By Kathy Gallant

La Loche shooting victim reeling from ombudsman’s decision

Aug 23, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Before Jan. 22, 2016, educator Charlene Klyne fell in love with photography. She was given a camera as a gift from her husband and sons, and found beauty in the world around her. With retirement on the horizon, she had aspirations to turn the hobby into something much more.

Then everything changed when she was shot while substitute teaching at Dene High School in La Loche. Pellets from a shotgun fired by a then 17-year-old gunman penetrated her jaw and chest. The sight which once allowed her to capture images was gone, as she’s now blind.

“I have a cousin who’s offered to take me out, but I said ‘I can’t see what I’m aiming at’ I don’t want to take the picture,” Klyne said. “I’ve almost lost the will to live, because I can’t do the things I liked. My days are pretty long and boring.”

Klyne’s family, who lived in the community for years had to relocate to Saskatoon for her medical needs. Her husband Ralph, also a teacher, had 30 per cent of his wages cut and has had to stop working as well, which has put a financial strain on them. What was a two-income household has dwindled significantly, and with a recent announcement, Klyne is feeling more alone than ever.

Yesterday, Saskatchewan Ombudsman Mary McFadyen said she completed the investigation into Klyne’s complaints against of the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) and Ministry of Justice, and had no other recommendations.

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“Through no fault of her own, Ms. Klyne was badly injured at work in a horrific event,” McFadyen said in her statement. “We looked at the government agencies within our jurisdiction and found they provided her the supports that were within their authority to provide.”

Klyne received $50,000 paid in two years, for which she said she’s thankful. But her quality of life has greatly deteriorated, and the province and WCB covered medical bills to an extent. She regularly sees 11 doctors and four therapists, but was told benefits would cease in seven years when she turns 65.

“I’m not impressed they’re not doing anything, saying there’s nothing they can do,” she said. “When I read the whole report, they missed injuries to my neck and the bottom of my ribcage.”

Klyne is working with a lawyer, and is likely to pursue a class-action lawsuit soon. For now, she’s staying mum about which other victims are involved, who the lawyer is, and which parties will be named in the litigation, but she isn’t surrendering.

“I’m tired of dealing, but I’m not going to give up,” Klyne said. “I actually told my son if something ever happens where I die of my injuries, please keep going. Stuff needs to be done. There needs to be justification,” she said.

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Taylor MacPherson.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath