Former Co-op grocery store manager Kyle Kaiser is now facing one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a teenage employee suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning at his part-time job in the meat department.
The incident happened on October 23, 2023, in Canora, Sask., about 235 kilometres northeast of Regina. Then 14-year-old Wil Krotenko was asked to clean an enclosed area of the meat department using a gas pressure washer that was designed for outdoor usage.
The Krotenko family contacted Go Public soon after the incident, upset about how lightly they say the Co-op was taking the incident and the lack of serious consequences after the Occupational Health and Safety investigation.
Just the day before Wil was poisoned, another teen employee went home sick after using the gas pressure washer.
A supervisor was aware of that, according to text messages between that supervisor and the employee that were provided to Go Public.
Wil’s mom Kelly Krotenko said the one criminal charge against Kaiser is a start, but said she believes the store’s owner and the store itself should be facing consequences as well.
“I’m thankful that he’s going to be held to some degree, some accountability, but I still feel, and I’m sure the community feels, and they’ve shared it with me as well, that it wasn’t just Kyle Kaiser, right? It was the Co-op.”
In an emailed statement to Go Public last year, Gateway Co-op said what happened was “a terrible incident that had the potential to be worse,” and that the store resolved to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Co-op was ordered to get into compliance with the rules it had broken within 11 weeks but has faced no fines or other repercussions.
Wil was transported to hospital in Canora and then to Alberta for medical care related to the exposure to carbon monoxide at the time. His mom said he spent hours in a hyperbaric chamber, used in the most serious poisoning cases, so the high levels of carbon monoxide in his blood could be replaced with oxygen.
Kelly said her son continues to suffer serious health problems after the poisoning.
Kaiser has been arrested and released. His next appearance in court is scheduled for Oct. 2 in Canora.
