'The mom is shattered': Body of employee who died at Halifax Walmart was found by her mother

The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.  

Balbir Singh, secretary of the society, says the woman’s mother also worked at the store on Mumford Road.

Halifax Regional Police responded to a sudden death at the store around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. They confirmed the 19-year-old woman was found inside a large walk-in oven in the store’s bakery department.

The Maritime Sikh Society has identified the woman as Gursimran Kaur, or Simran as she's known to her close friends and family. It says Kaur and her mother both worked at the store for the last two years.

Balbir Singh says the mother grew concerned that night when she hadn’t seen her daughter for over an hour and couldn’t reach her by phone.

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She started searching the store for her daughter and eventually found her in the oven.

“The mom is shattered. She’s psychologically in pain, agony. She definitely needs help and support from the community and immediate family members,” Balbir Singh told CTV News.

“She is still in a really bad state of mind, but yes, she’s getting all the counselling. We are providing the psychological counselling, and we are trying best to get whatever possible support.” 

A memorial is seen outside a Walmart store in Halifax on Oct. 23, 2024. A female employee was found dead inside the store on Oct. 19, 2024. (Hafsa Arif/CTV Atlantic)

Rajvir Singh, who moved to Halifax from Toronto five months ago, said he was shocked to learn about Kaur's death.

"Our community is a home for us," he said. "Here our community is small so it does hurt a lot to see Brown people suffering."

More than $100,000 raised for family

Meanwhile, donations have been pouring in for the woman’s family.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, more than $111,000 had been raised through a GoFundMe page in less than 24 hours. The Maritime Sikh Society set up the page, with a target of $50,000. The society says that target was achieved within just 10 hours.

“People are calling us from different parts of Canada, even outside of Canada, and they are requesting to continue with the page, because they have reposted this page into their own groups,” said Balbir Singh.

The fundraising page describes Kaur as a “young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams."

The Maritime Sikh Society says she was a member of the Sikh community who had moved to Nova Scotia with her mother three years ago.

“Kaur's father and brother are in India and we are trying to get them here as soon as possible. This family's sufferings are unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this horrific time,” reads a statement on the fundraising page.

Balbir Singh says the funds will help with funeral expenses and costs associated with bringing Kaur’s family over from India.

Rajvir Singh says he is touched by the outpouring of support for Kaur and her family.

"I feel happy that communities are standing with each other and supporting each other because we are here alone," he said.

People are also showing their support at a growing memorial outside the store.

Cards, flowers and candles now adorn a post in the parking lot of the Walmart on Mumford Road.

Halifax Regional Police respond to a sudden death at the Walmart on Mumford Road on Oct. 20, 2024. (CTV/Jim Kvammen)

Family wants police to release more details

While police have confirmed the woman was found inside a walk-in oven, no other details about the ongoing investigation have been released, including the manner and cause of death.

Police have said the investigation is complex, involves several partner agencies, and is expected to take “a significant amount of time.”

Kaur’s family says they want Halifax police to issue regular updates on the case to quell all the rumours that have been circulating online.

“This is impacting the family because when you see all this stuff on the social media that mostly is not true, and then it really it impacts the family,” said Singh, who noted the family granted permission to share the details posted on the GoFundMe page.

“So that’s why we are asking the police to come up with any updates. Telling people, telling the public, that will really help.”

Halifax police declined to comment Thursday on the family’s request for more information to be released.

The store remains closed while the investigation continues.

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration has also issued a stop-work order for the bakery and “one piece of equipment.”

Meanwhile, Walmart says employees will continue to be paid.

“Associates will continue to be paid for the shifts they’re scheduled to work during the store closure,” said the company in a statement to CTV News on Wednesday.

“We will consider alternate work arrangements in the event the store remains closed for a longer-than-anticipated period of time.”

There is no word on when the store might reopen.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Hafsa Arif

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