ABOVE: Watch a furious Elliot Lake resident interrupt an inquiry to ask who will take responsibility for the two deaths caused by the Algo Centre Mall collapse
The Elliot Lake inquiry released its findings to the public Wednesday in a wide-ranging and damning report which cast blame upon engineers, mall owners, and public officials in the northern Ontario town.
In the report, the judicial inquiry says decades of incompetence, neglect, greed and dishonesty by a succession of owners, engineers and municipal officials led to the deadly cave-in of the mall two years ago.
READ MORE: Human failure led to deadly Elliot Lake mall collapse
At the end of Commissioner Paul Belanger’s report, however, an angry resident rose to address one question still left unanswered.
It was on a sunny Saturday afternoon in June 2012 that the rooftop parking deck, weakened by decades of rust-causing water and salt penetration, finally crashed down.
Trapped in the rubble were Doloris Perizzolo, 74, and Lucie Aylwin, 37. Nineteen others were injured.
Peter K. Doody, senior counsel for the Elliot Lake inquiry, attempted to address the man’s question.
“The reason the commission was called, the reason these commissions exist, is so as best we can…the community is told, both here in Elliot Lake and across the province is told, what happened and why it happened,” Doody said.
“This commission is not about criminal charges. It’s not what we’re here for. We have different rules that what would exist in a criminal case. In fact, many would say a lot more facts come out through a commission of enquiry than would ever come out through a criminal charge…we’re not, and don’t want to be seen as a criminal investigation.”
READ MORE: Key recommendations from Elliot Lake inquiry report
But the man continued to press the commission.
“So why was only one person, namely the engineer, who is fighting for his life now, is the only one the Ontario government or the Canadian government has charged?” he asked. “So who do we have to blame for all of this?”
That comment is in reference to Robert Wood, the engineer who signed off on the health of the mall just weeks before it collapsed. His work and conduct, the report found, were “markedly inferior.”
Wood, who faces criminal charges in connection with the collapse, admitted to falsifying his report to appease the owner.
“I’m sorry sir, this process can’t answer all the questions, including yours,” Doody said.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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