THUNDER BAY -- The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women was supposed to begin three days of regional meetings in Thunder Bay, starting Tuesday.
Those hearings were suddenly postponed last week, and there's no word yet on when they'll be rescheduled.
Former Status of Women minister Patty Hajdu was one of three federal ministers who announced the inquiry in late 2015.
Since then, she's changed portfolios to become Labour Minister, but Hajdu continues to hear from constituents about the process.
This month's hearings were aimed at gathering advice and stories from survivors and families involved.
After the first stop in Whitehorse, officials decided to postpone the next scheduled hearings, saying they need time to reformulate the meetings to make them more inclusive and accessible.
Despite the delay, Hajdu says she has confidence in the commissioners and adds this doesn't affect their other programs geared towards First Nations people.
“We’ve always said that the inquiry is a very important piece and we absolutely have to get to the bottom of the horrible tragedy,” Hajdu said.
“We can’t wait for action and that’s why the investments we are making in affordable housing, potable water, making sure communities have access to education and better opportunities to improve their skills and economic outcomes are really foundational in addressing the issue.”
Officials are still expected to provide initial recommendations from the inquiry by November of this year.
While the new dates for the meeting have not yet been set, participants will be contacted directly with an update.
(TBT News)
