Funeral for Elliot Lake mall victim to be held next week

A woman who died in the Elliot Lake, Ont., mall roof collapse will be buried next week.

The body of Doloris Perizzolo, 74, was pulled from the rubble of the Algo Centre Mall three days ago after search efforts were stepped up and heavy machinery called in to push aside hazardous debris so emergency officials could access the site.

The Elliot Lake Funeral Chapel & Cremation Centre says on its website she will be buried next Wednesday at Woodlands Cemetery, located steps away from the waters of Elliot Lake in the western part of the city.

Thirty-seven-year-old Lucie Aylwin was also killed when the roof collapsed and plummeted two floors down into the mall, where she worked part-time at a lottery kiosk.

No funeral arrangements for Aylwin have been made public. The bodies of the two women were released by the chief coroner on Friday.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a public inquiry into the mall collapse Friday following public outcry about why search-and-rescue efforts were called off Monday, only to be restarted hours later after an appeal from McGuinty that they continue.

Fundraising event

McGuinty said in a statement the families of the victims and other Ontarians have raised "important questions that deserve to be answered."

"This is a difficult time for these families as they grieve their loved ones," McGuinty said.

Organizers of a fundraising event meant to help victims of the Algo Centre Mall cave-in raised $4,000 in cash Saturday. Close to 400 people made contributions, organizers said.

The proceeds raised from a barbecue, yard sale and bake sale will be divided equally between the victims' families and the locals who lost their jobs at the mall following the tragedy.

A number of canned food items were also donated. Organizers said leftover goods would be donated to the Salvation Army and the Women's Crisis Centre.

The collapse has reignited long-standing concerns among Elliot Lake residents about the safety of the mall building, which was bought by Eastwood Mall Inc. in 2005.

Both the Ministry of Labour and the chief coroner's office are also conducting investigations into the collapse.

A police officer, a firefighter and an engineer will be sifting through the mall site to collect information to assist the chief coroner and the labour ministry in their investigations, officials said.

The ministry said its probe will not look into the cause of the collapse.

The ministry paid six visits to the mall over the last three years; the latest one being in January when it received a complaint about a leak in the rooftop parking garage.

The inspector went to the site and found it covered in snow, making it difficult to determine the origin of any leaks, said Greg Dennis, a spokesman for Ontario Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey. The inspector found no health and safety violations and no orders were issued.