Details of the incident remain limited as police investigate
A worker has died following an incident at Maple Leaf Foods’ large poultry processing facility in south London, Ont., prompting parallel investigations by local police and Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), according to a report.
Emergency responders were called to the plant at 1577 Wilton Grove Rd. at about 3 p.m. on Thursday after a workplace incident that resulted in fatal injuries to a worker, CBC reported, citing local authorities. The facility is a 660,000-square-foot operation that opened in 2022 and is designed to process up to 100 million chickens annually, according to the report.
Details about the circumstances of the incident remain limited.
In an emailed statement quoted by CBC News, London police said they currently believe the death was accidental. The London Police Service stated it is continuing its work on the file “in consultation with both the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ministry of Labour,” according to the report.
‘Incredibly difficult time’
No information about the worker’s identity or specific role at the plant had been made public as of the latest CBC report.
In a statement cited by CBC News, the labour ministry confirmed it has opened an investigation and has deployed both an inspector and an ergonomist to the site.
"Our thoughts are with the worker’s family, friends and co-workers during this difficult time,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, MLF spokesperson Victoria Berry called the death “a tragic incident,” according to a report from CTV News.
She said the employer is cooperating with authorities and conducting its own internal investigation.
The employer is also offering the employee’s family members and MLF team members support during an “incredibly difficult time.”
