Fate of $1M Vale fine rests in Sudbury council hands
After being convicted of health and safety charges, Vale's fine goes to city
One Sudbury city councillor says there is talk about doing something special with the $1 million fine from Vale.
The mining company was ordered to pay the fine after being convicted of health and safety charges in the death of two miners, and like all provincial court cases heard in Sudbury, the fine goes into city coffers.
The money the city takes in from fines is actually down, so this $1 million from Vale may not make as big a splash in the budget as first thought, city councillor Terry Kett said.
“Well, I know already there’s been some talk among councillors that we’re going to have to discuss this and I’m sure we will,” he said.
“I’m sure we’re going to get some public input on this as well. There’s going to be something coming out of this, there’s no doubt about it.”
Putting some of it away in a park reserve to build some kind of memorial for Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier might be appropriate, Kett added.
‘Direct it to those families’
Meanwhile, a Sudbury labour leader is urging city council to make a statement with the $1 million.
“At least the city could take that money now and say, ‘Well, we’re going to use this money to ensure that our workers are safe,” said Wyman MacKinnon, vice-president of the Sudbury Labour Council. “[And] if you want to put the money to proper use, direct to those families."
City council will decide how to spend the money and the rest of the city’s $500 million budget later this fall.