Gold miner charged over worker’s death at mine outside Timmins, Ont.

TORONTO—Ontario miner Detour Gold Corp. has been charged with criminal negligence causing death as a result of a worker’s death at the company’s Detour Lake mine last June.

Ontario Provincial Police said the incident occurred on June 3, 2015, when Denis Millette was repairing equipment at the mine. After being “observed to be in medical distress,” Millette, 52, was attended to by on-site medical staff, but later died.

Following the OPP investigation, which began last year alongside an Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation, police say Millette died of acute cyanide intoxication. As a result, the company has been charged with criminal negligence causing death under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Detour Lake is located outside the town of Cochrane, Ont., in northeastern Ontario. A year-round operation, the site can employ as many as 800 workers.

Following the laying of charges, the company’s president and CEO, Paul Martin, said it will continue to cooperate with both investigative teams fully, and that it takes the charges “very seriously.”

“We now need to obtain the information on which the charges have been brought in order to be in a position to comment further,” Martin added. “In the meantime, we would like to express our sincere condolences to the family.”

With the first court appearance in the criminal case set to take place May 10, the Ministry of Labour continues to investigate the incident. The province has until June 2016 to lay any additional charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.