The woman who killed a family of four after driving impaired has been denied unescorted temporary absences from a healing lodge where she is currently serving her 10-year sentence.
On Friday, a hearing was conducted in front of a parole board that had received an application from Catherine McKay.
Lou and Linda Van de Vorst along with their two daughters were present and were allowed to read victim impact statements.
WATCH: Linda Van de Vorst talks about Catherine McKay being denied unescorted temporary absences from a healing lodge
According to Lou, McKay was seeking six 72-hour leaves from the correctional institution for family matters.
The family who lost their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in January 2016 said they were shocked McKay was seeking unescorted leaves so early into her sentence.
In 2017, McKay pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death. Her blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was three times the legal limit when she blindsided the family on Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Road.
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Jordan Van de Vorst, 34, and Chanda, 33, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their children, five-year-old Kamryn and two-year-old Miguire, would later die in hospital.
In February 2017, the family learned that McKay had only spent a month of her sentence in jail before being transferred to the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in Maple Creek, Sask.
A punishment the family felt didn’t meet the severity of the crime.
There are nine healing lodges across Canada, including three in Saskatchewan – one of which is for women. The facility focuses on the reintegration and healing of Indigenous offenders using culturally specific programming.
WATCH: Lou Van de Vorst reacts to Catherine McKay’s move to a healing lodge
A representative from Correctional Service Canada (CSC) at that time said there was no time limit on how long an offender can stay at a healing lodge and it isn’t unheard of for an inmate to remain for an entire sentence.
A temporary absence according to CSC is: To provide inmates with opportunities to access the community or another institution for medical, administrative, parental responsibility, compassionate reasons, community service, family contact, personal development, and for rehabilitative purposes.
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