The Government of Yukon says it will implement all recommendations from the April 2024 Coroner's inquest.

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 10:51

Participants of Unity Walk in the community held in honour of four yukon women who dies at WES held at the front of 405 Alexander (Photo: Panebi Wilson)

The Yukon Government said it has carefully reviewed, accepted and begun work on an implementation plan to address each recommendation by the end of October 2024.

The Government of Yukon says it will be implementing the eight recommendations from the April 2024 Coroner's inquest.

In April 2024, an inquest into the deaths of four First Nations women, Cassandra Warville, Myranda Aleisha Dawn TizyaCharlie, Josephine Elizabeth Vanessa Hager and Darla Skookum was held in Whitehorse.

These first nations women all died at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter over a 15-month period between January 2022 and April 2023, while accessing services at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter.

The inquest heard testimonies from family members, representatives and friends and thirty-five witnesses, some of whom testified about more than one of the deaths.

At the end of the inquest held at the Best Western Hotel in Whitehorse, eight recommendations were made available by the jury which include: a comprehensive policy review, enhanced training for staff, prioritizing the hiring of Indigenous employees and individuals with lived experience, and creating safe spaces for all shelter guests.

Following the release of these recommendations, the Yukon Government said it has carefully reviewed, accepted and begun work on an implementation plan to address each recommendation by the end of October 2024.

According to a media release, this implementation plan is being done in close collaboration with community partners and other affected parties, including Connective, the Council of Yukon First Nations, Yukon First Nations governments, non-governmental organizations – including Indigenous women's organizations – and individuals with lived experience.

Yukon’s Premier Ranj Pillai said the government is committed to prioritizing the health and well-being of Yukoners as the coroner's inquest has highlighted crucial areas of improvement to help prevent such tragedies in the future.

"We are fully committed to implementing the recommendations and working collaboratively with our partners to create a safer and more supportive environment at 405 Alexander."

Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee said the community has faced a tremendous loss, and emphasized the need to turn grief into action.

"The government is committed to working with all partners and affected parties to implement these changes swiftly and effectively to help make meaningful change for all Yukoners."

The three weeks long inquest saw witnesses including shelter guests, Yukon Government and Connective shelter frontline staff, shelter managers and shelter administrators, Yukon Government administrators responsible for the shelter contract, paramedics, RCMP, an emergency room physician, a pathologist, a toxicologist and people with expertise in running and evaluating harm reduction and low barrier programs.

As per the release, all recommendations are being addressed concurrently, reflecting the need for comprehensive systemic changes to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals at 405 Alexander.