(Pictured: Loretta Saunders.)
By Ossie Michelin
APTN National News
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador — Residents in Goose Bay, NL, want the family of Loretta Saunders to know that they are in their thoughts as the preliminary hearings wraps up in Halifax.
Saunders, an Inuk from Labrador, was murdered while studying at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax a little over six months ago.
“I just want the family to know that we’re back home, we’re supporting you 100 per cent we want justice to be served and we want you to try to feel comfortable despite the situation that’s going on,” said Joelene Pardy, who organized a recent rally in memory of Saunders. The rally was held in Saunders’ hometown of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Pardy remembers her friend Saunders as someone with a big smile who was always willing to help, “whenever she spoke, everyone listened.”
She wants to make sure Saunders’ memory lives on and her legacy continues to help inform the Canadian public about missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Victoria Henneberry, 28, and Blake Leggette, 25, Saunders’ former roommates, are accused of killing Saunders.
With the preliminary hearings finished the judge will now announce court date for the trial on Friday.
Saunders’ parents, Miriam Saunders and Clayton Saunders, were subpoenaed to speak at the prelim but were never called to the stand. They were excluded from much of the early preliminary proceedings.
The experience seemed to be very difficult for entire Saunders family who drove from Goose Bay to Halifax to attend the proceedings.
A source close to the family who was with them during the hearings has said the family finally learned the details behind Saunders’ death in the court room as the Crown presents the evidence used to charge Henneberry and Leggette. The source went on to say that despite the difficult news the family is now finally able to heal after hearing exactly what happened.
“It was horrible but at least they finally know what happened,” said the source.
The source says that after the hearings finished, and the family finally had time to recollect itself before returning to Labrador, they witnessed Saunders’ parents laughing freely for the first time since their daughter’s death.
During the hearing, Saunders’ uncle lunged at one of the accused and her mother shouted, “coward.”
Newfoundland and Labrador legislator Keith Russell attended the rally. He says it was difficult watching the family in the media as the preliminary hearing proceeded.
“Seeing the family in the media right now and the frustration they’re going through and having to go through the court process and all that stuff, and seeing it boil over. It was really great that Joelene Pardy got everybody together just for the show of support just for the family during this time,” he said.
In this small town, rallies and protests are admittedly rare. With the number of people who came out wearing memorial t-shirts and walking down the town’s main street it is apparent how deeply Saunders’ death impacted many.
Inuit activist Jenna Broomfield also attended the rally for Loretta Saunders. Broomfield says people in Labrador were shocked because Saunders’ story could have happened to anyone and her death has become a call to action.
“There’s going to be a lot more direct action here in Labrador I think that there’s going to be a lot more media attention and I feel that’s something that’s needed. I feel that every individual that comes out to every march is going to make a difference, the more people we can have to spread the message across Canada the better,” she said.
Loretta Saunders was pregnant at the time of her death, she was 26.
@osmich
