Connective's Statement on the Yukon Coroner's Inquest

STATEMENT FROM CONNECTIVE: Completion of Yukon Coroner’s Inquest 

Now that the Coroner’s Inquest has concluded, we want to acknowledge the pain and sadness that the family, friends, and communities of Cassandra Warville, Myranda Tizya-Charlie, Josephine Elizabeth Hager, and Darla Skookum have gone through over the last three weeks, compounding the unimaginable grief of losing their loved ones. Our hearts are with Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Selkirk First Nation, and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation. For all involved, we honour the challenge of having to relive the detail of these tragic events and acknowledge the strength they displayed so that others may benefit from the process. 

We appreciate that an inquest provides an opportunity to learn from these tragedies and honour the lives lost. We acknowledge and support the jury’s recommendations, and are fully committed to taking action, together with our partners at the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN). We will continue to work with Yukon Government, as our funding partner, to deliver accessible services that Yukoners require.   

Now that the recommendations have been released, our focus shifts to what lies ahead, beginning with a careful and considered review of the jury’s findings. Through conversations with CYFN, service users, staff, Yukon Government, and other community partners, we will map out a plan for short-, medium-, and longer-term changes as we look to respond to the recommendations and strengthen service delivery. We are committed to transparency and will provide updates to the community as we reach milestones along the way. 

We are grateful for the time, expertise, and insight of all those involved in the Coroner’s Inquest, including our staff who also feel these losses deeply. We are confident that the learnings and recommendations, once implemented, will have positive impacts that benefit service users and staff at 405 Alexander.

We believe that the inquest should also serve to highlight that 405 Alexander is just one piece of a larger system of care and support. There is an urgent need to explore additional programming and services for people in the Yukon, and particularly for Yukon First Nations people, who continue to disproportionately experience multiple barriers to accessing appropriate housing and health services that reflect their needs.