First Nation families seek answers in Ont. review of how Thunder Bay police handle death, missing-person cases
Two families whose loved ones' deaths are under investigation in Thunder Bay say they're glad the province is now inspecting the force and its oversight board — but they remain cautiously optimistic.
The inspector general of policing, Ryan Teschner, announced last week that he would evaluate how the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) conducts death and missing-person investigations, and its compliance with the province's policing legislation.
The review was spurred by "several complaints" about the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) that were filed with the provincial Inspectorate of Policing, Teschner told CBC's Up North.
At a news conference in April, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) — a political territorial organization that represents 49 communities across Treaties 9 and 5 — called for the TBPS to be disbanded and for the inspector general of policing to bring in an outside service to investigate recent deaths of Indigenous people. They include Mackenzie Moonias, 14, Jenna Ostberg, 21, and Corey Belesky, 31.
The news conference was held shortly after criminal charges were laid against the service's former chief of police, Sylvie Hauth.
"There's not much trust, especially with the Native people and the police," said Donna Belesky, whose brother, Corey, died on Nov. 1, 2022, in Thunder Bay. His death and others are being investigated as homicides.
The families of Belesky and Ostberg spoke to CBC after Teschner's announcement about the TBPS review.
Both families filed complaints with the inspector general of policing on April 22, "relating to concerns of racism and incompetency in the death investigations of their family members," NAN confirmed in a statement issued Friday.
"Given the TBPS's historic and current failures to provide adequate and effective policing for Indigenous people, the families of Corey Belesky and Jenna Ostberg have no confidence or trust in TBPS to perform competent Indigenous death investigations," the statement says.
Donna Belesky says her family is "hopeful things will get going now" that the inspector general of policing is involved.
Teschner anticipates the inspection will be completed next year. The findings will be posted in a report online.
"My commitment and the commitment of the Inspectorate of Policing is to ensure that the residents of Thunder Bay and the Indigenous communities in and around the City of Thunder Bay receive the effective, responsive and accountable policing they deserve, and that all Ontarians deserve," he said.
'My brother needs justice,' says victim's sister
Corey was a member of Marten Falls First Nation. The TBPS was dispatched to a residence on Nov. 1, 2022, around 1:10 a.m. following reports of an injured man. Officers arrived and pronounced Belesky dead at the scene. The case remains open, and no charges have been laid.
Donna describes him as a funny, caring person who enjoyed spending time with his family and loved animals. The family hasn't received any updates about his case in about six months, she said.
"I hope that they find who's responsible for taking my brother from us," she said. "My family needs closure. My brother needs justice. This is ridiculous."
In the Ostberg case, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says it took three calls to 911 before police responded to the residence where Jenna, a member of Bearskin First Nation, was found dead on Dec. 30, 2023. The first call to police was made around 2 a.m. They received a second call to cancel the first call for service. The third 911 call received by police said the woman, identified as Jenna, had died. In a second statement issued days later, the SIU clarified the first two calls were not related to violence.
Her parents, Melanie Beardy and Vincent Ostberg, described her as a humble person who loved fashion, working with children, painting and singing gospel songs in her traditional language.
The SIU's website says "where possible, SIU investigations must be completed within 120 days." As of Oct. 2, 2024, its website said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Jenna Ostberg's death is ongoing, and the file is under the director's review.
"The fact that so many [Indigenous] peoples, so many families do not have closure, is disturbing," Vincent Ostberg said.
He hopes the inspection raises the standards for the city's police and pushes for more respect for Indigenous people in the community, he said.
"When we talk about cultural training, I'm not just talking about smudging and drums, and stuff like that. I'm talking about having an understanding of the plight of Indigenous Peoples," he said. "The Thunder Bay police need to have workshops or forums where they can hear from Indigenous people as to what the struggle's really like."
How the inspector's role differs from others
There have been several external investigations into the TBPS and the Thunder Bay Police Service Board (TBPSB) over the years. They found evidence of systemic racism within the force and resulted in hundreds of recommendations for improvement.
Asked by CBC why Ontario needs multiple oversight bodies for policing, Teschner said it helps ensure "there is broad and holistic oversight across the entirety of policing."
He said:
- The Law Enforcement Complaints Agency — formerly called the Office of the Independent Police Review Director — conducts disciplinary investigations into allegations of misconduct by individual police officers.
- The SIU assesses the conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person. These investigations can result in criminal charges.
- The Inspectorate of Policing, created last year, is a regulatory body that can inspect, investigate, monitor and advise Ontario's police services and boards to make sure they comply with the province's policing legislation.
Under the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), which came into effect in April, the inspector general of policing has the power to suspend or remove police chiefs or board members — and even dissolve a police service or its board in extreme cases, Teschner said.
In a statement on Friday, TBPSB chair Karen Machado said the board "is fully committed to working collaboratively and transparently with the Inspectorate of Policing during the investigation and welcomes any further advice that will strengthen Thunder Bay's police oversight system."
The TBPS has not issued a statement in response to the inspection. However, its board launched an online tracker of the progress it has made toward achieving past recommendations.
"I need to give some credit to the Thunder Bay Police Service Board and the chief for continuing to work on implementing some of those recommendations," Teschner said.
For his part, police Chief Darcy Fleury has been working to regain public trust in the TBPS since he was sworn in last May.
He's held public engagement sessions on topics ranging from downtown safety, mental health and addictions, systemic racism, and how police work with the LGBTQ2+ community. The next session, on Nov. 27 at the Thunder Bay Public Library, will focus on violence related to guns and gang activity.
Ontario review should have 'teeth'
Alok Mukherjee chaired the independent expert panel that reviewed the TBPSB and released the "Roadmap for Real Change" last spring.
Mukherjee said he's "pleasantly surprised" about Teschner's inspection, because it builds on his panel's recommendation for continuous independent monitoring of the police service and its board.
"Regular monitoring and public reporting of the progress achieved by the board and the service in implementing the recommended changes can, in our view, contribute significantly to the building of trust and restoration of credibility in the community," Mukherjee said.
Under the CPSA, the inspector general of policing "is given significant authority," Mukherjee said. He hopes it can bring more weight to the situation and help stress the urgency of implementing the changes recommended in the past.
"It shouldn't just be a review to find deficiencies and faults and make more recommendations, but it should be a review that has some teeth in it in terms of making things happen," he said. "Otherwise, it will be just another review and there will be more skepticism and cynicism."
Support is available for anyone affected by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support is available 24/7 through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649.
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With files from Jonathan Pinto