International student's family sues Saskatoon company where he was killed at work

Family members of an international student who was killed at his job are suing the company where he worked.

Alfred Okyere died in hospital on Jan. 20 after he was stabbed 17 times at DSI Underground Canada, a mining supply company in Saskatoon's north end.

The 23-year-old had only been working at the company for five days — a part-time job he had started to help pay for his studies at the University of Saskatchewan. He moved to Canada from Ghana in September 2024.

A co-worker, 53-year-old Troy Leclair, is charged with first-degree murder in Okyere's death.

In a statement of claim filed at Saskatoon Court of King's Bench earlier this month, Okyere's family alleges DSI Underground, which is owned by Sandvik Canada, was negligent by not providing a "safe and secure work environment."

The lawsuit claims the company knew, or should have known, that Leclair "was violent, prone to violence, hot-headed, impulsive, or suffered from a mental disorder or condition that contributed to, exacerbated, or caused violent and impulsive behaviour."

Allegations in the statement of claim have not been proven in court. CBC contacted DSI Underground for comment but did not receive a reply.

The plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit include Okyere's sister, who lives in Saskatoon, his parents, who live in Ghana, and his two young sons, who also live in Ghana.

The claim, made under The Fatal Accidents Act, seeks an unspecified amount of damages, citing the "severe emotional trauma and psychological distress" that Okyere's death caused his family.