Proceedings expected to last seven days
The Ontario government has set a date for the inquest proceedings into the death of a mine worker who died in 2015.
The worker was 52-year-old Denis Millette who died on June 3, 2015, while working at the Detour Gold Mine in the Cochrane District.
An inquest into Mr. Millette’s death is mandatory under the Coroners Act.
“The purpose of the inquest is to examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. Millette’s death,” according to the Ontario government. “Once all parties with standing have the opportunity to present their information and ask questions of the witnesses, the jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths from occurring in similar circumstances.”
The inquest proceedings will start on Sept. 7, 2022 at 11 a.m. It will be held at the Best Western Premier Northwood Hotel, 245-A Airport Rd., Timmins.
Dr. David Eden will be the presiding officer and David Kirk will be inquest counsel.
It is expected to last seven days and hear from approximately 15 witnesses.
In July, the inquest proceedings that will look into the 2016 death of a construction worker in Ontario was postponed again. The government did not provide any further details on when the inquest might be held.
In June, a coroner’s inquest jury in Ontario that looked into the death of a Sudbury dump truck driver five years ago recommended “best practice” protocols for truck drivers who get out of their vehicles to check their vehicles.
Also in June, Quebec’s safety regulator, also known as the CNESST, released the findings of its investigation into the death of Riley Jonathan Valcin, who was killed on December 25, 2021, while working at Montreal’s giant ferris wheel. The CNESST found that Valcin had been forced to work in a dangerous part of the workplace, with little regard for safety or training.
That same month, a five-member jury at a coroner's inquest in New Brunswick determined that all higher-risk workplaces should require safety supervisors dedicated to on-site safety compliance. And it said it would be up to WorksafeNB to identify which workplaces would qualify, reported CBC. The inquest looked into the Jan. 30, 2017 death of construction worker Steven Lutes, who died six days before his 42nd birthday.
