MMIWG inquiry hearings coming to Thompson, Man. for 2 days

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is returning to Manitoba. 

Two days of hearings will be held in Thompson, Man., on March 20 and 21, and commissioner Michèle Audette will be attending. 

Inquiry officials said the need for the inquiry to gather testimony in Northern Manitoba was identified during the Winnipeg hearings in October 2017. 

In Manitoba, 160 families and survivors are registered to share their stories. So far, 86 testimonies have been completed. 

Nationwide, about 700 testimonies has been collected from 1,350 registered survivors and families. 

The inquiry has been beset by resignations, and many communities — including Manitoba and parts of the North — have called for the commissioners to resign and for more regional representation. 

More than 80 families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in northern and northwestern Ontario have still not testified before the national inquiry, which was created to hear their stories and chart a new path to dealing with the crisis.

The inquiry has so far held 11 hearings across the country, and four more are scheduled into April. Only one hearing has been held in Ontario so far.

Five days of testimony in Winnipeg last fall left participants wanting more, including more aftercare.