Report details Alberta's 'catastrophic failure' during Cargill COVID-19 outbreak

A new report from the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta directly challenges Alberta's COVID-19 response, calling the 2020 outbreak at Cargill's High River beef processing plant a "catastrophic failure" and "preventable tragedy."

At least 950 staff at the facility tested positive for COVID-19—nearly half the plant's workforce. Two workers died: Bui Thi Hiep, 67, and Benito Quesada, 51. Four close contacts also died, and dozens of workers ended up in hospital.

The report, released Monday and authored by Sean Tucker, a professor of occupational health and safety at the University of Regina, identifies "systemic regulatory failure" by the province's then-Ministry of Labour and Alberta Health Services. The inaction and overconfidence that followed, the report says, were the drivers.

Neither the province's 2023 pandemic review panel nor Alberta Health Services' 2022 internal review made any mention of the outbreak. No charges were brought under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act, and a separate RCMP criminal investigation led to no charges either.

"The evidence shows that there was nothing inevitable about the scale of the outbreak," the report states. Tucker said: "Our first recommendation is for the Government of Alberta to apologize to Cargill workers for serious problems with their responses. And secondly, to those responsible for public health in the province, and OHS, and other parts of government to be prepared for the next pandemic. If they aren't ready, Cargill will likely repeat itself in another facility."

Cargill spokesperson Hli Yang said: "Throughout COVID-19, protecting the health and safety of our people was — and remains — our highest priority." The Alberta government said it is reviewing the full report and will take findings into consideration.