Ontario police to release update on deadly mall collapse investigation

ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Police say they will have an update today on the criminal investigation into the fatal collapse of a mall roof in Elliot, Lake, Ont., in June 2012.

Ontario Provincial Police began their investigation shortly after part of the Algo Centre Mall’s parking deck caved in, killing two women.

A judicial inquiry into the collapse at the northern Ontario mall concluded last October after hearing from 125 witnesses over 117 days and a report is due before Oct. 31, 2014.

The inquiry heard the poorly designed and built mall had leaked from the beginning, but no one ever tackled the expensive-to-fix problem substantively and decades of water and salt penetration caused extreme rusting.

Commissioner Paul Belanger cited the length and complexity of the hearings,along with having to sort and analyze a large volume of materials for the length of time required to produce his report.

The collapse killed Doloris Perizzolo, 74, and Lucie Aylwin, 37. While an autopsy showed Perizzolo died quickly, Aylwin is believed to have lived longer.