Chantel John had a 'love for life' as community reflects on her murder 7 years later
CBC
It's been seven years since Chantel John was killed in her home community of Conne River, but she is remembered fondly and vividly by those who knew her.
John, a member of the Miawpukek First Nation on Newfoundland's south coast, was 28-years-old when her ex-boyfriend, Kirk Keeping, murdered her in January of 2019. Keeping pleaded guilty to murder in April 2024. He will serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 16 years.
John's former teacher Rod Jeddore says the loss is still fresh.
“We're Indigenous and we're all familiar with missing, murdered Indigenous women. But now it was home and it really hit hard,” Jeddore told CBC News.
Jeddore, who is also Miawpukek First Nation's director of education, taught John when she was in grade 10.
“She had a love for life and she really loved animals. Her dog in particular was like her child up until her last days,” he said. “She was always pleasant and always inquisitive and not afraid to ask questions.”
John’s love of animals was well-known in the community.
“Most people will, if you speak to them, talk about her dog that she had with her every time you saw her,” Jeddore said.
Veronica McDonald, John’s aunt, took care of her as a young child. She said that love of animals ran deep.
“She loved watching the animals on TV, all the animal programs,” McDonald said. “Anytime she saw a dog, she had to go pet it.”
John’s also remembered for her calm and friendly demeanor.
“She was very forgiving,” McDonald said.
Jeddore and McDonald said John’s death changed Conne River. The school closed and the community stopped.
“Nobody knew what to do, what to say, you know,” Jeddore said, adding John’s murder put a fear into people that wasn’t previously there.
Murray Trout paces through his living room as plumbers scurry down the hallway to attend to yet another burst water pipe in Pimicikamak Cree Nation.
Just hours after the United States announced it had attacked oil-rich Venezuela and captured its president Nicolás Maduro, the wife of a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Canada on social media.
The B.C. Geographical Names Office (BCGNO) is considering rescinding the name "Trutch" from four more locations across the province over their namesake's racist legacy.
An audit of Hamilton’s outdoor shelter project found that when it came to constructing the shelters, “urgency overrode the importance of due diligence and good governance.”
Stellantis says it will phase out plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year.
Some Calgary city councillors are throwing cold water on the idea that an Enmax-like corporation, owned by the city, should oversee its water system in the future.
A British Columbia woman with a neurological disorder says she's looking forward to finally getting her mobility device back from a Toronto ride-hailing driver, who didn’t return it after she accidentally left it in his car in October.
The Kitchener Fire Department wants homeowners to purchase a carbon monoxide alarm as soon as possible after a new Ontario law requires on every floor of a home or existing multi-unit residence to have one.
Like many others who have been drawn in by the steamy hockey drama series, Cameron Cassidy has watched Heated Rivalry multiple times over.
The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation is ending its one-on-one healing services after eight years in operation to refocus on building long-term capacity for healing initiatives in the North.
There was disappointment on the streets of Caracas on Friday as only a handful of prisoners emerged from the Heilcoide and other prisons, despite a promise from a major regime figure that a "significant" number of people would get their freedom.
Fourteen million — that’s how many digital checkouts the Toronto Public Library logged last year.
Some archivists and librarians say there are ways to preserve old and outdated books, amid controversy about a London high school’s decision to purge thousands of titles from its library.