The head of Air North has announced enhanced security measures and a reassessment of safety training following suggestions from a coroner’s inquiry into the 2022 fatality of an individual at the Whitehorse facility.
An individual, Hugh Riffel, was fatally shot by a Whitehorse RCMP officer on November 24, 2022, after entering the compound with a firearm and making threats towards himself and Chieftain Energy employees. Chieftain, a subsidiary of Air North, was Riffel’s employer from early 2020 to early 2021.
The incident prompted an inquiry by the Yukon coroner in March 2025, subsequent to a report by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) in 2024, which concluded that the use of lethal force by the police during the event was justified.
The inquiry jury determined last autumn that Riffel’s demise at the compound was due to a gunshot wound to the abdomen, labeled as a homicide. Additionally, the jurors provided four recommendations to Air North concerning the security of the facility.
Among the recommendations were the implementation of an emergency lockdown procedure, provision of safety training for employees alongside annual emergency response drills, installation of locks on all workspaces, and relocation of staff parking outside the secure area accessible by staff ID cards.
Riffel gained entry to the compound by following an Air North employee who used a staff ID card to open a secure gate for vehicles.
In response to the inquiry’s recommendations, Air North President Joe Sparling formally addressed the coroner in a letter dated December 15. He emphasized that the airline already had an emergency response protocol in compliance with the Canada Labour Code and Canadian Aviation Regulations. Sparling mentioned during the inquiry that the emergency protocol primarily focused on aircraft incidents rather than security breaches.
The letter also indicated that Air North regularly reviews its safety manual and emergency response protocol, with plans to incorporate the jury’s recommendations into future updates. Sparling acknowledged that the emergency response protocol had not been revised since 2022 during his testimony.
According to Sparling’s letter, employees of Air North and its subsidiaries receive onboarding and safety training related to emergency preparedness. However, some Chieftain and Air North employees testified during the inquiry that they were unaware of an emergency response plan at the time of the incident.
Regarding staff parking, Sparling mentioned ongoing changes, including a construction project for a new hangar that will relocate the employee access gate and fence to move employee parking outside the secure area accessible with staff ID cards.
As of 2024, door locks have been installed in indoor workspaces, where feasible, per Sparling’s letter. This aligns with testimonies provided by some Chieftain and Air North employees during the inquiry.