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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Judge named to head inquiry into mall collapse
TORONTO -- An Ottawa judge who has overseen high-profile criminal trials connected with Canada's political elite will now shift his focus to a northern Ontario community reeling from the deadly collapse of a local shopping centre.
Justice Paul Belanger will head up the public inquiry probing the partial collapse of the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake, Ont., provincial Attorney General John Gerretsen said Monday.
The 30-year judicial veteran will have a year in which to investigate the events leading up to the collapse, as well as the emergency response systems that went into effect after a section of roof came crashing through the building on June 23.
Doloris Perizzolo, 74, and 37-year-old Lucie Aylwin were killed in the collapse that also injured more than 20 others.
Gerretsen said Belanger's lengthy career, sterling reputation within the legal community and fluency in both official languages made him the ideal candidate to lead a public inquiry in the bilingual community.
Gerretsen said cabinet is still determining the scope of the inquiry, which will be taking place at the same time as a criminal probe led by the Ontario Provincial Police.
He declined to comment on what impact the two investigations would have on each other.
The provincial inquiry, he said, will probe the events leading up to the tragedy as well as the controversial rescue efforts that went into effect in the days after the collapse.
Both aspects have drawn sharp public criticism. Local residents have accused mall management of ignoring complaints about the condition of the mall, alleging a leaky roof and unsafe escalator were well-known features of the building that housed about 10 per cent of the city's local commerce.
Safety concerns also plagued efforts to rescue those trapped in the rubble, with search crews forced to abandon the initial search due to the imminent threat of a secondary collapse.
The operation was resumed after residents took to the streets in protest and Premier Dalton McGuinty intervened.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 10, 2012 A5
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