Friday is the National Day of Mourning for workers who lost their lives while on the job and the day coincided with a sentencing hearing for a company that pleaded guilty in the death of a young man in northern Alberta three years ago.
Jordan Gahan, 21, was operating heavy machinery at a site north of Fort McMurray in 2014 when the ice underneath the excavator broke and he plunged into the water.
Brayford Trucking, the Leduc-based company that employed Gahan, faced five charges in the case, including failure to ensure the health and safety of workers or control an identifiable workplace hazard.
On Friday morning, the company pleaded guilty to two of the charges while the others were dropped.
Members of Gahan’s family, who are from New Brunswick, attended Friday’s hearing and read victim impact statements.
They hope that conditions will change for the better.
“I hope that employers recognize that they have a responsibility to keep their employees safe,” said Jordan’s mother Leica Gahan.
Jordan’s brother, Joshua Paul, is still hurting after the loss. “It doesn’t matter what the judge gives to Brayford Trucking; it’s not going to bring Jordan back.”
The province says that, in 2016, there were 144 deaths related to workplace illnesses and injuries.
For the National Day of Mourning, a special memorial event was held at SAIT to remember those who died last year.
On Fridaym, the judge in the case accepted a joint submission and Brayford Trucking was fined $100,000 and will be on corporate probation for two years.
