B.C. monster truck event yields $175K fine against city for contamination

CTV News

07-07-2025

The Weekend Warrior monster truck will be participating at a Motorsport Spectacular event at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)
The City of Cranbrook says it is appealing a $175,783 fine levied by British Columbia's workplace safety agency after investigators found multiple violations during an indoor monster truck rally earlier this year.
WorkSafeBC alleges its inspectors determined the dirt used for the motorsports track at Western Financial Place arena was taken from a wastewater treatment plant without first being tested for contamination from harmful substances.
The agency also says air-quality monitors used to detect carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide showed 'levels above the acceptable exposure limit' at the February event.
'High-risk violations'
The city 'failed to remedy workplace conditions that were hazardous to the health and safety of workers,' the agency alleges in a summary of its penalty decision against the municipality on June 19.
'The employer also failed to conduct a walkthrough survey to assess the potential for overexposure to hazardous substances, failed to assess the work area to determine the potential for exposure to harmful levels of exhaust from mobile equipment, and failed to implement an exposure control plan,' WorkSafeBC said.
'These were all high-risk violations.'
The City of Cranbrook issued a response to the findings Saturday, saying the dirt used for the monster truck track was not taken from the wastewater facility property where it had been temporarily stored before the event.
'This was clean fill taken from the 30th Avenue road construction project being completed by the College of the Rockies,' the city argued.
'This fill was being stored on a portion of city-owned land, which also has the lagoons located on a different part of the property.'
The municipality added that the levels of noxious gases measured inside the arena were not unusual for a motorsport rally. 'These types of events, held in arenas anywhere, always experience high exhaust levels,' the city said.
'The city is appealing this allegation by WorkSafeBC, which is part of the overall investigation process,' the statement added.
'The city takes these allegations seriously and will work with WorkSafeBC to ensure all events protect public and staff safety.'
The Motorsport Spectacular event was held over two days on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15, featuring monster trucks, mini monster trucks and freestyle motocross, according to a city announcement promoting the event.
Tickets for the event were sold directly through the city's website and at the box office for Western Financial Place, which is owned and operated by the municipality.