THUNDER BAY – The coroner’s inquest into the deaths of seven students remains delayed.
Office of the Chief Coroner spokeswoman Julia Noonan-Savage confirmed the inquest, which has not heard any evidence this week, will not resume Thursday and is not scheduled to sit on Friday.
Noonan-Savage earlier this week said the public proceedings had been put on hold as coroner’s counsel and lawyers for parties with standing met privately to discuss potential procedural and evidentiary issues, the specifics of which have not been made public.
The inquest, which is probing the deaths of Jethro Anderson, Curran Strang, Paul Panacheese, Robyn Harper, Reggie Bushie, Kyle Morriseau and Jordan Wabasse, began on Oct. 5, 2015 and was scheduled to last six months and hear from about 200 witnesses.
The seven students, all from remote First Nations communities, died between 2000 and 2011 while they were attending high school in Thunder Bay.
Earlier this month the inquest concluded the first phase, which examined the specific circumstances of death for each of the seven students. It is currently in the second phase, which is investigating broader systemic and circumstantial evidence.
Noonan-Savage said it is likely the inquest will resume next Monday morning.
