The Northern Safety Network will receive more than $50,000 toward its safety training programs thanks to an unsafe blast on the Hamilton Boulevard extension project in the spring of 2008.

The money comes in the form of fines levied against the Yukon's Department of Community Services, which contracted and supervised the extension project; blasting contractor PS Sidhu Trucking; and Bill Cratty, who was the on-site supervisor at the time of the blast.

The incident sent bread-box sized rocks flying into the Lobird Trailer Park on May 6, 2008.

All three parties, along with blaster Peter Hildebrand, were charged with offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act following the blast, but only Hildebrand pleaded guilty. He was fined $1,000 for his role in the incident.

His employer, supervisor and the government all pleaded not guilty, but were convicted after trial.

Judge John Faulkner handed down his sentence this morning, assigning various levels of blame, and financial punishment, to each party.

Everyone involved, he noted, was lucky that only property was damaged and no one was killed.

In the days following the blast, residents of one trailer court home said a rock crashed through their living room ceiling, almost striking a man sitting in his armchair.

Another woman, who testified at the trial, said she watched a rock crash into the earth in front of her, at exactly the spot she had been standing moments before.

Flying rocks ripped through a garage, destroyed trees and left huge dents in the access road to the trailer court.

In the course of the trial, the court learned Hildebrand did not know how close the residential area was to the blasting site. Although the government inspector and his supervisor both looked at his blasting plan on the day in question, neither pointed out the proximity of people's homes.

The Yukon government must pay the heftiest fine – $30,000 – for its role in allowing the blast and failing to report it immediately.

PS Sidhu Trucking must pay $21,000, and Cratty is fined $2,500.

The sentences fell somewhat short of the fines suggested by prosecutor Lenore Morris, who said the government should pay $50,000, Sidhu Trucking $40,000 and Cratty $10,000.

The defendants' lawyers argued they should pay $5,000, $10,000 and $2,500 respectively.

Faulkner also told the two sides he was looking for suggestions of where the money should go, because he didn't think it was appropriate for the government to pay fines to itself, let alone collect fines from its co-accuseds.

This prompted a suggestion from Morris, who was representing the workers' compensation board, that the money go to the Yukon Federation of Labour so it could build a monument to injured workers.

All three defence lawyers disagreed with that idea. They said the money should go to the Northern Safety Network, a government-funded society which provides safety training to employers and employees.

Executive director Sheila Sergy learned of the windfall when the Star contacted her this morning. She said she will speak with her board of directors to decide what to do with the money.

Staff at the Northern Safety Network had other things on their minds, as they are celebrating the first graduating class from a 12-week heavy equipment operator course.

Ten men and one woman are graduating today, Sergy said.