Val Chartrand's niece Michelle was killed in 2009. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Tragic events

Prince Albert honours National Red Dress Day

May 5, 2025 | 4:36 PM

National Red Dress day is one of awareness and remembrance of missing or murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people. Today is an opportunity for families who have lost loved ones to share their stories and raise awareness about the disproportionately high rates of violence in Indigenous communities.

Over 15 years have passed since Valerie Chartrand’s niece Michelle Lee Hadwen was killed in Edmonton and there’s been no arrests. Chartrand spoke Monday at a special event in Prince Albert at the Prince Albert Grand Council Cultural Centre.

“It’s good to talk about it because one day we might find that person and justice will be served,” she said.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 6, 2009, a passerby called 9-1-1 to report an injured woman lying in the roadway. Hadwen, 37, was treated and transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two days later, she succumbed to her injuries.

The Edmonton Medical Examiner determined the manner of death was homicide. The cause of death continues to be withheld for investigative purposes.

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While Michelle lived a fairly transient lifestyle, she was a highly social person and quite a bit of time in establishments such as Reno’s Pub, The Hub and The York Hotel. (Edmonton Police Service)

At the time of her death, Michelle was living a transient lifestyle and was still dealing with the trauma she suffered as a result of growing up in the welfare system, exposure to physical and sexual abuse. Both she and her two siblings ended up on the streets and have all passed away.

“We think about her on her birthday and the anniversary of when she died,” Chartrand said.

Sara Carriere-Burns, who has lost both a brother and a sister, was also asked to speak during Monday’s event.

“Its an honour but at the same time it’s also heartbreaking” she explained. “It’s an honour because I get to speak about my brother and sister that were taken from us.”

On Jan. 17, 2015, Prince Albert RCMP received a call after a body was found on a snowmobile trail 15 kilometres Northwest of Prince Albert, in the RM of Buckland. Investigation revealed the person was Monica Burns.

Over a year and a half later, the man responsible, Todd McKeaveney, received a 13-year prison sentence for manslaughter.

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Recalling how the family really suffered with Monica’s death, Burns admitted they themselves were not in the healthiest of places. After her brother Steven Burns passed in 2021, she said they found support in ceremonies.

“Not that it made it easier, but we were able to get through it together,” she explained.

Also among the speakers on Monday was a family liason worker from Indigenous Services Canada and Rhonda Blackmore, who is the commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP.

PROJECT FAITH

Blackmore spoke to the gathered crowd about her efforts to create a new dedicated policing unit with a very specific purpose.

“We’ve called it Project Faith and those resources would be dedicated to initially missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, but also then as hopefully we can solve some of those missing and murdered Indigenous people and closing those files because we need that concentrated effort,” she said.

The province has shown some interest in the concept and Blackmore is optimistic it will come to be.

“We’ve had some really good, positive discussions lately about funding some of those positions,” she said.

They have people from other provinces that want to move to Saskatchewan to work specifically on those files.

“I’ve got the people, I just need the money,” Blackmore said. “So often I hear, we just want answers. We can do better.”

Asst. Commissioner of the Sask. RCMP, Rhonda Blackmore, spoke at Red Dress Day in Prince Albert. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

Blackmore said she is confident that a lot of the cases can be solved, but right now officers spent time working on historic cases then get diverted to newer files, leaving the older ones to languish.

Along with Blackmore, Staff Sergeant Cliff Joanis – who is stationed in Prince Albert – was at the Red Dress day event and said it is important for family members of missing people to remember the investigations aren’t always overt or public.

“Even when investigations are ongoing that they are ongoing. It doesn’t stop and the files don’t stop. We’re continually working on things,” he said.

Saskatchewan does not have a minimum 24-hour wait time for missing people to be reported so Joanis recommends people use their instincts.

“You know, your loved ones more than anyone and so if something’s out of the ordinary. It’s an hour, two hours, three hours. Let the police know right away because time is important,” he stated.

Last year in Saskatchewan, 2,752 missing persons were reported just to RCMP. Of those, 1,200 were Indigenous. Municipal police maintain separate statistics.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social

— with files from Susan McNeil