Aurora Geosciences Ltd. has pleaded not guilty to all charges relating to the 2006 death of one of its employees.

Aurora's lawyer, Keith Parkkari, said this morning the company will defend itself against territorial occupational health and safety charges laid against it.

'My instructions from my client are to enter not guilty pleas on all charges,' Parkkari told a brief court session.

The charges were laid in May after one of the company's employees, Jean-Francois PagÈ, was killed by a grizzly bear on April 28, 2006 while he was working in the bush in the Ross River region.

Aurora is charged with:

failing to ensure that equipment and processes under the employer's control were safe and without risks to health;

failing to ensure that work procedures were adopted and used that will prevent or reduce the risk of occupational illness or injury;

failing to ensure that workers were given necessary instruction and training and were adequately supervised, taking into account the nature of the work;

failing to ensure that workers were made aware of hazards in the work; and

the supervisor failed to ensure that the worker uses or wears the equipment, protective devices required under the relevant act, or by the nature of the work.

Parkkari said his client is ready for a seven-day trial tentatively set to start on Nov. 16.