5-month delay for search and rescue inquiry's final report

It will be another five months before the final report for the public inquiry into the ground search and rescue for lost and missing persons will be finished.

The announcement of the delay was issued via media release Thursday,the same day the provincial government announced a step forward in another long-awaited inquiry, into the treatment of Innu children in the child protection system at a significant event attended by many at Confederation Building.

Commissioner JamesIgloliorterequested the extension and will submit his final report to the justice minister by Nov. 30instead of by June 30.

"The work and planning of the inquiry has been disrupted by the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent restrictions on meeting and, especially, travelling," reads the media release.

Igloliortefelt it was necessary to postpone preparatory work and community roundtables.

The final report has two tasks:

• Review the organization and operation ofgroundsearch andrescuein the province, including air support forgroundsearch andrescue.
• Make recommendations that the commissioner considers necessary and advisable related togroundsearch andrescuein the province.

Igloliorte, a former provincial court judge,is leading both theground search and rescue operation inquiry and thetreatment of Innu children in the child protection system. For the latter,he will be joined byAnastasia Qupee, former grand chief of the Innu Nation, andMike Devine, a retiredprofessor of social work at Memorial University.

Liberals first promised the inquiry in 2015

The catalyst for the inquiry into the ground search and rescue public inquiry was the 2012 death of 14-year-old Burton Winters.Hediedafterhis snowmobile got stuck onsea ice outside of Makkovik, Labrador.

His family demanded to knowwhy it took two days for military aircraft to be dispatched to help with the ground search. It took three days for rescuers to find Burton's body.

Thegovernmentinitially announced this inquiryon Dec. 4, 2018, after promisingone when the Liberal Party came to power in 2015.

Igloliortehas previously said the inquiry was limited in what it could cover, and government officials said the inquiry would look atat the overarching mechanisms and provide recommendations to streamline operations.

The media release says a website dedicated to the work of the commission will be online early next week.

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