Police say death of young woman found in Halifax Walmart walk-in oven not suspicious

HALIFAX — The death of a young Halifax woman whose body was recently found in a Walmart’s walk-in oven was not suspicious and did not involve foul play, police said Monday.

The death of the 19-year-old employee in the store’s bakery was reported on Oct. 19.

Halifax Regional Police issued a statement saying they had informed the woman’s family of their findings.

“The family asks the public to respect their privacy and the dignity and memory of their loved one, as they receive this news,” police said in a statement.

A Sikh organization confirmed the body of Gursimran Kaur was found by her mother, who had worked with her daughter at the Mumford Road store for about two years. The Maritime Sikh Society says Kaur, a Sikh woman originally from India, had immigrated to Canada with her mother.

The society issued a statement last month saying that on the night of Oct. 19, the mother became frantic after her daughter failed to answer her phone during the Saturday night shift. The mother, whose name was not released, eventually opened the bakery oven and found her daughter’s burned body, the statement said.

She was “a young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams,” the society said on an online fundraising page.

On Oct. 30, the organization said Kaur’s father and brother were headed to Halifax from the Punjab region of India, having received emergency visas on compassionate grounds. At the time, Halifax Regional Police said the investigation into the death was complex and could be lengthy.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia’s Labour Department lifted a stop-work order after officials determined the store had complied with safety standards. At the time, Walmart officials said the store would remain closed under further notice.

The department said that in the last five years, labour investigators had conducted nine inspections at the store, none of which produced any enforcement action.

On Nov. 7, Walmart said the oven would be removed from the store.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.

The Canadian Press