Vigil held in P.A. for victims of mass stabbing attack

A vigil was held Wednesday night in Prince Albert to honour the victims of the mass stabbing attack on the James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon.

Around 200 people gathered in Memorial Square outside of city hall to pay their respects.

Chief Wally Burns of James Smith Cree Nation was in attendance and sang with an Indigenous drumming group. He also spoke publicly for the first time since the incident.

He explained every day is like a waking nightmare.

“I’m holding back a lot of hurt, a lot of anger … I wish this was just a dream, but it’s not,” he said.

He noted the first thing he thinks of when he wakes up is the victim’s families. Ten people ended up losing their lives and another 18 people were injured.

“The words I want to say don’t want to come out,” said Burns.

During his speech, Burns talked about what’s next.

“Today is the start of another chapter in our lives, a chapter where we have to celebrate the lives that are gone, that were taken away.”

He added the victims will continue to be with them as they move on from this horrific attack.

A vigil will take place at Bernard Constant Community School in James Smith Cree Nation on Thursday morning, starting at 11 a.m. Burns welcomed the public to come out and pay their respects once more.

Another person who attended the vigil was Leanne Bear. She told paNOW she hoped the large community gather sends a strong and powerful message to all those impacted.

“We don’t even have to know them personally, we care about them, we love them, and we’re here for them.”

The vigil was co-ordinated by the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) and First Nations University northern campus.

Jason Wong, Vice President, Finance & Administration for the school, also attended the event. He said the attack hit home for so many people, many of whom don’t have any connection to either community.

“It really reverberated and shocked people, a sense of vulnerability and a diminish in safety that went along with it as well.”

The manhunt for Myles Sanderson, the man accused of being behind the attack, ended just a few hours before the vigil. He was arrested near Rosthern; however, he died shortly after.

Bear noted she was also at the vigil to support some forgotten victims: Sanderson’s parents. She explained they did nothing wrong, and they too lost someone they loved.

“I’d be mad as hell at him, I’d want to choke him out, but I would still love him and that’s probably how his family feels.”

Separate vigils were also held in Saskatoon and Regina coinciding with the one in P.A.

— With files from Nigel Maxwell