Grief continues a year after tragic Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation fire left 2 children dead
2-year-old Harley and 18-month-old Haley died in Feb 2015
More than a year after the death of their two children, Martin Cheenanow and Hazel Ochuschayoo are still processing their grief.
"We've had a lot of heartbreaking moments, as we keep thinking about [the loss]. It never left me. Still today, I still think about it lots. We still get lonely for them," says Cheenanow.
On Feb. 17, 2015, the couple's children, two-year-old Harley and 18-month-old Haley, died when their house on the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation went up in flames.
The tragedy in the community, located 300 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, attracted a lot of attention because the volunteer fire service of the neighbouring village didn't answer the 911 call. The fire service attributed its lack of response to an unpaid bill, saying that its firefighters wouldn't have been insured.
The controversy has gone away but the grieving continues.
- 2 toddlers killed in house fire on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation
- Makwa Sahgaiehcan deadly fire: Unpaid bills of $3,400 part of response dispute
A difficult year
Cheenanow and Ochuschayoo are temporarily staying in a home on the edge of a section of boreal forest, less than a kilometre from their old house, which was completely destroyed. They have plans to rebuild it.
The couple burn a little sweet grass before speaking about their loss in an effort to make the discussion less painful. Cheenanow talks about the past year in a calm, soft voice, but it remains too difficult to speak about for Ochuschayoo.
"It's been difficult for us but life goes on. All we can do now is just look back at the memories, while they were around," Cheenanow said.
The couple like to watch videos and look at photos of their children. Cheenanow said one of his favourite memories is when Harley would make music with a toy guitar, while his little sister danced energetically at his side.
"My little man, he used to play a little guitar and my little daughter would be dancing for him," he said.
On a video of the scene, Harley can be seen affectionately patting his sister on the head after she finishes dancing.
Father remembers rushing into the burning home
The tragedy has left Cheenanow with many difficult memories.
He and Ochuschayoo were out that night and had left their kids under the care of a babysitter, Ochuschayoo's mother. Cheenanow said they believe that all three were asleep when the fire began.
When the couple got home that night, the house was already ablaze but Cheenanow ran inside. He said he remembers opening the door while large amounts of smoke billowed out.
He took his kids in his arms and brought them outside — it was already too late.
"I didn't like it. I didn't like what I seen. It hurt me for quite a while," he said.
Ochuschayoo's mother was able to get out of the house safely.
Cheenanow said that sometimes he gets mad at himself, wishing that he hadn't left the house that night, wondering if he could have done something differently. He said he is also still bothered by the fact that no firefighters answered a 911 call. But he doesn't speak about those feelings at length.
He said he treasures his memories of two "real happy" kids — a brother and sister who got along well, loved to play together, and brought joy to their parents' lives.
Since the the house was completely destroyed, the firefighters' investigation couldn't determine the cause. Cheenanow said he believes that a lamp fell over and caught fire.
Legislative changes
Last fall, the provincial government modified its fire safety law to provide greater protection to firefighters who intervene in good faith, outside of their legal jurisdiction.
Saskatchewan's commissioner of emergency management and fire safety, Duane McKay, said the new legislation should reassure fire services that are faced with difficult decisions in emergency situations.
"We provide protections for those people acting in good faith and take whatever action is necessary to protect them from liability," he said.