MP Jolibois Asks Government to Keep Promise of MMIWG Hearings in La Loche, La Ronge, and Meadow Lake

Press Release

La Ronge – New Democrat Georgina Jolibois (Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River) is demanding that the Liberal government expand the mandate of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry so that families and survivors in Northern Saskatchewan can share their truths.

“Their tone has completely changed,” said Jolibois. “They were open and willing to come to our communities to listen to the stories of Northern Saskatchewan. My office worked with the inquiry to provide the names of affected individuals, participants, and experts as they requested, but they never followed through. Northern families are not getting any answers from the government or the inquiry. They’ve left the families hanging.”

The only public hearing accessible to Northern Saskatchewan was held in Saskatoon from November 21-23, but many families did not have the resources or time to make the overnight-trip to the city. Hearings in La Loche, La Ronge, and Meadow Lake were promised, but when asked neither the Inquiry nor the Liberals are committing to these already-promised hearings.

The MMIWG Inquiry formally wrapped up its public hearings on April 8 in Vancouver. The Inquiry has requested a 2 year extension to continue these important public hearings, but so far the government has not commented on whether that extension will be granted.

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