"Controversy Surrounds Canadian Firm's Role in Alabama's First Nitrogen Gas Execution"

A Canadian company is facing criticism for allegedly supplying equipment for an upcoming state execution in Alabama, where inmate Kenneth Smith is set to be killed by suffocation with nitrogen gas, a method never before used in the United States. The equipment, including a respirator mask and hose, is reportedly manufactured by Allegro Industries, a subsidiary of Quebec-based Walter Surface Technologies, which is partly owned by the Toronto private equity firm Onex Corp. The use of nitrogen gas for execution has drawn outrage and is considered experimental, with concerns raised about its potential to cause serious pain. This case has reignited scrutiny of Canadian investment in the American prison system, as well as the increasing difficulty for states to source lethal injection chemicals due to pharmaceutical companies banning their use for executions.