Sudbury, ON – The Office of the Chief Coroner has announced that a public inquest will be held this fall into the death of a northern Ontario mine worker who suffered fatal injuries on the job six years ago.
Dr. Harry Mikael Voogjarv, Regional Supervising Coroner for the North Region (Sudbury Office), confirmed that the inquest into the death of Mark Paul Joseph Beskorowany will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025. The proceedings will be conducted virtually and are expected to last five days.
Bonnie Goldberg will preside as inquest officer, while Alessandra Hollands has been appointed as counsel.
Circumstances of the Fatality
Beskorowany, 54, was injured while working at a surface mining site in River Valley, Ontario, on August 19, 2019. He was taken to hospital, where he died two days later on August 21.
Under Ontario’s Coroners Act, an inquest is mandatory in cases involving workplace fatalities in mining operations. The process is designed not only to examine the facts surrounding the death, but also to explore ways to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Purpose and Scope of the Inquest
According to the coroner’s office, the inquest will “examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. Beskorowany’s death.” A jury will hear testimony from approximately six witnesses and will have the authority to issue recommendations aimed at improving workplace safety.
“The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths,” the Ministry of the Solicitor General said in the announcement.
These recommendations, while not legally binding, often inform changes in industry practices, provincial workplace safety regulations, and corporate health-and-safety policies.
Virtual Access for the Public
In keeping with efforts to make inquests more accessible, the proceedings will be conducted by video conference. Members of the public will be able to observe the hearings live through a dedicated online platform.
The link to access the inquest has been published by the coroner’s office: Inquest into the death of Mark Paul Joseph Beskorowany.
Additional information about Ontario’s coroners’ inquests and their role in public safety is also available on the provincial government website: Ontario Coroners’ Inquests.
Broader Context
Mining remains one of Ontario’s most hazardous industries, with inquests into workplace deaths playing a central role in shaping safety standards. The coroner’s jury process provides a public forum for reviewing workplace incidents and allows industry experts, regulators, and the public to learn from the circumstances of individual tragedies.
Past inquests have resulted in recommendations that have strengthened mine safety protocols, training requirements, and emergency response procedures. The upcoming hearing into Beskorowany’s death is expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to improve occupational safety across the sector.
Outlook
The Beskorowany inquest is one of several scheduled this year as Ontario continues to use the inquest system to examine workplace fatalities and promote preventative measures.
The proceedings, expected to last a week, will focus narrowly on the circumstances of the 2019 accident and the adequacy of safety measures at the time. However, the broader goal will be to provide insights that can help ensure that future mining operations are conducted as safely as possible.
The outcome, and any recommendations that follow, will be closely watched by industry stakeholders, labour representatives, and families of workers across the province who remain on the front lines of mining operations.
