MPP Michael Mantha RE: Elliot Lake Inquiry Report
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Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha
“I’d like to thank Commissioner Bélanger, and those who worked on the commission for their hard work and dedication.
“Commissioner Bélanger’s thoughtful and exhaustive report on the collapse of the Algo Centre mall reminds us of the lives that were lost, their families and friends, and our community that has been forever impacted by this tragedy.
“We owed it to the families and friends of Lucie and Doloris, and our community to get answers about what happened. Today, was the first step in getting those answers and now we owe it to them to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“This scathing report revealed that all levels of government, public officials and experts had known about the structural deficiencies in the mall, but failed to do anything about it. Warning signs were ignored, while officials and experts were willfully ignorant, blindly apathetic, and completely incompetent.
“Justice Bélanger also made recommendations about the province’s emergency response. The lack of leadership, focus and communication in those days in June created a toxic and chaotic environment. Now, we have clear evidence that the province’s emergency response system needs to change so that communication and chain-of-command are clear, and response times and plans are in place and effective. More specifically, we need to improve our emergency response system in rural and northern Ontario to reduce response times and prevent future tragedies.
“I will work hard to ensure the government acts promptly and be held accountable to implement these recommendations without delay.
“Elliot Lake is a small town where we look out for one another. When you went to the mall, you were bound to bump into a neighbour, a friend or just someone you recognize. The mall was part of our community.
“This tragedy will never be forgotten, but the people of Elliot Lake are strong and resilient. This is a first step in our healing process.”
