Governor General Mary Simon is set to visit James Smith Cree Nation to share condolences with families affected by the Saskatchewan stabbings on Wednesday, according to an email from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General on Tuesday night.
The Saskatchewan stabbings, which happened over this year’s Labour Day weekend, are considered one of the worst mass killings in recent Canadian history.
It started on Sept. 4 when local RCMP received multiple calls from James Smith Cree Nation about stabbings happening at different locations, which later developed into a four-day-long manhunt.
Ten people were killed and 18 people were injured in the stabbings across 13 sites in James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon.
The two suspects also died — Damien Sanderson was found dead on Sept. 5 near a home in the James Smith Cree Nation, while his brother Myles Sanderson died from a drug overdose shortly after his arrest by RCMP on Sept. 7, Global News earlier reported.
On Sept. 5, Simon released a statement on the Saskatchewan stabbings, stating that she was “profoundly shocked to hear of the attacks.”
“I am filled with sadness for the survivors, families and friends who have lost loved ones from these communities,” she said. “These are devastating losses that words cannot even come close to describing.”
“Canadians today mourn with you and wish you courage during these difficult times,” she said.
Simon is Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General.
More to come…