Halifax Walmart reopens more than three months after in-store death of employee

A Walmart store in Halifax reopened this week more than three months after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside the store’s walk-in bakery oven.

The Mumford Road location was closed after the woman’s death on Oct. 19.

“We’ve reopened our store and welcomed our associates back following a full renovation,” a Walmart Canada official said in a brief statement Tuesday.

Stephanie Fusco, senior manager of corporate affairs, added that as part of a renovation program at Walmart stores across the country, the bakery area has been moved to the front of the Halifax store, while the oven has been replaced.

A police investigation determined there was no evidence of foul play in the death of the woman, identified by the Maritime Sikh Society as Gursimran Kaur. Originally from India, Kaur had immigrated to Canada with her mother.

Nova Scotia’s Labour Department lifted a stop-work order last fall after officials determined the store had complied with safety standards. The department said Tuesday that its workplace investigation is ongoing.