Sikh Woman’s Death in Halifax Bakery Oven Raises Safety Concerns

On 19 Oct, the body of Gursimran Kaur, a 19-year-old Sikh woman originally from Panjab was discovered by her mother inside a walk-in bakery oven at a Walmart store in Halifax, Canada, where they both worked. Balbir Singh, secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, confirmed that the victim and her mother arrived in Canada two to three years ago, and the local Sikh community is deeply distressed by her death. Constable Martin Cromwell stated, ‘The investigation is complex. We encourage the public to be patient and mindful of the involved family members and co-workers.’ The Maritime Sikh Society organized an online fundraising campaign, which has raised over $139K CAD by 26 Oct, to help bring Kaur’s father and brother from Panjab to Nova Scotia for her funeral. Emergency dispatch recordings revealed that first responders were informed of a female locked in an oven, which was on and staff were unsure how to turn it off. The incident has raised workplace safety concerns, with Craig Walsh, president of the eastern provinces council of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, calling for a thorough investigation into the store’s safety practices and equipment inspections. Kaur’s death raises concerns about the perilous conditions students and immigrants from India are often forced to face abroad. Meanwhile, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announced on 24 Oct that his govt. will reduce immigration numbers starting in 2025 and introduce stricter rules requiring companies to justify why they cannot hire Canadian workers before employing foreign temporary workers. This move follows a prior decision a month ago to limit the number of study permits for international students by 35% (SDW Vol 2, Issue 36, Story 7).