Sunrise owner's comments leave resident cold

A woman forced from her home by the deadly explosion at Sunrise Propane is unimpressed by the first comments heard from any of the company's ownerssince the accident happened almost four years ago.

"It didn't seem to have a lot of empathy for our community," said Rosanna Iaboni, who lived up the street from Sunrise and had to leave her home for months.

A video of company director Shay Ben-Moshe talking to police was released by a Toronto court on Tuesday. The company faces several charges under provincial labour and environmental laws for its role in the Aug. 10, 2008, explosionatthe 62 Murray Rd. fuel depot, in the Keele Street and Wilson Avenue area.

The blastkilled anemployee, levelled several buildings and forced 12,000 people in the Downsview neighbourhood to flee.

An emotional Ben-Moshe breaks down duringthe interview.

"I worked basically 13 years for nothing," he said. "Not only this, I'm so sorry about what happened."

Iaboni says that apology is not enough.

"I heard a lot of 'I, me,' and 'my life's work,' not enough of 'they, their community' and 'their life's work,' " she said.

Iaboni said she also disagrees with Ben-Moshe's contention during the recorded interview that the fuel depot was safe.

"I know what I saw; it was a mess in there," she said.

Sunrise Propane's lawyers maintain the explosion was a tragic accident. The trial continues on Thursday.