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HomeNewsMinistry charges laid in relation to Kimberly Ave blast

Ministry charges laid in relation to Kimberly Ave blast

BRACEBRIDGE, ON – Nearly a year after an explosion rocked a quiet Bracebridge street, charges have been laid.

It was August 24th when a blast damaged a number of houses on Kimberly Ave and surrounding streets.

Some residents are still waiting for damage repairs to be completed.

The Ministry of Labour charged the company and one employee that was responsible for dynamite exploding without proper protection in place.

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The District of Muskoka was replacing sewage and water along the street and the construction company – Coon Brothers had sub-contracted another firm, Breaking Ground Drilling and Blasting out of Sudbury, Ontario.

They were in charge of blasting the stubborn bedrock in the area and have been charged with failing to ensure the measures and procedures prescribed under 198 (2) of Regulation 213/91 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The act states in part that no explosive “shall be outside a magazine unless the explosive is required for immediate use.”

It further notes in relation to employee safety “a worker shall use protection appropriate in circumstances when there is a risk of injury on a worker’s skin.” The charge notes this in relation to a “hot object, hot liquid or molten metal.”

The charges will next be heard at the Ontario Court of Justice, Bracebridge in October.

Coon Brothers was removed from the contract following the incident.

The explosion broke many windows and also caused structural damages to some walls. No one was injured in the blast. The District of Muskoka is working on finding a dollar amount for the total damage caused per a request from MyMuskokaNow.com.

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