On Monday, the City of Humboldt issued a statement saying, in a joint submission with the Crown, that the City had entered a guilty plea in relation to an incident that led to what city officials describe as “the tragic fatality of City Employee, Ian Irwin.”

The plea was entered in Humboldt provincial court yesterday to one charge under the Occupational Health & Safety Regulations of the Saskatchewan Employment Act.

The statement says Ian Irwin was asked to help with an excavation on September 18, 2019 where a private contractor had been engaged by the property owner to make repairs necessary to re-connect the property to City of Humboldt water services. He entered the excavation and moments later a wall of the trench collapsed burying Mr. Irwin.

The City has been ordered to pay $133,000 in fine and surcharges.

Humboldt Mayor Michael Behiel says, “Losing a colleague and a friend is not something any employee or employer should undergo. I want to emphasize that any fine is not intended to put a monetary value on a life, and fines are not reflections of the tragic loss of life, or the pain and suffering endured by family and friends,”