When we think of the Labour Day long weekend in Saskatchewan, we often have pleasant memories.
We think of the final opportunities to enjoy the summer. Many of us want to spend as much time at campgrounds, lakes and cabins as possible. We want to visit with friends and fire up the barbecue. We think about the return of classes for school students and the annual Labour Day Classic football game between our beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
We never could have imagined that something would happen like the tragic events in northeast Saskatchewan.
There was a press release early Sunday morning from the Melfort RCMP about dangerous people in their detachment area. Three hours later, we started receiving notifications through the Saskatchewan Alert app. Before too long, we were told the suspects were in a vehicle and there were multiple stabbing victims at the James Smith Cree Nation and the village of Weldon.
When we heard a couple of hours later that police believed the suspects had been seen in Regina, it drew even more attention.
Over the past few days, more details have filtered out. We now know that 11 people died, including one of the two suspects in the spree, and that 19 more were injured. Some of the victims were known to the fugitives, but others seem to have been selected at random.
We’re hearing more about the victims of the killing spree and the type of people they were.
And there’s still the cloud lingering over us, since one of the fugitives, Myles Sanderson, had not been found as of Tuesday morning. The other suspect, his brother Damien, was found deceased at the James Smith Cree Nation.
That uncertainty has many people worried, especially those in the affected areas, and in Regina, since police believe he might still be in the Queen City.
You can forgive those who spent Sunday and Monday looking over their shoulders.
There’s growing frustration that Myles Sanderson had not been located, and that police had been seeking him since May for other crimes. But we have to remember the vast size of Saskatchewan. He could be anywhere. He could have assistance from somebody helping him hide. And there’s no guarantee that he’s still in Saskatchewan.
By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around and we knew that horrible things had happened, we needed a distraction. A reason to cheer or laugh. That’s why it was important for the Labour Day Classic to proceed, even if there was extra security.
We don’t know why this happened, what triggered the actions of the suspects and why they went after total strangers.
Some people are questioning the need to use the Saskatchewan Alert system and send a barrage of messages with blaring noises to our phones and other electronic devices. In this instance, much like an Amber Alert for a kidnapped child, I understand the value in sending these warnings to the public.
You had a situation in which a number of people had been killed in a short amount of time, and the suspects appeared to have access to a vehicle. They needed to get as much information out to as many people as possible and as quickly as they can, even if the crime scenes are hours away.
You only need to look at what happened in Nova Scotia in the spring of 2020 for an example of what could happen if you don’t properly alert the public.
We don’t need SaskAlert to be fully employed province-wide each time there’s a dangerous person on the lamb. It’s been used a couple of times since the murders at James Smith and Weldon, and if it continues to be overused, people will start to ignore it, which could have negative results. But when the situation warrants it, make use of the asset.
Saskatchewan people are strong, generous and compassionate. We will get through this together. While we have a large number of diverse, unique communities, in times like this and in the past, we have shown the ability to be one united community.
We’ll come through this.
For all of those affected by these crimes – and there are many of them – we have to be there with our support, even if it’s emotional.
