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Thirty-three charges were laid Friday stemming from the dramatic collapse of a jamboree stage in Alberta two years ago that left a woman dead.

The tragedy occurred during the Big Valley Jamboree on Aug. 1, 2009 when a violent windstorm swept into the concert grounds near Camrose, Alta.

Donna Moore was killed and 75 people were injured when the main stage and accompanying scaffolding was knocked over by the powerful winds.

The charges were laid under the provincial health and safety act on Friday, against three companies involved in putting on the show. The maximum penalty for a first offence under the Act is $500,000 and/or six months in prison per charge.

Premier Global Production, the company that was responsible for the stage, and overall event organizer Panhandle Productions face a total of 27 charges.

Most of the charges are related to failing to ensure workers' safety.

A contractor that directed Premier's activities faces an additional six charges.

All three companies are expected to appear in court in Camrose on Sept. 28.

Brian Andrews, vice-president of Premier Global Production, maintained that facilities provided by his company are safe.

"All I know is that our stages have been inspected by engineers and professionals in the industry," he said. "I'm a little bit confused with the charges."

News of the charges came during the second day of the 2011 Big Valley Jamboree, the same event at which the stage collapsed a year earlier.

The timing has riled officials at the City of Camrose, which hosts the jamboree each year.

But a spokesperson for the province's occupational health and safety authority said its working on a tight deadline due to the statute of limitations in the case.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

Last week, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Moore's 10- and 16-year-old sons. The suit targets the City of Camrose, the promoter of the concert, the concert's security company and several companies responsible for constructing the stage.

During last year's jamboree, actor and musician Kevin Costner had been preparing to perform when the storm slammed the concert grounds and the stage collapsed.

Costner was a headline performer at the four-day concert along with country stars Tim McGraw and Josh Turner.

Costner's road manager Mark Botting was among the 75 people who were injured when the stage toppled.

Costner himself became trapped under netting and said after the fact he knew immediately that "something felt terribly, terribly wrong." 

The province's occupational health and safety body has inspected the facilities at this year's jamboree and said they found no compliance issues.

With files from CTV Edmonton