Almost two decades following the death of a 47-year-old contractor at a mine near Capreol, Greater Sudbury Police are looking into the incident. Ray Campeau, a mechanic working for Dynatec Corporation, was fatally injured while servicing a winch supporting a jumbo drill at the now-closed Podolsky Mine in May 2006. An inquiry revealed that a brake failure caused the drill to plummet, leading to the motor’s gears exploding and injuring Campeau, who passed away 90 minutes later.
After a coroner’s inquest in 2008, Campeau’s widow, Fay Smith, initiated her own investigation. This resulted in a private prosecution in May 2024, leading to six criminal negligence charges sanctioned against the Ontario Ministry of Labour, one of its inspectors, Dynatec, and three employees. However, the proceedings were paused when the Crown requested an independent review by a division of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Subsequently, all charges were temporarily suspended on September 18, 2024.
Recently, special prosecutor John Corelli presented the findings of the review to the court. Corelli acknowledged Smith’s persistence in uncovering crucial new information that was previously unknown. He emphasized that his role was to assess the likelihood of conviction and public interest in pursuing the case. Consequently, charges against the Ministry of Labour, one inspector, and three Dynatec workers were deemed unfeasible due to a lack of direct liability.
Regarding Dynatec, the criminal negligence charge was withdrawn to enable Greater Sudbury Police to conduct a separate criminal inquiry. Greater Sudbury Police have confirmed their active collaboration with the Complex Prosecution Bureau in this investigation. Corelli informed the court that while there were doubts about Dynatec’s current status, records suggest the company may still exist, and liability could extend to its successor entities.
Corelli announced that once the police complete their investigation, his office will reassess the situation and potentially consider reinstating charges. The legal representative for Smith, Michael Lacy, declined to comment at this juncture.
