Thunder Bay Police Service faces skepticism about promises of reform after charges against ex-chief
CBC
As senior leaders of the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) and its oversight board say they are committed to accountability and rebuilding trust with the community, Indigenous leaders in the region say that words are no longer enough and they need to see action.
"Trust in the police is not there," Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa said Monday, days after former TBPS Chief Sylvie Hauth was charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). His comments also followed a media conference from TBPS Chief Darcy Fleury and Thunder Bay Police Service Board Chair Karen Machado, where Machado called the charges "deeply disturbing."
"We need to be able to address those issues, and I think we need to be able to implement some of the recommendations that came out of a number of reports," Mamakwa said.
Both Machado and Fleury acknowledged there has been an erosion of trust within the northwestern Ontario community and said they understand the recent charges against Hauth and other current and former members of the service have cast doubt on the police force.
Hauth is facing four charges: obstruction of a public officer or peace officer, breach of trust by a public officer, and two counts of obstruction of justice. She was formally charged on Friday after turning herself in to an OPP detachment in Nepean.
Those charges come following an investigation that began in late 2021, when the Ministry of the Attorney General requested the OPP investigate allegations of misconduct by members of the TBPS, according to provincial police. That review led to an investigation by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) that is ongoing.
Hauth's hiring as full-time chief in 2018 came after an investigation that found evidence of systemic racism within the force.
In a statement, Hauth's lawyer said she was looking forward to defending herself in court and is "confident she will prevail."
Hauth was released from custody and is due in Thunder Bay court on May 7.
Meanwhile, former Thunder Bay police lawyer Holly Walbourne is facing charges of breach of trust and obstruction, while Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini has been charged with assault, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice.
Sherry Abotossaway, a criminal defence lawyer in Thunder Bay, and professor at Lakehead University's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, said it's important for Fluery to reach out directly to Indigenous people.
"Be a face that's out there speaking to people and building that trust, because it's not going to come anytime soon," she said, noting she hoped the recently laid charges would help. "But I don't know just because the back track record hasn't been so good."
Jamie Cunningham, a former civilian member of the TBPS who was at Monday's media conference said her takeaway was that very little has changed.
"There's still a lot of deflection, still a lot of unanswered questions and an inability to admit wrongdoing and to build relationships with the people who have been harmed," she said. "Perhaps not physically, but certainly mentally and emotionally over these last three years."
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.
Thoroughbred horse racing at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse is ending after more than a century, with the operator announcing Friday it will no longer run a racing season at the historic facility.