Ten years after Raymond Campeau's death in the Podolsky Mine, north of Capreol, his widow continues to fight for criminal charges against his employer, Dynatec Corp. and the Ministry of Labour, which she holds criminally responsible for not enforcing the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Raymond's widow, Faye Campeau, wrote an open letter to Labour Minister Kevin Flynn on the 10th anniversary of her husband's death.
“A multitude of evidence indicates that charges should have been laid against the employer, engineer, supervisors and third parties involved in this fatality,” the letter states. “Had sections 231, 237, and all of regulation 854 of the Occupational Safely Act been enforced by the Ministry of Labour and its inspectors prior to May 25, 2006, this accident would not have happened.”
Campeau was 47 when he died of injuries he suffered during a shaft-sinking project at Podolsky Mine on May 25, 2006.
A coroner's inquest in April 2008 determined his death was the result of a faulty winching system.
“We learned it had never been maintained,” Faye Campeau told Sudbury.com, alleging “no proper maintenance (was performed) on the entire system.
“In the media, they said my husband got struck by a piece of equipment. He got struck like a bomb went off, with a hail of shrapnel. His legs were severed. It wasn't just a piece of equipment.”
The coroner's inquest made 16 recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
The most important recommendation for Faye was the call for the Ministry of Labour to provide more information to the families of workers who have suffered critical injuries or died in the workplace.
Despite the recommendation, Faye has requested 18 documents related to her husband's death and the investigation that followed, which she has still not received.
“When you lose somebody in a workplace accident it's awful,” she said. “I can't even explain to you what me and my children have been through.”
Faye told Sudbury.com she wants the RCMP to investigate her husband's death as a neutral party, and potentially lay criminal charges against the employer, mining engineer, supervisors and the Ministry of Labour.
In the meantime, she has filed a civil lawsuit against those parties, which will proceed to court in July.
Sudbury.com reached out to Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn's office for comment, but his spokesperson said he would not respond to the letter to media at this time.
Craig MacBride, the minister's spokesperson, said his office takes all letters seriously, and will provide a response to Faye Campeau.
Flynn also stands behind the ministry's mine inspectors, MacBride added.
