‘Never going to forget her’: Family honours Tina Fontaine 10 years after her death
Posted August 11, 2024 3:55 pm.
Last Updated August 12, 2024 10:06 am.
Elroy Fontaine remembers his older sister Tina Fontaine as a “sweet, sweet girl” who “had a very big heart.”
Members of the Fontaine family and community gathered Saturday night to honour Tina on the 10-year anniversary of the day she’s believed to have died.
Red ribbons were tied to a fence along the Alexander Docks – near where her body was found in 2014 – as drumming and songs filled the air. A cedar tree was planted, and candles were lit to remember a life taken to soon.
“She taught me so much in my life,” Elroy told the vigil. “How to love and care for people, how to love the ones who’ve hurt you the most, and how to keep going.’’
Tina had disappeared into the streets of Winnipeg, before her body, wrapped in plastic and a duvet cover, was pulled from the Red River on Aug. 17, 2014.
The 15-year-old girl from Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation, who was raised by a great-aunt for much of her life, had been living in a Winnipeg hotel under the care of child and family services. She was reported missing a week before her body was found.
The following year, police charged a man with second-degree murder in her death. A jury found Raymond Cormier not guilty in 2018. Cormier died earlier this year.
Her death shocked the country and was the catalyst for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Advocates and family members, who had long been calling for political action to address staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls, raised their voices even louder and demanded change.
“It’s sad, but it started a movement,” Elroy said. “I’m glad it’s opened people’s eyes and everything. And that people are coming to their senses now.”
As attendees paid tribute to Tina’s memory and the continued fight for justice, Elroy was confident his sister was watching on proudly.
“I hope she feels good that she’s never going to be forgotten,” he said. “Even if the whole world forgets her, I’m never going to forget her.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
