First Nations Student Deaths Inquest
A joint inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations students is running Thunder Bay, Ont. All of the students died between 2000 and 2011 while attending high school in the city, hundreds of kilometres away from their remote First Nations where access to education is limited.
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'To be honest with you, I've never heard it [racial slurs] off the ice,' Blais says #tbinquest .by Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:39:26 PM -
'Of course' there's racism on ice, Blais says. 'If you got something to get in the other boys' head, you're going to use it.' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:38:42 PM
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'I'll watch the Native boys first. I'll go help them put on their skates' to make sure they fit, Blais says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:33:37 PM
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'We get a lot of reserve cheques,' Blais says of how steep hockey and registration fees get paid for First Nation players. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:31:41 PM
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Blais says 'kids from up north are way more laid back', requires hockey league to 'do a lot of extra work' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:28:53 PM
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On cross examination, Blais says drinking is not 'just a native thing,' He says 'the alcohol thing is just boys that age.' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:08:00 PM
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When asked, Blais says he doesn't think Jordan could have committed suicide b/c 'there was no give-up in him' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:04:48 PM
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Blais crying talking abt search for Jordan 'I find it very hard b/c kids on my team, I love them as if they're my own children.' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 4:00:09 PM
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Blais says his 2nd thought was 'being native and being from out of town, I thought he probably went out and got drunk' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:56:59 PM
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'Would that be in character with what you knew of Jordan?' Coroner's counsel asks. "No,' Blais says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:56:55 PM
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Blais says when he heard Jordan was missing his 1st thought was 'it was way out of character' for Jordan 1/2 #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:54:31 PM
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'Did Jordan have a girlfriend?' coroner's counsel asks. 'Boys that age tell me they have lots of girlfriends,' Blais says. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:48:42 PM
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Blais says he believes Jordan 'had a hard time moving here, he needed stability.' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:48:32 PM
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'When boys come from up north, there are a lot of issues that come with them,' Blais says. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:47:32 PM
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Coroner's counsel asking many questions about alcohol. Pathologists already testified that alcohol not cause of Jordan's death #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:45:20 PM
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Team rule was 'if I see it [drinking], you don't play,' Blais says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:42:44 PM
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Blais says teenaged drinking is typical '15 or 16 yr old kids will drink, probably more frequently than we want' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:41:10 PM
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Blais says Jordan was an '8 or 9' on a 1 - 10 scale of wanting to make it to the NHL, and being capable of it #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:39:08 PM
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Blais says he talked to Jordan about 'not putting all his eggs in one basket' that school was as important as hockey #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:39:04 PM
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Blais says Jordan showed up drunk to practice once, 'I sat him out 1/2 a practice, he never did it again,' he says. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:37:10 PM
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Jordan 'became instant friends' with his teammates, 'that's the way he was,' Blais says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:35:22 PM
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Blais says First Nations kids told him they had more freedom in their home communities #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:32:35 PM
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'He would have went quite as ways' in his hockey career, Blais says of Jordan. 'He had a natural instinct for the sport' #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:32:09 PM
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'I have a lot of rules and if they don't follow, they don't play,' Blais says. Jordan was 'extremely' reliable #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:30:49 PM
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'I have a lot of boys from native reserves up, they all kind of tell me the same story,' Blais says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:25:19 PM
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Blais says Wabasse was capable of playing AA hockey. He was a talented goalie #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:22:21 PM
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Inquest resumes 1 hr behind schedule. First witness is Pierre Blais. He coached Jordan Wabasse's hockey team #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 3:19:37 PM
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I always rush over here and then...start of #tbinquest delayed again this morning.by Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 2:53:39 PM
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Tuesday at the #tbinquest , Jordan Wabasse's grandmother just told she can't have coffee in court. Snacks were free-flowing here last yearby Jody Porter via twitter 1/12/2016 2:22:02 PM
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Jacob says it's possible their other sons' opportunities will be limited because of the lack of education services in Webequie #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:53:03 PM
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Jacob says Webequie no longer sends students out to #tbay for high school at Matawa Learning Centre. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:43:05 PM
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Jacob concerns remain about man shown on a surveillance video getting off bus at same stop as Jordan on night he disappeared #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:38:51 PM
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'Sometimes it's over-crowded in the portables, so we can only limit students,' Jacob says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:35:02 PM
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Some of the high school students 'struggle with English' in the predominantly Ojbway-speaking community, Jacob says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:32:32 PM
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The portables for high school students in Webequie 'are falling apart', Jacob says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:31:06 PM
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Jacob: "To have schools and better facilities in the reserves' 2/2 #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:20:00 PM
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Lawyer to Derek Jacob: what do you think would help make it easier for students to attend high school in #tbay ? 1/2 #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:19:14 PM
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Jacob says after Jordan died, family received his belongings, kept them for a bit, then burned them in a traditional ceremony #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:17:12 PM
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Jacob recalls community searchers first turning up Jordan's hat, then a shoe near the James St. Bridge #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:14:02 PM
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NAN deputy grand chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum just moved to front row to sit with Jordan's grandmother #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:09:34 PM
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Jacob says school in Webequie goes up to grade 11. High school grades are in portables, one teacher for ~50 students, 1 teacher. #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 8:01:34 PM
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Jacob says he told his son how school in #tbay was "different compared to reserve school' before Jordan left for the city #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 7:47:57 PM
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Jacob says it was 'short notice' to get Jordan set up in #tbay . Jordan was 'looking forward to it,' he says #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 7:45:19 PM
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Derek Jacob says the Matawa Learning Centre was just set up when Jordan came to #tbay to go to school there in 2011 #tbinquestby Jody Porter via twitter 1/11/2016 7:43:45 PM