Ontario inquest for First Nation woman who sought help for diabetes to examine health-care inequities

The inquest that begins Monday into the death seven years ago of a First Nations woman in northwestern Ontario is expected to examine the challenges of providing health care in remote communities.

Ruthann Quequish, 31, who was dealing with complications from diabetes, passed away on April 1, 2017, at her home in Kingfisher Lake First Nation after attending her community's nursing station in the hours and days preceding her death.

Fewer than 600 people live in the remote Oji-Cree community, about 350 kilometres northeast of Sioux Lookout, which is part of Treaty 9.

"Ruthann was a very beautiful person and a much-loved daughter, sister and mother. Her family desperately advocated for her to receive medical care, and miss her every day," Jordan Quequish, Ruthann's brother, said in a written statement to CBC News.

The inquest, being held in Thunder Bay, was first delayed in April 2023 and then anticipated to be held that November before being pushed again to 2024. 

Julia Noonan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General, said in an email to CBC News reasons for the delays include the COVID-19 pandemic, and time needed to retain an expert to review investigative materials and identify potential issues relating to Quequish's death.

"The inquest was most recently delayed in response to a request from family and community," Noonan said.

Dr. Michael Wilson will be the presiding officer at the inquest.

The jury will be tasked with answering five questions: identifying who died, when and where they died, their medical cause of death, and by what means they died — which is classified as either natural causes, accident, homicide, suicide or undetermined.

Jurors can also make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

"This is a discretionary inquest that was called and I think from that perspective, it demonstrates that there is an important public interest in this inquest," said Kate Forget, a member of Matachewan First Nation.

Forget and colleague Carolyn Leach are serving as inquest counsel with the Indigenous justice division of Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General.

"Inquests are really important from a death prevention perspective and also from a truth-seeking perspective, so that hopefully the family and community gets answers to questions that they may have had for years," Forget said.

The process also serves to educate the public about systemic issues and "how we can make improvements to the system so that there's equitable health care provided to First Nations communities," she added.