LA LOCHE, Sask. – A relative of Marie Janvier, one of the victims of the La Loche shooting, is speaking out. Leona Janvier is also a community outreach education worker and says she thought a tragedy would happen before it actually did.
The deadly shooting that unfolded on Jan. 22 in the small northern Saskatchewan village is causing people to take a long hard look at problems in La Loche and examine the social context in which the tragic event took place.
FULL COVERAGE: La Loche school shooting
Global News spoke with Leona Janvier, who works for the Keewatin Yatthé Regional Health Authority. She said alcohol and drugs are the top two problems in this area, to the point where kids are now selling drugs.
She said she was not surprised that something like this would happen.
“I was talking to a co-worker over the summer one day during the last shooting in the U.S., and I told my co-worker, ‘you know what, that thing it’s just not going to be news to us, it will eventually happen in this community. Our high school will be hit one of these days,’” Leona Janvier said on Sunday.
“She asked me why? – too many video games and too many drugs.”
Janvier added that despite the problems, there is a lot of love and respect in the community and there is hope in bettering their future.
WATCH: Wall says his government will respond to long-term issues in La Loche
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is suggesting the federal government’s upcoming budget may include money to help deal with infrastructure shortfalls in La Loche and other isolated communities. He met with leaders of the community Sunday and said systemic problems will need to be fixed through long-term continued support.
“The issues the community has raised with respect to infrastructure with respect to the kinds of youth services and programming that’s required, dealing with problems related to addictions, dealing with issues that are in the realm of mental health and so worth. Those will need significant supports,” Goodale said.
The 17-year-old boy charged in the fatal shooting of four people in La Loche made his first court appearance Monday. He will be held in custody until his next court appearance Feb. 22.
With files from Global’s Calvin To and the Canadian Press
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