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Trudeau promises change for northern communities

Jan 31, 2016 | 12:53 PM

One week after the fatal shootings at Ducharme Elementary School in La Loche, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally announced there will be changes.

Trudeau arrived in the northern community of La Loche early Friday afternoon. He immediately went into meetings at the school with government and town officials to discuss the plan moving forward.

The meetings were closed to the media. While waiting for the media advisory I had an opportunity to interview Marlin Janvier, a resident of La Loche and father to a young, twelve year old girl.

“It’s surreal,” Marlin Janvier, a La Loche resident and father of a twelve-year-old girl, said. “I can’t really, I can’t really grasp the fact of what happened. And today, like still, it’s hard to believe. Even though it’s true, it just feels like a dream.” 

Janvier says he wants to see change and would like to see a building set up or devoted to helping community members through counselling.

“From the government, what we want from them is resources. We need something out here that can prevent stuff like this from happening. Somewhere our youth can go to. We as parents want the best for our kids.”

Janvier added a friendship/community center, along with counselling to help keep the youth off the streets and away from drugs and alcohol, would be a good start in the long road to recovery. 

After laying a wreath at the memorial, Trudeau made his way to Methy Place.

“This was an extremely touching visit.” Trudeau said, “For me, and for everyone gathered here today. An extraordinarily resilient community in La Loche. From first responders to staff and students, to community leaders who in past days have stepped up through a dark and difficult time to pull together. I committed that the Federal government will be there, not just now through the difficult time, but in the weeks, months, and indeed years to come.”

When asked to elaborate on what sorts of changes will be coming to not only La Loche but other northern communities in Saskatchewan and Canada, Trudeau said infrastructure and health needs are at the top of the list.

“We are engaged across the country in looking at infrastructure needs, looking at health needs, looking at how we restore a right relationship with indigenous people across the country. There is a real need to have a government that is a partner to face the very concrete and pressing challenges and we will be exactly that.” Trudeau added “It’s not just here, although obviously this is what’s drawing the attention, and the tragedy that this community went through should serve to highlight challenges that don’t just exist here but across the country.”

Trudeau finished the advisory by saying not enough has been done by governments, past and present, to support and invest in northern remote communities.

“This is a reminder that in Canada everyone should have a real and fair chance to succeed, regardless of where they were born, regardless of where they live. We are going to be a government that is going to work every day to ensure people have that chance.”

Following Trudeau in the advisory was Superintendent Grant St. Germaine, north district commander in the “F” division for the RCMP.

St. Germaine spoke on how the investigation is winding down and how the number of officers in La Loche has been decreasing every day.

“(In regard to the investigation) it’s pretty well wound down in so far as our support units which were here, which was major crimes. Forensic identification has completed their work that they had to do here and have left the community,” St. Germaine said. “The number of officers that we had here last weekend numbered in the vicinity of 92-95 members and we’re down to approximately 22. The detachments normal strength is 16.”

St. Germaine praised the work of the officers who were part of the takedown, saying their training helped save lives. He described the work done by the RCMP as “textbook.”

One call was received by the RCMP a couple days after the incident from an individual who was contemplating suicide following the devastating shooting. The RCMP was able to talk the individual out of it and no cases of suicide, successful or attempted, have been reported since.

St. Germaine said no motive has been uncovered at this point and to his knowledge no psych evaluation has been done on the suspect.

The day finished with a funeral precession for the Fontaine brothers. Close to 500 vehicles traveled from the airport and down Semchuk Trail. The precession lasted nearly an hour. Members and supporters of the community released balloons into the air.

The suspect’s trial continues on Feb. 22nd in Meadow Lake.

cswiderski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @coltonswiderski