QEC fined $276,000 after guilty plea over 2024 worker death at Naujaat power plant
Qulliq Energy Corporation pleaded guilty in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit on June 16 to one Safety Act offence connected to the July 5, 2024 death of a QEC electrician at the Naujaat Power Plant. The court imposed a $240,000 fine for the Workers’ Protection Fund and a $36,000 victim fine surcharge. Eight other charges were withdrawn under a plea agreement, WSCC says.
What happened
The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission says QEC admitted it failed to take all reasonable precautions and use reasonable techniques and procedures to protect everyone at its establishment. WSCC had laid nine charges on June 26, 2025 after investigating the fatal Naujaat incident. QEC entered a guilty plea to one count, while the other eight were withdrawn under the agreement. QEC said when it was charged in July 2025 that it had investigated the incident, shared its findings with WSCC and co-operated with WSCC’s investigation.
Why it matters
This is a completed workplace-safety prosecution involving Nunavut’s public electricity corporation and a worker death. The total court-ordered amount is $276,000. The case also establishes that the corporation was convicted of failing to meet its general duty to take reasonable safety precautions; WSCC’s release does not identify the specific work practice or equipment involved.
What happens next
The sentencing is complete. WSCC’s release does not report a compliance order, further prosecution, appeal, corrective-action plan or whether any costs will affect QEC customers. Atiilu should monitor QEC board materials, annual reporting and future WSCC enforcement notices for publicly documented safety changes or financial treatment of the penalty.
Important details
Court location: Iqaluit. Incident location: Naujaat Power Plant. Incident date: July 5, 2024. Plea and sentence date: June 16, 2026. Fine: $240,000, payable to the Workers’ Protection Fund. Victim fine surcharge: $36,000. Total: $276,000. The WSCC release describes the deceased only as a worker; QEC’s 2025 statement identified him as a QEC electrician. The release does not name the worker or give the factual circumstances of the death.
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