Prince George, BC – A spokesperson for Lakeland Mills says the company will be making all documents pertaining to a forensics investigation conducted following the 2012 explosion at its sawmill available to the Coroner’s Inquest…

Cam McAlpine made an announcement to the media during the lunchbreak, effectively pre-empting discussion of the matter that’s set to occur with Coroner Lisa Lapointe at 4:30pm this afternoon.

On Friday, Lapointe ruled the evidence was relevant to the inquiry, but that it was protected by privilege.  She had asked Lakeland counsel, Gavin Marshall, to consider waiving that privilege when the inquest resumed today. (click here, for previous story)

After spending the weekend reviewing further legal documents, Lapointe rescinded her order on privilege this morning, but set discussion for late this afternoon to give legal counsel for all parties time to prepare their submissions. The inquest then continued with witness testimony, but not before Inquest counsel John Orr apologized for using the term ‘unconscionable’ during Friday’s discussion.  Orr said there is nothing wrong with law firms conducting their own private investigations.  In fact, he said it was prudent.  Orr said he meant that it would be unconscionable for relevant information not to come out at the inquest, in the interests of allowing the jury to make the best recommendations possible.

For Lakeland’s part, McAlpine says company lawyers were prepared to offer up any information deemed relevant by the coroner first thing this morning.

He points out lawyers for all parties were aware of the investigation conducted by forensic engineering firm, CASE Forensics, on behalf of Lakeland’s lawyers.  “Companies in these sorts of situations – where there’s potential for litigation, where there’s insurance questions, and WorksafeBC investigations – will always do an investigation of their own, just to back up the evidence.”

“In this case, WorkSafeBC didn’t require the company to release the information from that investigation.”  McAlpine says, ” What we think (sic) the information they (CASE Forensics) were gathering wasn’t going to change the outcome of this inquest; therefore, it didn’t seem relevant to this inquest and there was no need to continue the investigation.  And, in fact, there was never a report written by CASE Forensics.”

However McAlpine took issue with the ‘disparaging comments’ made by Inquest counsel John Orr on Friday…saying even this morning’s clarification still leaves the company’s integrity in question.

“The Stewarts and Andersens have proven their integrity, honesty, and commitment to this community and to have it questioned by an agent of the state who is supposed to be an impartial third party is unacceptable.”

The Lakeland spokesperson says the company remains committed to openness and transparency of the process, as it has been from the day this tragedy occurred.  “We believe it is important to discover what happened, so we can ensure nothing like this happens again.”