The lawyers representing the families of six of seven youth who lost their lives while attending high school in Thunder Bay say progress is being made meeting the recommendations of an inquest jury.
The jury made a total of 145 recommendations as a result of the deaths spanning October 2015 to June 2016.
The fifth annual report card and update was released this week.
The overall grade for all parties involved was A-, up from B+ last year and C+ in year one.
Jonathan Rudin says, “It is certainly a good sign that the overall grade has improved from last year and that no party’s grade dropped. There is no question that everyone who was involved in the inquest understands how important this work is.”
Rudin notes more work is needed however including providing more support for first nations communities closer to home.
He says families need to see more options on-reserve.
Caitlyn Kasper says, “Progress on the remaining recommendations will be hard but they are crucial to actually getting to a place where all First Nations youth in the north have a chance for a real education. Families need education options that do not require their children to go to Thunder Bay for high school.”
Report card grades:
-Canada from C+ to B-
-City of Thunder Bay from B to A-
-Nishnawbe Aski Nation from B+ to A-
-Ontario remains at B-
-Matawa Learning Centre remains at A+
-Northern Nishnawbe Education Council and Dennis Franklin Cromarty remains at A+
-Keeywaytinook Okimakanak remains at A+
The Thunder Bay Police Service was not given a final grade.
This is in response to the report of the Officer of the Independent Police Review Director in Broken Trust.
“We need to see how that process works, as there is a reinvestigation process that is underway,” says Rudin. “That process itself will be subject to a report, so we will see to which extent the Thunder Bay Police have been able to actually do the things they said they were going to do, I don’t know that.”
Rudin goes on to state police have initially said they carried out investigations correctly in regards to the seven deaths, but that was later shown to be false.
Information on the process and grading system can be found here
(With Files From Vasilios Bellos: Thunder Bay)
