The deadly cost of Ottawa’s tallest condo will be examined at an inquest into the 2016 death of Olivier Bruneau, a layout carpenter crushed by falling ice in an unsafe excavation pit during the construction of Claridge Icon on Preston Street.

The inquest, which is prohibited from assigning blame, is scheduled for July.

Back in 2016, the excavation pit at the condo site was one of the most dangerous places to make a living because of the falling ice — big slabs of it. Workers tried different methods to get rid of the deadly ice, but nothing worked, and instead of halting construction until the end of winter, the work continued.

In fact, on Feb. 4, 2016, a safety rep from Bellai Brothers was struck by falling ice from the south wall. He wasn’t seriously injured, but refused to return to work, citing safety concerns about falling ice in the pit.

All of this was reported to Michael Lwow, a supervisor for Claridge Homes, and Leo Simard, a supervisor for Bellai Brothers Construction.

On Feb. 26, 2016, Claridge Homes halted ice removal with hot water and considered closing down the site until warmer weather melted the ice. It decided to limit work in the pit to spots considered a safe distance from the south wall.

On the day Bruneau died — March 23, 2016 — the temperature was just below freezing. It was 6:45 a.m. when Bruneau and the head layout carpenter were told by supervisor Simard, who also pleaded guilty, to go down into the pit and start the layout for new footing.

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