A coroner’s inquest is to be held into the death of a 64-year-old New Brunswick mine worker who was fatally injured five years ago when he was hit by a run of muck at Impala Canada’s Lac des Iles palladium mine just north of Thunder Bay.
Edouard Gallant was working for a Sudbury-area mining contractor on May 27, 2020 when the accident occurred while repairs were being made to an underground ore pass, according to a Ministry of Labour investigation.
Regional supervising coroner Dr. Kevin Miller announced the inquest on Tuesday, but has yet to specify a date and venue for the proceeding.
In Ontario, inquests are mandatory when someone dies while working at a mine site. A coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
In 2023, Impala Canada and SCR Mines Technology, of Val Caron, were fined in provincial court $300,000 and $130,000 respectively in the wake of Gallant’s death.
The ministry investigation determined Gallant was killed when “blasted ore saturated with concrete and water overwhelmed protective barriers at the base of a mining shaft used to transfer ore and mining waste.”
An ore pass is a near-vertical underground opening designed to allow blasted ore, referred to as muck, to flow from one area of a mine to another, the ministry says.
Impala Canada decided to undertake repairs of the ore pass in 2019 after the company found it was deteriorating and needed to be rehabilitated, the ministry said.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Impala Canada released a statement that said, in part, “We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased.”
About 750 people work at the Lac des Iles operation. Earlier this month, Impala Canada said the mine is expected to shut down next May due to falling palladium prices.
