A federal New Democrat says there aren’t enough federal health and safety inspectors in Northern Ontario. And Carol Hughes, of Algoma Manitoulin Kapuskasing, says it’s not possible to enforce workplace safety rules with a shortage of inspectors. Hughes says the inspector shortage issue is not new in the north.
She says Canada has lost half its inspectors since 2005. Hughes says we’re now at the point that there’s only one federal inspector to service the north and is calling of the Minister of Labour to add more inspectors. While it costs money to hire more inspectors, Hughes says saving money should not come at the expense of health and safety.