CTV News confirmed details of the incident through conversations with family members, the local First Nation chief and police sources. Family members of a 32-year-old Onigaming First Nation man called 911 at 10 a.m. Thursday to report their loved one was not breathing. Relatives performed CPR as they waited for medics to arrive. But as they waited, a photo taken at 10:45 a.m. and shared with CTV News shows an ambulance waiting on the side of the road at the border of the community, seconds away from the home where the man was. The man eventually died and the cause of death is unknown at this time. Ojibways of Onigaming Chief Jeff Copenance tweeted that he and others could see the ambulance from the band office. “Today a young First Nations man died in Onigaming. 911 was called. The ambulance stationed at the edge of our reserve + was unable to help. As his family performed chest compressions, the medics left this young man to die. This is racism,” he wrote. The Kenora Regional Services Board, which oversees emergency medical services in the region, expressed its condolences and said in a statement that it would conduct a “full review” of the incident. The board also asked the Ontario Ministry of Health to investigate. Investigators are expected to arrive at the community on Monday. Copenance says his staff went to the ambulance and begged paramedics to respond. He added that the home may have been red-flagged by paramedics as a place where violent incidents may have occurred in the past. Treaty 3 Police, which is responsible for policing the area, would not say whether that was the case. However, he confirmed that the 911 call was about someone who was unresponsive, with no mention of any type of violence. Although police received a request for paramedic support, they were based more than an hour away north in Kenora, Ont. When they arrived, paramedics were already at the house. Condition 3 The police cover an area of 88,000 square kilometers – larger than the province of New Brunswick. The force has 96 officers. Federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement on Twitter that she had spoken with Copenance. “Not having access to emergency care is unacceptable. We agreed that food, professional and community leaders must work together to understand how this happened and make sure that all people at Onigaming can get the care they need when they need it,” he said. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Mark Miller said he also spoke to Copenance and called what happened “unacceptable”. “The young man’s family and the people at Onigaming deserve some clear answers,” Miller said. The community of 800 people is in “crisis,” Copenance says, with high rates of alcohol and drug addiction, a lack of mental health support and lingering trauma from the legacy of residential schools. Copenance says he has already been to a dozen funerals in the past year.
@JustinTrudeau @PattyHajdu @OgichidaaKav Today a young First Nations man died in Onigaming. 911 was called. The ambulance that was parked at the edge of our reserve + would not help. As his family provided chest compressions, paramedics left this young man to die. This is racism. — Chief Jeff Copenace (@ChiefCopenace) September 15, 2022 Last night I spoke with Chief Copenace. Not being able to access emergency care is unacceptable. We agreed that nutrition, professional and community leaders need to work together to understand how this happened and ensure that all people at Onigaming can get the care they need when they need it. https://t.co/s1m5ErpT8y — Patty Hajdu (@PattyHajdu) September 16, 2022 I spoke briefly with Chief Copenace this afternoon. What happened is unacceptable. The young man’s family and the people at Onigaming deserve some straight answers. https://t.co/4ptdXJjBss — Marc Miller (@MarcMillerVM) September 15, 2022
