‘They all could have done better for Ryan… He deserved more’
The mother of an Edmonton heavy-duty mechanic killed while working under an elevated wheel loader at a northern Alberta pulp mill is calling for changes to prevent other families from facing similar loss, as workplace safety charges proceed in his death.
“I’m grateful there was an investigation, but I’m disappointed there had to be one in the first place,” said Terri-Lynn Sharpe, according to a report from CBC.
Sharpe's son – 30-year-old Ryan Sharpe – died on March 13, 2024, while on shift at a pulp mill in Slave Lake.
Ryan was servicing a CAT wheel loader when the fatal incident occurred, according to a previous report. The worker was positioned underneath the machine, which was elevated on wooden blocks, Cochrane Eagle reported. The equipment unexpectedly moved, resulting in a fatal injury to the worker.
Five OHS charges filed against three companies
Two years after the fatal incident, provincial investigators have laid five charges under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act against three companies involved in the work.
The companies facing charges are Pacesetter Equipment Ltd., West Fraser Mills Ltd., and West Fraser Mills Ltd. operating as Slave Lake Pulp. They are accused of multiple safety violations in relation to the circumstances surrounding Ryan Sharpe’s death:
All three are charged with five counts under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code, while Pacesetter faces one additional count.
The companies are accused of failing to ensure the worker's safety while working under the elevated Caterpillar 980M wheel loader, according to the report. Specific allegations include permitting “the use of a stack of two wood blocks to support an elevated Caterpillar 980M wheel loader.”
Additional charges allege the wood blocking used was not “of sufficient size, strength and design and made of suitable materials to withstand the stresses imposed on it during its operation and to perform the function for which it was intended or was designed,” the Cochrane Eagle reported.
The matter is scheduled to be heard in the Slave Lake Court of Justice on April 29, noted CBC. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Company officials have not publicly commented on the charges.
Incident under scrutiny: elevated equipment and repair practices
According to the charges, the incident occurred while Ryan Sharpe was servicing a Caterpillar wheel loader at the mill in Slave Lake, about 450 kilometres north of Edmonton. The machine had been elevated on wooden blocks when it unexpectedly shifted while he was positioned underneath, fatally injuring him.
The alleged violations include allowing Sharpe to rely on wooden blocks to support the elevated machine and permitting him to remove the front drive shaft and parking brake without assistance. The companies are also alleged to have failed to ensure the equipment was repaired in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.
Terri-Lynn Sharpe said she is “still trying to process the charges but hoping that they make a difference,” adding that she would not want anyone else to endure the same “trauma and absolute heartbreak.”
Sharpe said she believes more should have been done to protect her son, stating, “I think they all could have done better for Ryan” and stressing that “Ryan mattered. He deserved more.”
Born in New Glasgow, N.S., Ryan Sharpe completed the mechanical trades programme at the College of New Caledonia in British Columbia and later earned his Red Seal certification, CBC noted. He was working for Pacesetter Equipment at the time of the incident.
The pulp mill where the incident occurred was sold in the spring of 2024 and is now operated by Millar Western Forest Products. The charges relate to the period before the change in ownership.
