Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
After consultation with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, no criminal charges will be laid as a result of the tragic Ice Explorer rollover near the Athabasca Glacier in 2020.
The Jasper RCMP recently completed their investigation and it is now considered closed.
During that investigation, the RCMP shared all requested investigative material that was gathered with the Ministry of Labour as required by the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act.
While the RCMP is aware of the charges resulting from the regulatory investigation against tour operator Brewster Inc., the criminal standard is high. The criminal investigation is independent, and runs separate and parallel to the Alberta OH&S investigation.
The RCMP reported that the investigation was of the utmost seriousness and was complex, both factually and legally. The RCMP Collision Reconstructionist previously confirmed that there was no evidence that a rock slide precipitated the incident.
There were 27 occupants in the vehicle when the incident took place on a road approaching the Columbia Icefields in the Athabasca Valley on July 18, 2020. Three people – a 24-year-old female from Canoe Narrows, SK, a 28-year-old female from Edmonton, and a 58-year-old male from India – died during the rollover.
Multiple people sustained injuries, some severe. STARS air ambulance and ground ambulances transported those individuals to hospitals. Four people were in critical condition while one of the vehicle’s occupants was listed as in serious condition. All of them recovered and were released.
