Former Co-op grocery store manager Kyle Kaiser is facing a charge of criminal negligence causing bodily harm following an incident in Canora, Sask., where a teenage employee in the meat department suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning. The event occurred on Oct. 23, 2023, approximately 235 kilometers northeast of Regina, when 14-year-old Wil Krotenko was instructed to clean a confined area of the meat department using a gas pressure washer intended for outdoor use.
The Krotenko family reached out to Go Public after the incident, expressing dissatisfaction with the Co-op’s handling of the situation and the perceived lack of significant consequences following the Occupational Health and Safety investigation. Just one day before Wil’s poisoning, another young employee fell ill after operating the gas pressure washer, as revealed in text messages exchanged between a supervisor and the worker.
Wil’s mother, Kelly Krotenko, acknowledged the single criminal charge against Kaiser as a positive step but emphasized that both the store’s owner and the establishment itself should bear accountability. Despite attempts to obtain comments from the store’s owner, no response has been received.
Gateway Co-op, in an email statement to Go Public the previous year, characterized the incident as a “terrible occurrence with potential for graver consequences” and pledged to prevent its recurrence. Although Co-op was instructed to rectify the violations within 11 weeks, no financial penalties or further repercussions were imposed.
Sean Tucker, a University of Regina professor specializing in occupational health and safety, remarked on the rarity of such charges in Saskatchewan, emphasizing the importance of employers recognizing and fulfilling their responsibilities to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Following the carbon monoxide exposure, Wil was initially treated at a local hospital in Canora before being transferred to Alberta for specialized medical care, including hours spent in a hyperbaric chamber to address the high carbon monoxide levels in his bloodstream. Kelly noted that her son continues to experience serious health complications resulting from the poisoning.
Kaiser has been taken into custody and subsequently released pending his next court appearance scheduled for Oct. 2 in Canora.
