Walmart Canada says employees will continue to be paid for shifts amid the store closure in Halifax due to a worker being found dead inside of a bakery oven.
A spokesperson for the big-box store said associates that had shifts scheduled during the store closure will be paid. However, the spokesperson noted they “will consider other alternate work arrangements in the event the store remains closed for a longer-than-anticipated period of time.”
On Saturday night, the body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered inside of a walk-in oven in the bakery department at a Walmart on Mumford Road in Halifax.
Halifax Regional Police have remained tight-lipped on the details surrounding how it happened and have not released much information from the investigation.
Police told Global News on Wednesday their officers are no longer at the scene but that other agencies may still be there, such as the province’s labour department.
Nova Scotia’s medical examiner is working to determine the cause of death which has not yet been released.
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A police spokesperson said investigation is “complex” and there is no timeline on when further updates will be available.
The store has remained closed to customers since Saturday night and there is no date for reopening.
Walk-in ovens, also referred to as cabinet or batch ovens, allow for curing, drying or baking in batches using wheeled racks or carts. They are often found in large-volume bakeries in places such as supermarkets and big-box stores.
Nova Scotia’s labour department said a stop-work order has been issued for the bakery and “one piece of equipment” at the Walmart store.
Meanwhile, Walmart Canada said on-site support, including grief counselling, is also being provided to employees at another location in the near vicinity that is accessible for them.
— With files from Global News’ Rebecca Lau
Caution tape is put up in front of a Walmart on Mumford Road in Halifax on Oct. 21, 2024.
Ella MacDonald / Global News