The inquiry into the death of 27-year-old Kevin Mamakwa – the nephew of an Ontario member of provincial parliament – is scheduled for Jan. 26 in Thunder Bay.
Kevin Mamakwa passed away on June 2, 2020 while being held at the Thunder Bay Jail. He was a member of Kingfisher Lake First Nation, a remote Oji-Cree community located about 350 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout.
Sol Mamakwa, the NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong, confirmed that the deceased was his nephew shortly after his passing and urged that the jail be closed due to safety issues.
The inquiry, announced in September, will be held at 189 Red River Rd. It will be conducted by presiding officer Michael Wilson, with Kate Forget and Robert Kozak serving as counsel for the inquiry, as stated by Ontario’s Coroner’s Office in a news release on Wednesday.
Inquiries are required under the Coroners Act when someone dies while in custody.
The proceedings for Kevin Mamakwa’s inquiry are expected to last around 10 days and involve testimony from approximately 15 witnesses, according to the news release.
The witnesses will provide information regarding the circumstances surrounding Kevin Mamakwa’s death. Following their testimonies, a five-member jury will have responsibilities including identifying who died; when and where they died; determining their medical cause of death; and figuring out how they died.
The jury will also categorize the death as natural causes, accident, homicide, suicide or undetermined.
Meanwhile, work is ongoing on the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex, which is set to replace both the Thunder Bay Jail and Thunder Bay Correctional Centre. This new facility with 345 beds is anticipated to open in November.
In an interview with CBC’s Superior Morning back in June 2020, Sol Mamakwa described his nephew as someone who was “really involved in sports,” mentioning that he faced challenges related to mental health and addiction issues.
Members of the public can watch the proceedings online.
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