CBC. Tuesday, August 26, 2008 

 Some family members of the employee missing after the Sunrise Propane blast have been turned down for visas to come to Canada. Parminder Saini, 24, was working on the morning of Aug. 10, when the propane plant blew up. Officials suspect the remains found at the site are those of Saini, but they have not yet been able to positively identify them. In a telephone interview Saini’s family told CBC News that only the father, 58-year-old Rajinder Singh Saini, has been given a visa to come to Canada. The family said the father isn’t well and can’t travel by himself.

Vikramjit Saini, the brother of the missing man, said that for the past two weeks family members have been trying to get visas, hoping to provide a positive identification of the remains and to make funeral arrangements. But they were told by the local Canadian consulate that only the father would be able to go.

“It’s been 15 days … the entire family is grieving. They are telling us that my father has to go alone. If something happens to my father, then they will turn around and say, ‘OK, send your mother,'” he said.

Vikramjit Saini said he and his mother desperately want to make the trip.

Immigration officials reviewing decision
The visa decision was made locally by officials at the Canadian consulate in Chandigarh, India.

When contacted by CBC News, immigration officials in Canada said they are now reviewing the decision.

“We are working with the mission abroad to take the appropriate steps to resolve the situation. We do expect to have a resolution, a positive one, very soon,” said Madona Mokbel, spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The family also say they have not been contacted by Sunrise Propane.

They heard what had happened after Toronto Mayor David Miller personally called them.