Heartbroken Mother Who Discovered Daughter’s Body in Halifax Walmart Bakery Oven Demands Justice

The heart-wrenching incident in Halifax has sent shockwaves through the local community as a 19-year-old Sikh woman, Gursimran Kaur, was found dead inside a bakery oven at a Walmart store. The young woman’s mother, who also worked at the same Walmart, tragically discovered her daughter’s lifeless body during a Saturday night shift.

Kaur, who immigrated to Canada with her mother just two years ago, was described by the Maritime Sikh Society as “a young, beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams.” Her death has left her family and the community devastated. The Sikh society has organized an online fundraising campaign to support her grieving family, which has raised more than $194,000 as of Friday morning.

According to Balbir Singh, secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, Kaur’s mother is in shock and receiving psychological counseling, but she is determined to seek justice for her daughter. “She is not in a state where she wants all of this to be hushed up,” Singh stated. “She is telling everyone that she wants justice for her daughter.”

On the night of the incident, Kaur’s mother reportedly became alarmed when she was unable to reach her daughter by phone. Her worst fears were realized when she discovered her daughter’s body inside the store’s walk-in oven. The emotional trauma has been unimaginable for the family, with fundraising efforts now aimed at bringing Kaur’s father and brother from India’s Punjab region to Nova Scotia for her funeral.

The circumstances surrounding Gursimran Kaur’s death remain unclear. Halifax Regional Police have described the case as “complex” and are conducting a thorough investigation. A spokesperson for Walmart confirmed that they are cooperating with the ongoing criminal investigation but declined to provide further comment.

In an emergency dispatch recording from the night of the incident, a dispatcher is heard stating that a “female is locked in an oven in the bakery,” raising questions about how the tragedy could have occurred unnoticed until it was too late.

The tragic event has sparked discussions around workplace safety and the potential hazards in industrial settings. Craig Walsh, president of the eastern provinces council of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, raised concerns about the safety practices at the Walmart store, noting that the workers there are not unionized.

“If homicide is ruled out, there needs to be a detailed investigation into the safety protocols of the equipment,” Walsh said, emphasizing that safety protocols are only effective if they are consistently enforced and regularly inspected.

The Labour Department in Nova Scotia has confirmed that an investigation is underway. Sarah MacNeil, a spokesperson for the department, stated that while occupational health and safety regulations require all workplace equipment to be operated in accordance with manufacturer specifications, there have been nine inspections at the Mumford Road Walmart in the last five years. No enforcement actions were taken as a result of those inspections.

The Sikh community in Halifax, alongside Kaur’s friends, colleagues, and well-wishers, are mourning the loss of a vibrant young woman whose life was cut short under tragic and mysterious circumstances. Simardeep Hundal, a former president of the Maritime Sikh Society, expressed the collective grief, saying, “It’s horrifying. I really, really cannot describe in words what her mother endured at that moment.”

As the investigation unfolds, the community is rallying to support Kaur’s family, both emotionally and financially, in the hopes that justice will be served and that lessons will be learned to prevent future tragedies in the workplace.