One Year Later: Residents Remember Fatal Sunrise Propane Blast
Posted August 10, 2009 3:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
One year after a fatal explosion rocked a north Toronto neighbourhood, residents remembered the night of August 10, 2008.
That Sunday, a tanker at Sunrise Propane blew just before 4am. The supplier of nitrogen, propane and helium lit up the sky from its location on Murray Road near Keele and Wilson.
The blasts were so powerful that some homes were rocked off their foundations, and others saw their windows shattered.
The still-present damage is a constant reminder for the 12,000 affected residents, from young to old.
“I still got it in my head what happened a year ago,” explained Attore Spadafora.
“The pajamas that I was wearing on the explosion day, um, I always wear them on unlucky days so those are my unlucky pajamas,” said Nikki.
Politicians were also on hand at the anniversary gathering.
“People can gather, they can talk about an experience that they have shared in common,” noted MP Ken Dryden (York Centre).
“They can start talking about the rest of their lives as well.”
Last week, The Ontario Ministry of Labour laid two charges against Sunrise Propane under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and if convicted, the company could face fines of up to $1 million.
The Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate.
A $300 million class action suit representing 10,000 people is still pending.
Two men lost their lives in the explosion.
Sunrise employee Parmindar Saini, 25, worked at Sunrise in a quality assurance manufacturing and management position.
He was on site at the time of the blast. It took Forensic Services a week to identify his body.
Saini had arrived in Canada in December of 2007 to study at Sheridan College in Brampton after getting an engineering degree in India.
Division Commander Robert Leek, 55, was a veteran fire fighter with 25 years of service under his belt.
It was supposed to be his day off – in fact, he was due to begin his vacation – but he was called in to help battle the flames.
Shortly after arriving on scene, Leek was found without vital signs. He left behind a wife and a son.
Questions Still Unanswered One Year After Sunrise Propane Blast
