Labour Ministry investigating Boulder Bear Climbing Centre in Thunder Bay after child's fall
CBC
The Thunder Bay climbing gym where a child was injured after a fall on July 26 is being investigated by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, CBC News has learned.
The ministry "was notified on Aug. 2, 2024, of health and safety concerns at Boulder Bear Climbing Centre," it said in an emailed statement Monday.
It said an investigator has been assigned and the investigation is ongoing.
The news comes after Alexa Letinen said her eight-year-old daughter Natalia was hospitalized following a fall at a Boulder Bear Climbing Centre summer camp. Since then, others have come forward to say this isn't the first such incident at the centre.
A total of five incidents have been reported to the ministry since Boulder Bear Climbing Centre opened in 2016.
"The ministry issued a total of 10 orders during this period to Boulder Bear Climbing Centre," the ministry statement said.
Inspectors respond to reports of critical injuries or fatalities at workplaces. They have the power to issue orders that workplaces are required to address in order to prevent similar incidents.
If the inspector finds the workplace has violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the person can recommend that charges be laid.
In addition to the current investigation, the Ministry of Labour said it completed four previous investigations at the gym in response to reported complaints/concerns.
One investigation related to a June 2017 harassment complaint, said the ministry. It ordered Boulder Bear to prepare/review health, safety and harassment policies. It also issued an order to maintain a harassment policy in writing.
The ministry said it investigated Boulder Bear again in response to health and safety concerns that occurred in June 2019. The orders it issued included proper storage of flammable liquids, removing items from around electrical panel, keeping floors free of debris and inspecting the physical condition of the workplace.
"Employer shall take every precaution to protect workers," read the seventh order.
Boulder Bear complied with all the issued orders, said the ministry.
There were two additional investigations that did not result in any issued orders, it said.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is forming a working group to tackle what it calls systemic issues in the justice system, but answers or solutions could still be months away.
A woman has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in a 2024 fatal hit and run in Truro, N.S., where the victim was dragged down the street, a case that went unsolved for more than six months.
A stream of people showing up to a brightly lit front porch, each holding up a bottle of wine, spirits, or beer.
Sona Lakhoyan Olivier has been excluded from Quebec’s Liberal caucus for the duration of an investigation led by the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner, the party announced Thursday.
The head of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association hopes a city plan to crack down on vacant properties leads to a transformation in his community.
Saskatchewan's justice minister is rejecting the latest legislative proposal from the NDP Opposition, one that the NDP says is a necessary check on government power.
The provincial government is proposing sweeping changes to citizen-led referendum questions that could put a stop to an active court case about whether it’s constitutional to ask Albertans if they agree with separating from Canada.
A proposal for a hydrogen-powered passenger rail connecting Calgary and Banff has been submitted to the federal government in the hopes of having it fast-tracked.