Calgary trench collapse victim’s loved ones push for workplace safety changes

The mother of a 27-year-old man who was killed after a trench collapsed on him in Calgary’s northwest last week is vowing to do what she can to ensure others don’t lose their lives just because they went to work.

Kim Ivison’s son, Liam Johnston, was conducting sewer repair work in a deep trench in Charleswood when it caved in on Thursday, June 8, leaving the apprentice plumber buried below piles of heavy dirt.

Calgary fire crews say a trench collapsed in the Charleswood neighbourhood on June 8, trapping one person. The workers remains were located that night. (Max Latimer, CityNews Image)

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety and the Calgary Police Service are investigating the incident to find out what happened and whether the employer had all the proper protocols in place to safeguard workers. Both have said they could not comment while the probes are ongoing.

For now, Johnston’s family and loved ones are faced with not only losing the young man but grappling with the belief that his death could have been prevented.

Liam Johnston is pictured in this photo from 2020. Johnston was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him in Calgary’s northwest on June 8, 2023. (Courtesy Facebook/Liam Johnston)

That day, Johnston’s girlfriend, Emily Gofton, called Ivison. The mother says the call was unusual, given the two typically text.

It made Ivison worry even before she learned the reason behind the call.

“I was praying he was hurt,” Ivison said, choking back tears.

She and Johnston’s stepfather, Adam Groves, both spent years working as ambulance communications officers. She says they knew immediately the call would not end well.

Gofton described what was happening at the scene, where fire crews frantically and ever so carefully tried to get to Johnston. Ivison, who was so many miles away in her Ontario home, knew there would be no way her son would survive.

“We both have taken Liam’s exact call on several occasions,” Ivison told CityNews. “We knew as soon as we heard the circumstances he had no chance. So, it was very hard to hear everyone speaking about the hope they were having. We knew there was no hope.”

Family receives support in days since man’s death

In the hours and days that followed, Ivison has found comfort in unexpected support from complete strangers outraged by what happened and who have shared the same objective: to see steps taken to ensure others don’t meet the same senseless fate.

“I have had a massive outpouring from plumbers, other trades people, and people who use trenches and they all say, ‘This should never have happened, there was no reason for it,'” she said.

Ivison says her son always put safety first, wearing a lifejacket when he was out on the water, and knowing from her line of work that accidents can be prevented.

Liam Johnston, pictured here in 2021, was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him in Calgary’s northwest on June 8, 2023. (Courtesy Facebook/Liam Johnston)

Now, she wonders if he even knew he was in danger the day he died, saying her son had concerns about his work and in recent weeks was looking for a new job.

CityNews reached out to Mike’s Plumbing but did not receive a reply before publishing.

Johnston’s “wandering spirit” took him on travels to Ireland, Italy, and Malta after high school before he made his way from out east to Calgary.

“The first time, he had a really good time,” his mother said. “The second time, he wanted to get his career in plumbing going. He eventually wanted to own a small plumbing business.”

Johnston’s stepfather says his only wish now is that Liam’s death leads to a focus on ensuring workplaces where there is potential peril are made safe through proper training and adhere to all the safety regulations. He also wants employees to know if they don’t feel safe, they can refuse to put themselves in harm’s way and feel comfortable reporting situations which might put anyone at risk of injury or worse.

But for Johnston’s loved ones, his stepfather says they are struggling with accepting that it’s too late for him.

“I want to make sure people weren’t blaming him,” Groves said. “Things have come to light about what happened and I want to make sure this does not happen again.”

“We don’t have the luxury of even one more phone call,” he added. “This has given both (his mother and I) purpose … that we could prevent something like this and maybe start in the plumbing realm. If you work at McDonald’s, you can get burnt from messing around but (with some work) you will die.”

A childhood photo of Liam Johnston, who was killed after a trench collapsed on him in Calgary on June 8, 2023. (Submitted)