Company that employed apprentice plumber killed in Calgary trench collapse charged with 11 safety offences

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 12:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 30

The Calgary institution that employed a 27-year-old apprentice plumber who died aft helium was buried successful a collapsed trench astatine a enactment tract 2 years ago faces 11 charges nether the Occupational Health and Safety Act. 

Liam Johnston was killed successful June 2023 portion doing sewer repairs successful the northwest assemblage of Charleswood. 

Johnston worked for Mr. Mike's Plumbing astatine the time. 

The charges against the institution include failing to guarantee idiosyncratic safety, failing to stabilize an excavation tract by shoring and failing to guarantee a idiosyncratic is protected from cave-ins astatine an excavation site.

"Finally thing is happening," said Johnston's parent Kim Ivison.

Hazard identified time earlier incident, complaint alleges

Another of the charges alleges Mr. Mike's identified a hazard the time earlier the fatal incidental yet failed to instrumentality measures to destruct the information concern.

Johnston's parents accidental that charge, successful particular, makes them consciousness "angry and sick."

"It shouldn't person happened," said stepdad Adam Groves. 

• Apprentice plumber killed connected occupation tract successful northwest Calgary 'would bash thing for the radical helium loves'

The institution is owed successful tribunal to look the charges connected July 22.

The Calgary Police Service conducted its ain investigation. A spokesperson for CPS said this week that the record is presently with the Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service for review. 

Both of Johnston's parents accidental they're angry and frustrated with the system; it's been astir 2 years since Johnston was killed.

"It's precise dilatory and it's precise non-transparent," says Ivison. 

Liam's woman astatine the time, Emily Gofton, says she has mixed emotions astir the charges being laid.

"It's exciting, overwhelming. It's triggering, it makes america aggravated each implicit again. But we're conscionable truthful blessed to yet spot immoderate question connected this," she said. 

"To lose him is, it's thing that I'll ne'er retrieve from. I'll ne'er beryllium the aforesaid idiosyncratic again."

In an interrogation with CBC News successful June 2023, Gofton said helium had texted her regarding his concerns astir occupation tract information the time earlier helium was killed. 

According to accusation posted to a website acceptable up by Johnston's loved ones, the household alleges determination were nary engineers connected tract and nary trench container acceptable up connected site. 

Company said it had 'shoring connected site'

In a connection issued days aft Johnston's death, Mr. Mike's Plumbing Ltd. said it was "deeply saddened" astatine its employee's death. 

The institution said it had "shoring connected tract and everything disposable to beryllium capable to instal the shoring from supra without jeopardizing anyone's safety. At immoderate constituent portion installing, this calamity occurred."

The connection went connected to say it was moving intimately with authorities and would guarantee "appropriate measures" were taken to forestall akin accidents successful the future.  

CBC News has reached retired to Mr. Mike's Plumbing for remark connected the charges. 

On the time of the incident, the Calgary Fire Department said successful a media merchandise that the victim was moving connected a ladder successful the three- to six-metre heavy trench erstwhile a ample magnitude of world collapsed connected apical of him from the steep slope above.

Fire section crews spent hours digging to get to Johnston. He was recovered dormant by the clip they got to him. 

A occurrence section battalion main said the betterment progressive "extensive information precautions" due to the fact that the trench was "unsafe."

Firefighters utilized tools to region the sandy ungraded and parts of the cinder artifact retaining wall, but dense instrumentality was needed to region the surrounding ungraded to get to the man.