The tour bus company involved in the 2020 Icefield crash in Jasper National Park has been charged under the Alberta Health and Safety Act until the RCMP’s criminal investigation is completed.
Brewster Inc. is facing eight charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act related to “failure to control the danger of the slope of the side moraine”, non-mandatory use of seat belts, failure to maintain seat belts and failure to check the safety of equipment.
The case is scheduled to be heard in Jasper County Court on June 23.
Read more: No answers 1 year after a bus crash for a tour of Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park
On July 18, 2020, a Columbia Icefield ice explorer rolled on an embankment with 25 people in it. Three passengers were killed and 14 others were injured in the rollover after a red-and-white Ice Explorer with a large wheel lost control on its way to the Athabasca Glacier, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jasper, Alta.
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“What these current health and safety taxes need to do is apply when a company has failed for human health and safety,” Basil Bansal, a lawyer for a family that was in the icebreaker and saw that one member died during the crash. .
Bansal’s clients are one of many plaintiffs in civil cases and class actions arising from the crash Brewster is facing.
2:15 No answers 1 year after the Columbia Icefield tour bus crash in Jasper National Park No answers 1 year after the Columbia Icefield tour bus crash in Jasper National Park – July 18, 2021
He said the allegations revealed the OHS’s view of Brewster’s responsibility.
“We know about the injuries he suffered and the lives he lost. But it actually shows where the company was careless and what they could have done to prevent it, “said Bansal, a partner at Edmonton Diamond and Diamond.
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“So now we have some answers.”
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Bansal said his clients and other plaintiffs have been waiting for these answers for nearly two years.
“It’s good to see that the government has taken this seriously. “These allegations show the company’s negligence and it is going in the right direction,” he said.
1:51 More Columbia Icefield rollover survivors sue tour operator More Columbia Icefield rollover survivors sue tour operator – October 1, 2020
“But unfortunately the lives of our customers will not be the same.”
A press release from the Alberta government on Friday also said that the criminal investigation was conducted separately from Health and Safety at Work in Alberta.
Pursuit, the company that manages Icefield’s bus tours, said in an e-mail statement that it could not comment on details of the case due to court proceedings.
“We continue to support a transparent and multi-agency investigation into this tragic incident,” the statement said.
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Read more: 7 more Columbia Icefield rollover survivors near Jasper sue tour operator
RCMP are aware of the allegations under the OHS Act and have shared all the information they have gathered with the OHS investigation, the press release said.
The RCMP’s final report on the overthrow was not made public, but was presented to Alberta prosecutors in April.
The crown will determine whether the evidence justifies any criminal charges.
1:02 Former drivers say Columbia Icefield tour buses have safety issues, poor maintenance Former drivers say Columbia Icefield tour buses have safety issues, poor maintenance – July 24, 2020
Bansal said an RCMP report and possible criminal charges could provide additional answers to questions customers like him have about the overthrow of the Athabasca Glacier.
He said he had also been a passenger on the icebreaker and hoped OHS fees would change the way Brewster and other travel companies work.
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“The whole purpose of these OHS charges is to implement measures such as seat belts, driver training, mechanical records and checks so that these problems do not recur,” Bansal said.
– with files from The Canadian Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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