Canoe Lake Woman Miscarries After Eviction

Canoe Lake Woman Miscarries After Eviction

Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 14:20

A Canoe Lake man says his wife had a miscarriage this past weekend after learning their house on the reserve had been given to someone else.

Nathan Opikokew says he and his wife found new tenants in their home and their furniture stashed in the basement when they returned from a trip to Meadow Lake this past Friday.

After calling the Mounties, they were given a copy of a band notice that said the people in the house were now the new tenants.

Opikokew says they were given no prior warning this could happen.

He also says, while they were a couple of months behind on rent payments and staying mostly in Meadow Lake during that time, other band members in similar circumstances have been able to keep their homes.

Band chief Guy Lariviere says he doesn’t know how this decision was reached — but says the matter will be reviewed when the band councillor in charge returns from holidays.

Lariviere says the band doesn’t like throwing anyone out of a home — but adds the band has a housing waiting list with 150 names, and unpaid rent is taken out of the band’s general account.