NAN, NNEC request standing at inquest into seven deaths

Nishnawbe Aski Nation and six other applicants have requested standing at the inquest into the deaths of seven NAN high school students who died while studying in Thunder Bay.
“For years NAN has taken the lead in ensuring scrutiny into the safety and education of our youth and this inquest is a culmination of our efforts to get answers for the families,” said Grand Chief Harvey Yesno. “The commencement of the joint inquest is a welcome first step in the journey towards answering some of the questions the families of these youth and their communities have been asking for years.”
The Thunder Bay Police Service, City of Thunder Bay, Chiefs of Ontario, Northern Nishnawbe Education Council and Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth have also requested standing along with the families of six of the seven deceased students — Jethro Anderson, Reggie Bushie, Robyn Harper, Kyle Morriseau, Paul Panacheese and Jordan Wabasse — who are being represented as a group by lawyer Jonathan Rudin. Although the family of the seventh student, Curran Strang, did not request standing at the June 11 opening of the Inquest into the Death of Seven First Nations Youth in Thunder Bay, the regional supervising coroner said the family or any other party can still request standing.
“Those who have not applied at this point may elect to do so at any time in the future,” said Michael Wilson, regional supervising coroner for the north region. “That certainly does not exclude either the seventh family from deciding to join in or if there is another party and the scope of the inquest becomes clear that they may be involved, it certainly would be within their rights to apply for standing at that point.”
Wilson said the investigation phase of the inquest is still ongoing.
“The (inquest’s) scope will also dictate what further investigation needs to be done,” Wilson said. “That scope, I anticipate, will be set in collaborative fashion.”
Wilson said the inquest will be held in Thunder Bay at a site yet to be determined, noting the new court house “is under serious consideration as a venue.”
The seven students died while pursuing their high school education in Thunder Bay away from families and communities.
“The loss of so many young lives has caused great fear and apprehension across NAN First Nations and this has grown since the most recent deaths,” said Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. “It is critical that the tragic loss of seven young lives must be looked at in the broadest terms possible and that the truth is finally uncovered as to the real cause of these tragedies.”
The office of Ontario’s previous chief coroner had called for an inquest into the death of Reggie Bushie in January 2009, but after consultation with NAN, Dr. Andrew McCallum, Ontario’s chief coroner in 2012, decided to expand the discretionary inquest to a joint inquest of all seven deaths, due to their similar circumstances.