Charges Filed In Jamboree Stage Collapse

Canadian safety inspectors filed charges July 29 against several companies involved with the 2009 Big Valley Jamboree festival, where a stage collapse caused the death of one woman and injured dozens more.

Donna Moore, 35, was crushed by falling scaffolding when a storm ripped through the Camrose, Alberta, festival grounds that August. As many as 75 others sustained various injuries.

Promoter Panhandle Productions, Premier Global Productions, which was reportedly responsible for the stage, and 1073732 Alberta Ltd., a contractor affiliated with Premier, are facing more than 30 charges related to worker safety filed under the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Each charge reportedly carries a maximum penalty of a $500,000 fine and six months in jail, according to the Calgary Herald.

Panhandle producer and spokesman Larry Werner said the company disputes the charges.

“Obviously, it’s going to be in the hands of our lawyers right now. We maintain that we’ve done everything right,” Werner told the paper. “We had closed the stage down several times before. It’s one of those things where we have to deal with it.”

A provincial court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.

Moore’s family recently filed a lawsuit against Panhandle Productions, the City of Camrose and other companies seeking more than $5 million.