LNG Canada says it has removed an employee from its site in Kitimat after locals brought forward concerns, alleging the subcontractor was a criminal. Sources have told Black Press Media the employee is alleged to have been Curtis Sagmoen, convicted of assaulting sex workers in the Okanagan and in Maple Ridge.
LNG Canada released the statement after Kitimat’s City Centre Mall was vandalized with spray paint saying, “LNG Canada hires serial killers.”
A member of a Terrace-based grassroots organization, Matriarchs in Training, was approached with information, confirming that Sagmoen was working at an LNG camp, as they had family contacts that were working at the same site as him.
“We are forever grateful for the tip, as well as grateful that this individual had trust in us to spread the much-needed news within our communities,” Matriarchs in Training said in the statement to Black Press Media.
READ MORE: Curtis Sagmoen found guilty of assaulting escort
Sagmoen has been found guilty of two separate charges involving offences against a sex worker. He also pleaded guilty to assault in an unrelated incident involving a sex worker in Maple Ridge in 2013. Sagmoen is under a probation order that states he must not have contact with any sex trade worker, escort or person offering paid dating or companion services.
His family’s property in Salmon Arm became the subject of an extensive search in the fall of 2017, and the remains of 18-year-old Traci Genereaux were discovered. No charges have been laid in connection with Genereaux’s death.
At the time, five women – Caitlin Potts, Ashley Simpson, Deanna Wertz, Genereaux and Nicole Bell – were missing from the North Okanagan area.
READ MORE: ‘I was afraid he was going to shoot me’: alleged victim in Sagmoen case says
LNG Canada would not confirm the individual’s name but did release a statement saying its team took this decision quickly following a safety assessment focused on the individual, the project site and the community.
“As part of our steadfast commitment to the safety and security of its worksite, its employees and its neighbours, the LNG Canada project work closely with local authorities, government officials, First Nations and law enforcement to continuously monitor and assess the safety and well-being of the local community and surrounding area,” stated an LNG release Wednesday (Sept. 15).
“Project subcontractors associated with the LNG Canada project are accountable for their hiring decisions based on best practices and in accordance with applicable laws. We have initiated a review of the process that led to this individual being on our worksite,” said an LNG spokesperson.
Sagmoen’s trial for allegedly assaulting a Mountie is set to take place in 2022. With the exception of his assault convictions, none of the charges or allegations against Sagmoen have been tested in court.
Black Press Media reached out to Sagmoen, via his lawyer, for comment but did not hear back before publication.
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