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$1 million courtroom

Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 10/03) - The Government of the NWT is spending an estimated $1 million on a new courtroom and extra staff to hear a civil lawsuit based on 1992's fatal bombing at Giant Mine.


NNSL Photo

What's on the line

The families of the nine men killed in the 1992 blast are seeking close to $35 million in damages from a host of defendants and third parties.

The Workers' Compensation Board has already paid out some money to the families of the victims, but the exact total is not being made public. A lawyer for the WCB said it was less than the total being sought in the civil suit.

According to federal legislation, the WCB is entitled to a portion of any settlement as a means of recouping money already paid out to the victims' families.

Here's a recap of what the plaintiffs are seeking.

Sheila Fullowka, Doreen Hourie, Tracy Neill, Judit Pandev, Ella May Riggs, Doreen Vodnoski. (All are relatives of the six Giant Mine employees who crossed the picket line.)

  • $1.4 million in general damages
  • $21.415 million in pecuniary damages (including future earnings)
  • 600,000 in punitive damages
  • $60,000 in funeral expenses
  • $150,000 in special damages


Carlene Roswell, Karen Russell, Bonnie Sawler (All are widows of the three non-union workers.)

  • $1.3 million in general damages
  • $9.712 million in pecuniary damages
  • $75,000 in special damages
  • $30,000 in funeral expenses
  • $300,000 in punitive damages



The justice department and court services made the decision to build the courtroom, located on the fifth floor of the YK Centre, because existing facilities couldn't accommodate the massive trial that features nine plaintiffs and up to 18 defendants.


See:
Timeline of events)
Cast of players

"It's the government's responsibility to provide justice services to the people," said Glen Rutland, communications policy advisor with the Department of Justice.

Included in the million-dollar price tag is $325,000 to lease the fifth floor of the YK Centre and turn the office space into a courtroom.

The white-walled room -- down the hall from the central elevators -- is approximately 30 metres by 10 metres. About 70 chairs and more than a half dozen desks are set up to accommodate the various attorneys.

A brief look at the site seems to indicate that a raised platform will be where the judge presides. Yellowknifer was not allowed to photograph the courtroom. On Monday, the door to the fifth floor and the elevator to that floor were locked.

As of last Thursday, a detention area had not been built for convicted bomber Roger Warren, who is named as a defendant. It is not known whether or not Warren will attend the trial. "That's a matter for the courts to decide," said Rutland. The rest of the money allotted for the courtroom -- roughly $655,000 -- will go to pay court staff, including clerks and sheriffs.

"A lot of work needed to be done in order to accommodate the large number of parties and their lawyers," said Rutland.

The suit was launched in 1994. It was brought by the families of nine miners killed in the bombing at Giant Mine on Sept. 18, 1992. Warren was convicted on nine counts of second-degree murder in connection with the explosion.

He is currently serving a life sentence at Stony Mountain Penitentiary, north of Winnipeg. His parole eligibility date was set at 20 years..

The families of the deceased miners are claiming more than $35 million in damages from a host of defendants including Royal Oak Mines and president Peggy Witte, the GNWT, the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers and several union heads, Pinkerton Security and Roger Warren.

According to court files, the plaintiffs say Royal Oak and Witte were negligent in their duty to provide a "safe working environment" for the nine miners, who crossed picket lines during the acrimonious labour dispute.

Witte and Royal Oak both say there was no reasonable way they could have foreseen the bombing.

Furthermore, several security measures were in place and nothing could be done to prevent a "devious" Warren from setting the fatal trap, according to Witte and Royal Oak's Statement of Defence.