$177K fine after flying rock from mine blast in northern Ont. breaks car windshield, injures passenger

Alamos Gold Inc. and some contractors have been fined a combined $177,500 in connection with a stray piece of rock from a blast that hit a passing vehicle, injuring a passenger.

The incident took place in May 2021 at the Magino Gold Project site, a gold mine on Goudreau Road in the Finan Unorganized Township in the District of Algoma.

At the time, the mine was owned by Prodigy Gold, a subsidiary of Argonaut Gold, which amalgamated with Alomos in January of this year.

“At the time, Prodigy Gold was redeveloping the Magino Mine using open pit mining methods to extract leftover gold deposits,” the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks said in a news release.

Road wasn’t guarded

Sigfusson Northern Ltd., a subcontractor, hired a company, Fraser Drill Blast, which detonated a blast May 14, 2021.

“At the time of the blast, a portion of Goudreau Road was not guarded,” the release said.

“As a result of the blast, a piece of fly rock struck a vehicle travelling on the road. The fly rock broke through the windshield of the vehicle and struck the passenger, resulting in a left forearm fracture.”

An investigation revealed that the blast location had not been properly plotted.

Alamos was fined $67,500, plus a victim surcharge of $16,875. Fraser Drill Blast Management was fined $50,000 plus a victim surcharge of $12,500.

Sigfusson Northern Ltd. was fined $60,000, plus a victim surcharge of $15,000.

Read the full release here.