Justin Bisaillon testifies about his work refusal in First Nickel, Taurus Drilling trial
Samantha Samson | CBC News | Posted: July 21, 2017 8:51 PM | Last Updated: July 21, 2017
Victim's son said scene of fatalities felt unsafe days before fall of ground
Justin Bisaillon says his father Norm taught him everything he knows.
"It was awesome to work with him," he says. "He was an easy-going guy and a big teddy bear."
Norm Bisaillon, along with his co-worker Marc Methe, were killed on the job in 2014 at First Nickel's Lockerby site.
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On Friday, the Crown wrapped up its case against First Nickel and Taurus Drilling by calling Justin Bisaillon to the stand. The companies are facing a total of 12 charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act as a result of the 2014 deaths.
Son testifies work refusal
Justin Bisaillon finished training as a long hole driller at Lockerby a week before the fatalities. At some point in his time at Lockerby, Bisaillon trained and worked alongside his father.
During one of his last shifts, Bisaillon told the court that he and a co-worker refused to work on a certain level — the same level where his father died on May 6.
Bisaillon told the court that he didn't feel it was safe since there was hanging shotcrete and leaking water.
"Shotcrete is a solid piece, so when you first start to see cracking, it's the first indication that the ground is moving above you," Bisaillon told CBC News.
"When I noticed the water, it's more concerning because water and metal, it corrodes."
- Testimony resumes in First Nickel, Taurus Drilling case
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The court heard earlier this week that the mine was incredibly wet, and there was a problem with the pumping system.
Bisaillon testified that his supervisor pulled them out of the working area, but said he was told the Ministry of Labour had already inspected the site. So he went back in.
"After I heard the Ministry of Labour inspected it, and they got the okay, that's all I needed to hear to feel safe because they're the safety professionals," Bisaillon told CBC News.
Expert says improperly stored water is dangerous underground
Ministry of Labour engineer Mike Kat told court that same day there was definitely water above the area where Norm Bisaillion and Marc Methe were killed.
While Kat didn't see the area himself, he said his investigation led him to believe the area was being used as a water storage stope since there was a problem with the pump system.
It's common for stopes to be used as water stores, but they have to be designed that way from the beginning. Kat told the court this was not the case.
When asked if the water store was a concern, Kat said yes, telling the court "there's a misconception about how dangerous water is in a mine...especially when stored improperly."
'I thought I didn't want to go into a mine again'
Right now, Justin Bisaillon is working at Craig Mine in Levack, Ont. Although it's the industry that took his father's life, Bisaillon says mining remains his passion.
"I love being underground," Bisaillon told CBC News.
"At first, I thought I didn't want to go into a mine again, but I eventually realized this is what I like to do. So I'm going to keep doing it, and I think [my dad] would want me to do that as well."