The 1992 Giant mine bombing in Yellowknife remains the only known multiple murder at a mine in Canada, and the deadliest act of labour-related violence in Canadian history.
On Sept. 18, that year, planted explosives killed nine workers underground at the Royal Oak Mines site in the Northwest Territories capital. The murders took place amid a violent months-long strike that saw Royal Oak bring in replacement workers and the RCMP deploy a riot squad.
More than a year after the deadly blast, Roger Warren, 49, was arrested and charged with nine counts of first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty but in 1995 was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison.
Warren confessed to the bombing while in prison in 2003, saying that the chaotic atmosphere at Giant in 1992 had obscured his judgment. Together with the ongoing effort to remediate toxic arsenic dust left over from mining, the bombing is part of Giant’s complicated legacy for Yellowknifers
This is part of The Northern Miner‘s From The Archives series, where we link current developments, like rising precious metals prices incenting further exploration and mining, with news items from our 111 years of archives. The Miner is Canada’s oldest mining publication
Be the first to comment on "From The Archives: Deadly Yellowknife mine bombing"