The grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation is accusing the Thunder Bay Police Service of being a "cold case factory" when it comes to Indigenous death investigations, joining families of young people who have died to call for the "disbandment" of the police service.
"There is a complete lack of trust, everything has broken down," said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler at Queen's Park on Monday. "The families of Jenna, Mackenzie and Corey are left with no recourse for credible investigations into the loss of their loved ones, and they are not alone. There's a whole list of other families that they're still waiting for answers as to what happened to their loved ones, why and how they died in Thunder Bay."
Fiddler was joined Monday by several other Indigenous leaders and the families of Jenna Ostberg, Mackenzie Moonias and Corey Belesky, who spoke about what they said was a lack of information from and trust in the Thunder Bay Police Service's (TBPS). They want their loved ones' death investigations to be reassigned to a different police service.
This follows news of recent charges of three current or former TBPS members, including former chief Sylvie Hauth, who the Ontario Province Police charged earlier this month with obstruction of a public officer or peace officer, breach of trust by a public officer and two counts of obstruction of justice. Former lawyer for the police service, Holly Walbourne, is also facing similar charges.
NAN Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum said these charges have "only worsened the lack of trust" people have in the police service, with Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe echoing her sentiment.
"How do you trust people to deliver justice who are being charged with obstructing it in the first place?" he said.
The Ostberg and Belesky families filed complaints to Ryan Teschner, the province's inspector general of policing, on Monday. Both complaints, filed by lawyer Julian Falconer, spoke of the TBPS's "history of failing to provide adequate and effective policing, particularly as it relates to Indigenous people" and that the families have "no confidence or trust in TBPS" to conduct the death investigations.
"It is no use to say trust us ... you need a new body and they need to be removed. The inspector of policing has the power to do it," Falconer said at the press conference on Monday, adding that he's working on a complaint regarding Moonias' death investigation.
Neskantaga Chief Chris Moonias spoke of Indigenous youth often having to leave home at the age of 13 or 14 due to a lack of high schools in the north.
This was the case with Mackenzie Moonias, 14, who was found dead in Thunder Bay's waterfront on Dec. 18.
"When Mackenzie's grandmother reported her missing, she was not taken seriously. She went to the station on three occasions before they finally acknowledged Mackenzie as a missing person, three days after she went missing," said Moonias. "I often lay awake in the night wondering if the three days would have made a difference."
Moonias condemned the TBPS, saying people should be able to "count on police service to take a missing child here seriously when it's reported; instead, we are reminded of the festering poison that is allowed to continue."
Ostberg, 21, who was from Bearskin Lake First Nation, was found dead in a residence in Thunder Bay on Dec. 30 after three 911 calls were made. The Special Investigations Unit issued a statement in January saying police didn't respond after the first two calls — the first "about a domestic disturbance at a residence" and the second to "cancel" the call. The third call was to indicate someone at the home had died.
"We don't have faith, we don't have any trust," said Vincent Ostberg, Jenna's father, adding that they found out information about his daughter's case through the media. "Our family suffered ... I've had psychological trauma."
Belesky, 31, was found dead in a residence on Nov. 1, 2022, with police investigating the death as a homicide.
His sister Donna described him as a "very caring and protective brother," and a "good father."
She, too, said there's been a lack of communication between the TBPS and their family.
"Corey was my baby," Belesky's mother, Colleen, said through tears. "The happiest day for me was when my son was born and the saddest day was when he was taken from us."
"The Thunder Bay police need to do their jobs, they need to forget about the skin colour of people," she added.
In 2018, the Office of the Independent Review Director recommended the TBPS reopen nine death investigations of Indigenous people that involved "racist attitudes and racial stereotyping" and that the force "acknowledge that racism exists at all levels" of the police force.
In response to the Indigenous leaders' and families' calls on Monday, TBPS Chief Darcy Fleury offered his condolences in a statement.
"We will continue to do our work to achieve the closure they deserve, including fully co-operating in any investigations into or complaints regarding the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS)," said Fleury. "I know TBPS is under scrutiny. I take very seriously my responsibility to build confidence and welcome the involvement and wisdom of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and other Indigenous community leaders at any time as we continue in our commitment to advance Truth and Reconciliation."
Fleury said as part of this commitment, he came as chief as part of a "renewal" of the service's board and administrative leadership.
"We are simply not the same service. Change and trust take time. Progress has been made, and more will come," Fleury said, acknowledging that more could be done to communicate with families about investigations and listed some details he said he could share.
He said the investigation into Belesky's death was "active and ongoing."
Fleury said Moonias was last seen on Dec. 13 and that an investigation was started when she was reported missing on Dec. 15.
Regarding the several 911 calls made before Ostberg's death, the police chief said the first call "was not related to violence involving her and the second call indicated she was no longer present."
Grand Chief Fiddler said his hope was that the province's solicitor general would reach out to Indigenous leaders and families to discuss next steps given the call for disbanding the TBPS.
But in response to a question from NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa in the legislature about disbanding the TBPS, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner didn't indicate any plans to take such a step.
"Our thoughts are always with the families who lost loved ones, on this immeasurable loss. But 140,000 people in Thunder Bay have a right — have an equal right, just as we do here in southern Ontario — to feel safe in their own communities," Kerzner said during question period.
"I have seen the front-line officers that work hard, with passion and commitment. These are people that love their community," he said. "There is a new police service board. There is a new chief with good intentions to serve their community and to make sure that everyone has that right of accountability in their communities to feel safe."
NDP Leader Marit Stiles called Kerzner's answers "disrespectful."
"The premier and the solicitor general need to sit down with First Nations leaders, with the families of these victims, and they need to come to some agreement about what the next step is going to be because this situation is not getting better," she said.
