Fine for Vale mine worker deaths goes to Sudbury budget

A $1 million fine that Vale paid in the deaths of two miners is being absorbed into Sudbury's city budget.

All provincial offences fines go to city coffers, to help offset the city's costs of running the provincial court.

Some called on Sudbury city council to give that money to the families of the miners or to create some kind of memorial to them.

But city councillor Terry Kett recently said it's better to honour workers who die on the job at the annual memorial day, which he attends in Sudbury every year.

"That's more important I think than any naming of a park, etc. I think it's important that we remember that and we keep that in our hearts and minds,” he said.

Kett said $1 million from Vale will help the city balance its books, especially since the provincial offences collected last year were down $350,000.

The city receives the fines — including fines from parking tickets and illegal hunting charges — to help offset the cost of running the provincial offences court.

Vale paid its fine after being convicted of health and safety violations leading to the fatal accident at Stobie Mine two years ago.

"We just waited things out and didn't hear too much from the public on it and said, well, we do need this money to balance the budget,” Kett said. “That was its purpose."