Inquest into Whitehorse shelter deaths begins with testimony from family

Emotions were running high at a Whitehorse hotel on Monday, where a long-awaited coroner's inquest into the deaths of four Indigenous women, all of whom died while accessing services at Whitehorse's emergency shelter in 2022 and 2023, got underway.

"My heart is heavy," Bella Tizya, the mother of one of the deceased women, said at the beginning of the inquest.

"Somedays, I couldn't get out of bed ... My daughter was gone. I just want to know why ... I just want to know if my daughter was happy the night she died."

The first day of testimony focused on Myranda Tizya-Charlie, 34, and Cassandra Warville, 35, who were reported dead on January 19, 2022. Both were members of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, in Old Crow.

Chief coroner Heather Jones said later that year that the two women's deaths "were found to be the result of toxic illicit drugs," and she ordered an inquest at that time. It's being held at the Best Western Gold Rush Inn before a jury, and it's expected to take about three weeks.

Photos on display inside the inquest's room showed Warville and Tizya-Charlie's friendships, their time in Old Crow and their big smiles.

Barely no one attending the inquest, however, was smiling.

Difficult testimonies

Presiding coroner Michael Egilson and the jury on Monday heard emotional testimony from the women's family, and also saw disturbing security camera footage from the shelter on the night the women died.

Dana Lore, Warville's sister, described the heavy impact her death had on the family. Lore described her sister as always laughing, and full of love for her family.

"My sister, I miss you," Lore said with emotions, breaking the silence of the inquest's room.

A display at a coroner's inquest in Whitehorse on Monday commemorates the deceased women. The inquest is looking into the deaths of 4 women who died while accessing services at the Whitehorse emergency shelter in 2022 and 2023. (Virginie Ann/CBC)

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Bella Tizya, Tizya-Charlie's mother, also testified, giving a long and poignant statement about her daughter, who she described as kind and always ready to help out. She described her own mixed feelings about wanting to learn more about how her daughter died, saying it was painful but that she also wanted others to learn from what happened.

"It's not only this family ... it's a reality today ... and it's only going to get worse," Tizya spoke of the substance use crisis.

"I want to raise awareness out of my daughter's story."

The inquest also heard from two RCMP officers, including one who was called to the emergency shelter the night the two women died, and another who investigated the deaths.

The video surveillance offered a somewhat detailed timeline in the deaths while RCMP Const. Andrew Imrie narrated the unfolding events to the jury. The footage showed Warville and Tizya-Charlie had gone into a shower room together that night, and that nobody working at the shelter checked on them for three and half hours.

Security camera footage, screened at the inquest, shocked the roomful of people gathered to watch the proceedings. Many screamed or broke into tears when the video showed shelter staff dragging the women's lifeless bodies from the shower room. Families stood up in disbelief, painfully yelling at the video footage, holding onto each other for support.

The inquest was then adjourned to allow people to recover.

Meanwhile, people in the hotel's hallway said, "there wasn't enough warning," talking about the graphic content they had seen.

RCMP Const. Derek Kirstein confirmed that a "crack pipe" was found on Warville, while an empty bag of what he described to "usually contains drugs" was found on Tizya-Charlie. There was also a used naloxone nasal spray found in the shower room — which can prevent opioid overdose — but it wasn't confirmed who used it or when.

The inquest will also look in the coming days into the deaths of Josephine Elizabeth Hager, 38, and Darla Skookum, 52, who both died in early 2023.

Representatives from several groups and organizations, including the Council of First Nations, the Yukon Government, and Connective — which operates the shelter — will be able to ask questions as testimony continues in the coming days. The jury will also be able to ask questions.

Jurors will have the chance to make recommendations at the end of the inquest. Their job isn't to find legal or criminal responsibility.

The Yukon government says additional counselling supports will be available during the inquest.

In-person and virtual rapid access counselling appointments can be made by calling 867-456-3838, or toll-free at 1-866-456-3838. In-person counselling will be available in Whitehorse, as well as in Carmacks from April 17-19 and April 22-23, and Pelly Crossing from April 10-12.