Banff ski hill fined $250,000 for death of worker
Last Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 12:26 PM MT
CBC News
The father of a man killed while doing maintenance on a chairlift said the $250,000 fine imposed on the owners of the Alberta ski hill where the death occurred is fair.
The money will go toward an endowment for Selkirk College in B.C., which has a ski-resort operations and management program.
Karl Stunt, 25, was hit by a metal bar while working on a chairlift at Sunshine Village in Banff National Park in 2004. He spent seven days in a coma with massive head injuries before he died.
His father, Ottawa resident Bill Stunt, said Thursday he hopes the size of the fine will make other companies that hire young people take notice.
"The judge stipulated some of the money be provided for people that are residents of Alberta and some for people out of province, because a lot of workers come into the province and work in the ski industry from outside," said Stunt. "So, I thought that was a very sensitive and nuanced decision from the judge to make the endowment split like that."
On Wednesday in Banff, provincial court judge Manfred Delong ordered the fines after finding Sunshine Village Corporation guilty of failing to ensure the health and safety of its workers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The company was found not guilty of three other charges.
The sentence also includes a $5,000 fine plus a $750 victim surcharge.
Doug Firby, a spokesman for Sunshine Village, said in an email to CBC News the resort has no comment on the fine.
"Sunshine Village has nothing to say about the penalty," the email said. "As you know, we have previously commented on the incident. We have said that we truly regret this incident, that we put the safety of guests and workers first, and that we have taken a number of steps since this incident to do everything that is humanly possible to prevent it from occurring again. Our position remains unchanged."
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