Company claims it has strengthened safety procedures since worker’s death
Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC) has pleaded guilty to a workplace safety offence and agreed to pay a $240,000 fine in connection with the 2024 death of one of its electricians at the Naujaat Power Plant.
The Nunavut power utility entered the plea at the Nunavut Court of Justice on June 16 in the matter of charges brought against it under the territory's Safety Act, following the death of electrician Noah Paniyuk on July 5, 2024.
Guilty plea entered
QEC pleaded guilty to a single charge under section 4(1)(b) of the Safety Act. The charge alleged that the corporation, as an employer, failed to protect the health and safety of the electrician before and during his work at the plant's Emergency Generating Unit.
According to the charge, QEC failed to "take all reasonable precautions and adopt and carry out all reasonable techniques and procedures to ensure the health and safety of every person, including Noah Paniyuk… before and during work by Noah Paniyuk on or inside the Emergency Generating Unit at the Naujaat Power Plant."
The charge stemmed from the July 5, 2024, incident in Naujaat that resulted in the electrician's death. All eight remaining charges against QEC were withdrawn at the request of the Crown.
$240,000 fine imposed
QEC and the Crown presented a joint submission on sentence to the court. Under that submission, QEC agreed to pay a fine of $240,000 to the Workers' Protection Fund, plus a 15% victim surcharge.
Following the incident, QEC conducted an internal investigation and shared its findings with the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC). The corporation cooperated fully with the WSCC's investigation.
The agreed statement of facts confirmed that QEC had the required safety program and training in place at the time of the incident. The corporation said it recognizes, however, that safety policies, procedures and training have to be applied, reinforced and lived every day.
Company response
In a statement, Ernest Douglas, President and CEO of QEC, addressed the loss of the employee. "Almost two years have passed since we lost our colleague in a tragic incident and not a day goes by that we don't reflect on Mr. Paniyuk's memory. Our thoughts remain with his family, his community and all who knew him," he said.
Douglas said the corporation accepts the outcome of the court process. "No legal process can undo his loss. We accept the Court's decision, and we will honour Mr. Paniyuk's memory through the actions we take, every day, to ensure safety remains at the core of everything we do at QEC," he said.
QEC said it will continue to work closely with regulators and employees on its safety practices in support of every employee returning home safely at the end of each day.
Safety measures adopted
Immediately following the incident, QEC imposed a company-wide safety standdown and took the emergency generating unit at Naujaat offline.
The corporation said it has continued to ensure compliance with its safety policies through internal and independent external audits, annual worksite inspections, mandatory training and regular safety meetings.
QEC also adopted a new safety management system, streamlined its incident reporting process and purchased additional rescue hooks for all emergency and modular generator units. In May 2025, the corporation established the Noah Paniyuk Scholarship.
