THUNDER BAY – Three years after it was announced, the coroner’s inquest examining the deaths of seven First Nations students has finally begun.
The inquest is probing the deaths of Jethro Anderson, Curran Strang, Paul Panacheese, Robyn Harper, Reggie Bushie, Kyle Morriseau and Jordan Wabasse, seven students from remote First Nations who died between 2000 and 2011 while attending school in Thunder Bay.
Presiding coroner Dr. David Eden spent most of Monday morning, the opening day of what is expected to be a six-month inquest, explaining the process to the five jury members.
“We are gathered here in this room today because seven Aboriginal youths died while trying to advance their lives and the well-being of their communities through education,” Eden said.
The jury members are tasked with listening to evidence and developing recommendations to prevent similar future deaths.
The inquest includes the coroner’s counsel as well as lawyers for parties with standings. Those include the families of the students, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Northern Nishnawbe Education Council, Thunder Bay Police Service, City of Thunder Bay, Government of Ontario, Government of Canada and Provincial Advocate for Child and Youth.
The inquest will proceed in three phases. The first phase is evidence surrounding the specific circumstances of the deaths, the second will cover the broader systemic and circumstantial evidence while the final phase will look at building recommendations.
However, recommendations made by the jury are non-binding.
Christa Big Canoe, who is counsel for six of the seven families, said the families have spent years preparing for the start of the inquest and have bonded together.
“There’s strength in the fact they have one another and each other’s support which is invaluable to have,” she said.
The impact from the inquest expands beyond just those who knew the students.
“This is a big inquest, not just for the families. Obviously this is massive for the families but this is something many remote First Nations communities or communities that have to send their children away are interested in,” Big Canoe said.
The opening day concluded with coroner’s counsel providing a brief description of each of the seven cases.
Jethro Anderson: The 15-year-old arrived in Thunder Bay from Kasabonika Lake First Nation in early September 2000. On Oct. 28, 2000 he and friends were drinking for about five hours before heading to the Kam River Lookout. He was last seen alone and intoxicated on the boardwalk along the river. His body was found in the Kaministiquia River on Nov. 11, 2000. His cause of death is drowning with alcohol intoxication listed as a factor.
Curran Strang: The 18-year-old from Pikangikum First Nation came to Thunder Bay in the fall of 2005 to attend Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School. On Sept. 22, 2005 he and a group of friends drank alcohol for three to four hours and was reportedly heavily intoxicated and passing out. He did not return home by his 11 p.m. curfew. His body was found by a police dive team in the McIntyre River on Sept. 26, 2005.
Paul Panacheese: Originally from Mishkeegogamang First Nation, he arrived in Thunder Bay in 2003 at the age of 18 to attend Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School. In November 2006 his mother moved to the city and they lived together. On Nov. 10, 2006 he socialized with a group of friends at his mother’s house, briefly left and then returned home at 1 a.m. He was downstairs making food and watching television when his mother heard a crash and found him unresponsive on the floor. Police and paramedics responded and performed CPR but were unable to revive him. He was 21.
Robyn Harper: The 18-year-old from Keewaywin First Nation began school at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School on Jan. 10, 2007. On Jan. 12, 2007 she and a group of friends met at the Intercity Shopping Centre. They obtained alcohol and smoked marijuana at Friendship Gardens. She arrived at the Brodie Street bus terminal, where video surveillance footage showed her staggering and falling down. She was taken to her boarding home by a Northern Nishnawbe Education Council employee and passed out in the downstairs hallway. The next morning, Jan. 13, 2007, she was found not breathing and could not be revived. The cause of death was acute alcohol toxicity.
Reggie Bushie: The 15-year-old from Poplar Hill First Nation began attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty in the fall of 2007. He lived in a boarding home with his older brother, who was also in Thunder Bay for school. He and his brother went with friends to the Intercity Shopping Centre on Oct. 26, 2007. They began drinking on rocks along the banks of the McIntyre River under the May Street bridge. His brother woke up in the water but Reggie was nowhere to be found. He was reported missing to police on Oct. 28, 2007. His body was found in the McIntyre River on Nov. 1, 2007. The cause of death was drowning with alcohol intoxication listed as a factor.
Kyle Morriseau: The 17-year-old from Keewaywin First Nation attended Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in the fall of 2009. On Oct. 26, 2009 he and a group of friends were drinking near the McIntyre River. He called his mother around 11 p.m. and told her he was back at the boarding house but was preparing to head out. At the same time, employees from the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council were notified that he had not returned home for his curfew. He was reported missing on Oct. 28, 2009. On Nov. 10, 2009 his body was found in the McIntyre River. The cause of death was drowning with alcohol intoxication listed as a factor.
Jordan Wabasse: The 15-year-old came to Thunder Bay from Webequie First Nation to attend the Matawa Learning Centre. On Feb. 7, 2011 he met his aunt at the Intercity Shopping Centre and messaged his girlfriend through Facebook. He later met with friends and they began drinking near the Silvercity movie theatre. He got on a city bus, where video surveillance showed him exiting at the May Street and Holt Place stop. That was the last confirmed sighting of him. He was reported missing to police on Feb. 8, 2011. On May 10 of that same year his body was found in the Kaministiquia River near the James Street Swing Bridge.
