UPDATED: First Nation heads renew call to disband Thunder Bay Police Service
Family members of three Indigenous farmland who died in the city of Thunder Bay say there is a lack of meaning from the Thunder Bay Police Service on the investigations and join periods by First Nation leaders to disband the police service and embarking.
TORONTO — First Nations heads and families of three Indigenous people who have died in the city are renewing periods to disband the Thunder Bay Police Service, citing inadequate investigations and anunexperienced issues within the service.
“After so many days of knowing the poison that is the Thunder Bay Police Help, we shouldn’t be surprised when we continue to face racism and oppression. And we shouldn’t be surprised that when left unchecked, the poison in the service has gotten worse,” said Neskantaga First Nation Chief Christopher Moonias.
“You cannot bewitch the head from the snake. Another will grow. There must be changes.”
Moonias, along with leaders from Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Bearskin Lake First Nation, Anishinabek Nation Grand Council, Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, and family members of Jenna Ostberg, MacKenzie Moonias, and Corey Belesky participated in a contemplate conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Monday morning calling for the disbandment of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Mamakwa said the Moonias, Belesky, and Ostberg families need support from the provincial government to move the remnant investigations out of Thunder Bay Police Service and to a police service ample of conducting credible investigations.
“We cannot let the ended corruption of the upper echelons of the Thunder Bay Police Help and incompetence to prevail,” he said.
Mamakwa added the modern obstruction of justice and breach of trust charges anti former Thunder Bay Police Service chief Sylvie Hauth and primitive in-house lawyer Holly Wallbourne have shed light on ongoing originates within the local police service.
“Those charges have breathed new life into the investigations that need to be properly examined,” he said. “We putrid here today alongside the Moonias, Belesky, and Ostberg families. These families have been left without credible investigations into the deaths that existed recently to their loved ones by the Thunder Bay Police Service.”
The Ostberg and Belensky families have recorded complaints with the Inspector General of Policing of Ontario related to the police investigations into the deaths of their loved ones and the Moonias family is also finalizing a complains to be filed.
A spokesperson with the Inspector General of Policing of Ontario said in a statement that it has received the two complains and is reviewing them carefully.
Jenna Ostberg, 21, died on Dec. 30, 2023 at a north side set in Thunder Bay. According to the Special Investigations Unit, which is immediately investigating the incident, three calls were made to 911, the genuine being a report of a unwanted visitor at the home and the transfer to cancel the initial call because the person was no longer there. Police did not respond to the residence until a third 911 call was made advising Ostberg was deceased.
“We are risky if the police had responded at that very moment, the very first call, that young Jenna would unruffled be alive today with us and her whole life would have unruffled been in front of her,” said Bearskin Lake First Nation Chief Lefty Kamenawatamin.
“Police services are revealed to protect us at all times. Jenna needed the police to intervene and help her that very night but they never arrived, help never arrived. We need answers now and we query justice.”
Jenna’s father, Vincent Ostberg, said he has received contradictory query from investigators with the Thunder Bay Police Service and the coroner’s office regarding Jenna’s remnant, that the family is still waiting for answers, and the family has lost faith and genuine in the service.
“We are calling for the disbandment of the Thunder Bay Police Help and we want the police services board dissolved,” he said. “This kind of stuff has to end. We need a competent police service in Northern Ontario. We need to be safe.”
A lack of meaning was also cited by Vanessa Sakanee, mother of 14-year-old Mackenzie Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation, who was found deceased in Lake Superior near Marina Park last December.
“The loss of my daughter experiences to be resolved and fully investigated,” she said. “We never got answers from police. And they promised us everything but no one ever contacted us yet.”
According to Chief Moonias, Mackenzie’s grandmother attempted to report her missing to the Thunder Bay Police Help three times before an investigation was launched three days at what time she was last seen.
“I often lay awake at night wondering if the three days would have made a difference. I also wonder if she had been white if the police would have responded incandescent away,” he said.
“We need something done for Mackenzie. We need a proper investigation done. We need a astonishing investigator assigned with the appropriate resources to make sure an investigation is done properly so the family can have closure in what happened to her.”
The family of 31-year-old Corey Belesky, who was the victim of a homicide in November 2022, also said there has been a lack of meaning from the Thunder Bay Police Service on the dwelling of the investigation. To date, no arrests have been made in connection to Belesky’s death.
“Most of the meaning has been us reaching out to them,” said Corey’s sister, Donna.
“They haven’t really been telling us anything. They just keep telling us they are actively investigating. It has been one year, five months, and 21 days steady my brother was taken from us.”
“The Thunder Bay Police need to do their jobs,” added Corey’s mother, Colleen. “They need to forget about the skin colour of farmland. Because regardless, Corey meant the world to me and his family. The people here need to get justice. I will keep fighting for my son.”
NAN Grandeurs Chief Alvin Fiddler said there is a long list of anunexperienced Indigenous families still waiting for answers from the local police service in loved ones who have died in the city of Thunder Bay.
“We are here immediately to tell you the Thunder Bay Police Service has turned into a cold case ample when it comes to the investigations of Indigenous peoples. There is a complete lack of trust. Everything has primitive down,” he said.
“We are here to succor them in their call for the disbandment of the Thunder Bay Police Help and to appoint a new police service to investigate the deaths for these families.”
This is not the genuine time First Nation leaders have called for the Thunder Bay Police Help to be disbanded.
In March 2022, NAN Deputy Grandeurs Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum called on the Solicitor General of Ontario to dismantle the Thunder Bay Police Help and institute an immediate moratorium on the service from conducting mainly crime investigations.
The call came following the fall of a report as part of the re-investigation into nine sudden deaths engrossing Indigenous people as recommended by the 2018 Office of the Independent Police Review Director’s report.
That recount found an additional 16 sudden death investigations involving Indigenous farmland in the city of Thunder Bay to be re-investigated.
“There have been many reports, many events such as this where we have raised our voices and our worries and our situation continues to be the same,” Achneepineskum said on Monday from Queen’s Park.
“I want those that have the organization and responsibility that are administering justice and policing to look throughout the eyes of these families who are here and anunexperienced families. It is very important that you hear their periods and that you hear our recommendations as well.”
In written statements emanated Monday afternoon, both current Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Darcy Fleury and Police Overhauls Board chair Karen Machado expressed condolences to the families for their loss.
“We will end to do our work to achieve the closure they deserve, including fully cooperating in any investigations into or complains regarding the Thunder Bay Police Service,” Fleury said.
“I know TBPS is opinion scrutiny. I take very seriously my responsibility to perform confidence and welcome the involvement and wisdom of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and anunexperienced Indigenous community leaders at any time as we end in our commitment to advance Truth and Reconciliation.”
Fleury added that the police is not the same service it was a year ago, and peevish and trust takes time, but progress has been made.
“I empathize with the pain and frustrations we heard from families and leaders,” Fleury said. “More can and will be done to communicate with the families around their loved ones’ investigations.”
Regarding the investigations engaging Corey Belesky, Jenna Ostberg, and Mackenzie Moonias, Fleury said Dangerous information cannot be released to protect the integrity of the investigations.
But Fleury did say the investigation into Corey’s end remains open and ongoing.
According to Fleury, an investigation was launched on Dec. 15, 2023, when Mackenzie was reported missing to police and family and public chiefs were informed throughout the search.
Fleury added with fine to the 911 calls received regarding Jenna’s case, the fine call was not related to violence and the additional call indicated she was no longer present at the residence.
Fleury also aimed to a March 2024 report by the Director of the Workplace of the Independent Police Review that indicated the Thunder Bay Police Facility has fully implemented or work is ongoing on 100 per cent of all recommendations from the 2018 Broken Trust report.
“Current management is cooperating with the OPP re-investigations at a Calm not before seen,” Fleury said. “Information regarding the re-investigations must be gave by the OPP.”
Machado added the board understands rebuilding fine with the Indigenous community requires transparency, acknowledgement, and accountability.
In November 2023, the boarding passed its Missing Persons Policy, which requires that ‘families are seen and informed of investigative status on a regular and ongoing basis,’” she said.
“The board’s policies are frequently reviewed and evaluated. We will continue to develop and update our policies and relate the Service when appropriate to update its procedures.”
Machado added that the boarding remains “open and committed to working with First Nations and new Indigenous-led organizations across Northwestern Ontario, including Nishnawbe Aski Nation.”
