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QEC fined $276,000 after pleading guilty in Naujaat worker’s death

In brief

Qulliq Energy Corporation pleaded guilty on June 16 to one workplace-safety offence connected to the July 5, 2024 death of electrician Noah Paniyuk at the Naujaat power plant. The Nunavut Court of Justice imposed a $240,000 fine and a $36,000 victim fine surcharge. Source

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What happened

QEC admitted it failed to take all reasonable precautions and use reasonable techniques and procedures to protect workers during work on or inside an emergency generating unit at the Naujaat power plant. The court sentence followed a joint submission by the Crown and QEC. The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission said it had laid nine charges in June 2025; the other eight were withdrawn under the plea agreement. Source

Why it matters

The case holds Nunavut’s sole electricity utility accountable under the Safety Act after a worker’s death. The $276,000 total penalty will be paid through the Workers’ Protection Fund and victim fine surcharge, while the guilty plea resolves the charges against QEC.

What happens next

The court matter is completed. QEC says it has adopted a new safety-management system, changed its incident-reporting process, added rescue hooks for emergency and modular generator units, and continued audits, inspections and mandatory training. Those are measures reported by QEC, not independent findings that the changes have prevented future incidents. Source

Important details

The incident occurred July 5, 2024. QEC entered its guilty plea and was sentenced June 16, 2026, in Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit. The fine was $240,000, payable to the Workers’ Protection Fund, plus a $36,000 victim fine surcharge. The WSCC states the total penalty is $276,000. Source

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