The following statement was issued today by Kelvin Parsons, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

On August 26, 2000, Little Catalina resident Norman Reid was fatally shot by an RCMP officer. The police were responding to a complaint that Mr. Reid had uttered threats to injure a young person.

After conducting a preliminary investigation, the RCMP requested that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) conduct an independent criminal investigation. The OPP have now provided the results of their investigation to the RCMP, Tom Mills, the Province�s Director of Public Prosecutions and Dr. Simon Avis, the Province�s Chief Medical Examiner.

The OPP criminal investigation report concludes that there are no grounds to lay any criminal charges in relation to the shooting. The Director of Public Prosecutions has also reviewed the report and informs me that he concurs with the OPP conclusion.

I have met with Dr. Avis, and he has advised me that it is in the public interest to hold an inquiry.

Having received the police reports, and based on the opinions of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Medical Examiner, I will now be calling on the Province�s Chief Provincial Court Judge, the Hon. Donald Luther, to appoint a judge and commence the inquiry.

We have informed the Reid family of our intentions to hold a judicial inquiry and we look forward to the findings to bring this matter to resolution.

Another matter I wish to bring before the House pertains to an explosion which occurred at North Atlantic Refining Limited in Come By Chance on March 25, 1998. This incident resulted in the deaths of two workers, James Mercer and Jerome Kieley.

On November 16, 1998, the Chief Medical examiner indicated there should be a judicial inquiry and the Department of Justice agreed. However, charges were laid against North Atlantic Refining Limited and such an inquiry could not take place until all charges had been disposed of in the courts. Convictions were entered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and sentence was imposed yesterday (December 6, 2000).

I am now informing the House that a judicial inquiry into the deaths at Come By Chance, will commence after the relevant appeal process has expired in early January 2001.

2000 12 07                      1:40 p.m.