5 years after death of Burton Winters, timeline unclear for search and rescue inquiry

Five years after Burton Winters died and more than a year after the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberals pledged to hold an inquiry into search and rescue, Justice and Public Safety Minister Andrew Parsons says he needs to hammer out details with federal officials before he can set a date for public hearings to begin.

The Liberals campaigned on a promise to hold an inquiry after scathing criticism about search and rescue protocols and questions about whether procedural failings resulted in Winters's death.

"There's a provincial side and there's also a federal side," Parsons said.

"You can't just call all the shots.This requires the co-operation of our counterparts in the federal administration."

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Winters, 14, was reported missing on January 29, 2012 after failing to return home from his grandmother's house onsnowmobile.

Canadian Forces search and rescue crews weren't dispatched for two days. Winters's body was found 19 kilometres away from his stuck snowmobile he had apparently tried to walk home in stormy weather.

One at a time

A search and rescue inquiry is one of three the Liberals promised.

The first a look into the shooting death of Donald Dunphy is underway now. Theprovince also plans to hold aninquiry to a contentious Humber Valley Paving contract.

"Just due to the resources that each needs, you can only, I think, realistically hold one at a time. I don't think you can have them concurrently," Parsons said, adding that he hoped to have a final report from the Dunphy inquiry on his desk by July 1.

The minister couldn't say which issue he'd tackle next and punted responsibility for the delay back tothe previous Progressive Conservative government.

"We called for an inquiry back in 2012 when this happened and the previous administration denied that call."

Referring to a statement Winters's parentsmade to CBC last year when plans for an inquiry were first announced, Parsons said he understood why they are skeptical.

"I think it's a fair feeling, to say that they take it with a grain of salt. They've been through a tragedy," he said, but added that holding an inquiry is part of his mandate and he has no plans to abandon it.

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"Search and rescue's a huge issue in this province, it always has been, and I suspect it always will be, but when it involves other jurisdictions and not just the province we need to ensure that they're going to play a role in this because the recommendations that come from such an inquiry will affect them as well."