Lakeland and Babine Inquests Could Be Combined
Prince George, B.C.- There is a possibility a Coroner's Inquest into the Lakeland Mill explosion could be combined with one already planned to examine the Babine Forest Products blast.
Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe says that possibility is under consideration " A decision on this issue will be made after a review of the WorkSafeBC Report into the Lakeland incident to determine the commonality of issues between the two incidents.
Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe says she will preside over the Lakeland inquest whether or not it is combined with the Babine inquest ""I want to assure the families of Mr. Allan Little and Mr. Glenn Roche, who died as a result of this explosion ( at Lakeland) as well as those injured and the entire community of Prince George, that the Coroner's Inquest to be undertaken will thoroughly review the causes and contributing factors of this tragic incident. It will look at how and why the explosion happened; the roles and responsibilities of those involved in mill safety, and their policies and practices; and what steps can and should be taken to prevent this type of event from happening again."
She says she remains confident a Coroner's inquest is the best venue "to address the many important questions and concerns raised about the explosion and resulting deaths, and I appreciate the government's acknowledgement of the value of this process."
A date for the inquest is expected to be announced before the end of April."
Comments
Horse shit,look at some of the coroner inquests from passed they have the same recommendations which mean little. A public inquiry gets to the truth and allows more detail Coroners inquest is a joke. Get to the bottom of this and that will send a stronger message and help bring closure.
When WCB/Work Safe B.C. is involved, it is corrupt!
Coroners inquests are toothless tigers..
They can determine the cause of an accident and also make recommendations, however they cannot attach blame, or lay any charges.
In fact over the years recommendations from coroners inquests have been ignored with impunity,.
Seems to me that the only recourse is Civil Law.
Combining them will make this whole thing a bigger cluster…… than it already is.
Smoke and mirrors!
Are people really believing that an inquest will result in one or more people being charged or fired? Keep dreaming.
There’s ‘blame’ enough to be shared amongst all. Why waste further time and money looking for some scapegoat to lynch just to make a few people feel they’ve accomplished something?
Blame the former NDP government for not stopping the initial MPB outbreak by logging heavily in Tweedsmuir Park and containing it.
Blame the current Liberal government for mandating that the mills will cut dead and dry pine while it still has some value left in it.
Blame the financiers of Wall Street for lending people who couldn’t qualify for a regular mortgage a ‘sub-prime’ mortgage, and for packaging those toxic assets and flogging them off as good investments, when they weren’t. Wrecking the lumber market, and the economy as a whole.
Blame the US government for encouraging those financiers to lend that way, so enough new credit would enter the US economy to make it look like it was prosperous when it really wasn’t.
Blame the lumber company for trying to make a profit out of what’s now become, in most cases, only another expense.
Blame WorkSafe for not realising a metal mill with dust in it could explode into a fireball and burn just like a wooden structure could, if anything suddenly dislodged that dust.
Blame the workers for wanting jobs, or at least, incomes, to make the payments on all the debts they’ve already incurred.
That’s the trouble with ‘blame’. When you start trying to attach it, where do you stop? And unless you’re prepared to correct ALL the conditions that caused the disaster, what real good is that going to do?
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