‘Oven was in proper working order at the time of the incident’
Nova Scotia’s Labour, Skills and Immigration Department has closed its workplace safety investigation into the October 2024 death of a 19‑year‑old bakery worker at the Walmart on Mumford Road in Halifax, finding no violations of provincial occupational health and safety requirements and no defects in the equipment involved.
The worker – 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur – had moved to Canada from India about two years before the incident.
Her body was discovered on Oct. 19, 2024, inside a large baking oven at the Mumford Road store, which was on at the time. Media reports indicated that Kaur’s mother, also employed at the store, found her daughter after becoming concerned when she could not reach her during her shift.
Halifax Regional Police launched a sudden‑death investigation following the incident, maintaining control of the scene while the labour department carried out its own occupational health and safety investigation in parallel, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.
A stop‑work order was imposed on the store’s bakery in the aftermath of the fatality and later lifted once compliance with safety requirements was verified. Although the stop‑work order on the bakery was removed, the Walmart store remained closed indefinitely as of early November 2024, with the company indicating in a letter to staff that bakery operations could resume if it chose to proceed.
The department’s safety branch said it conducted an extensive investigation into workplace conditions and the bakery oven in which the worker was found deceased.
Investigators determined “the oven was in proper working order at the time of the incident” and that “no safety violations were identified that could have contributed to the worker’s death”. The department also reported no broader safety concerns associated with that type of oven.
“Our thoughts remain with the worker’s family, friends and co‑workers as they continue to cope with this tragic loss,” said Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “Our responsibility is to understand what happened, determine whether safety requirements were met and use those findings to support future prevention efforts.”
The department said it will continue to engage with and support the family as part of the conclusion of the investigative process.
Regulatory framework and investigative mandate
Under Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Province investigates serious workplace incidents to confirm whether applicable laws and regulations were followed and to identify opportunities to improve safety. These investigations may involve co‑ordination with police and the Medical Examiner Service, particularly in cases involving sudden or unexplained workplace deaths, and findings are shared with affected parties once investigations are complete.
In the immediate aftermath of Kaur’s death, Walmart stated that it was “heartbroken” and expressed condolences to the worker’s family and colleagues, while providing support to employees, including 24/7 virtual care and on‑site grief counselling. A community fundraising campaign organized by the Maritime Sikh Society raised significant funds to support Kaur’s family and help bring relatives from India for her funeral.
