Yukon government stays charges in bear-mauling death

The Yukon government ended its court battle against Aurora Geosciences Ltd. in the 2006 fatal bear mauling of an employee, announcing it was backing down on the negligence charges just as the trial was to get underway Monday.

Lawyers for the government and the Yukon Workers' Compensation, Health and Safety Board made the announcement in territorial court Monday morning before the start of the five-day trial.

The compensation board had charged Yellowknife-based Aurora Geosciences with a number of safety regulation violations, accusing it of negligence in the April 2006 grizzly-bear mauling death of Jean-François Pagé, 28.

Lawyers for the board and the government would only say they have new information, but refused to say what that information is or why the charges were stayed.

"There's no legal requirement for them to provide us with any further disclosure," Keith Parkari, the lawyer for Aurora Geosciences, told CBC News outside court Monday.

Pagé was staking mining claims in the bush near Ross River, about 198 kilometres northeast of Whitehorse, when he was apparently attacked by a grizzly sow after coming within five metres of a bear den that contained two cubs, RCMP said at the time. They said the sow probably attacked Pagé to protect its young.

The compensation board has alleged Aurora Geosciences, which provides geological services for mineral, oil and gas exploration in northern Canada and Alaska, did not properly train or equip Pagé for the job — an allegation the company denies.

"I still feel to this day that we did everything possibly human to make it safe for Jean-François to work in the bush," Aurora Geosciences president Gary Vivian said outside court.

Vivian said he was disappointed with the government's latest action, as the company had wanted a clear verdict and his company exonerated.

Parkari said all the government has said was that it received new information late last week, and it decided it would be unfair for Aurora Geosciences to seek another lengthy adjournment in the court proceedings.

Aurora Geosciences also has offices in Whitehorse and Juneau, Alaska.