6 court date.
Laying that charge against a company relies on the 2004 Westray amendments to the Criminal Code, which also require anyone directing work to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm. As of April 2025, the amendments had produced only 12 successful prosecutions, according to the United Steelworkers (USW).
“The USW is aware of 27 charges under the Westray amendments, with only 12 successful prosecutions,” the union said in 2025, as reported in COS coverage of the Westray mine explosion’s 33rd anniversary. Employers reviewing gas detection and monitoring tools can also consult COS’s newest Readers’ Choice Awards for best safety suppliers.
