Close the highway at Echo Bay to prevent further death, Chief Sayers says

Closing down Highway 17B at Echo Bay is just one of the options open to the Garden River First Nation to prevent further death on the main artery, says Garden River Chief Lyle Sayers.

Jesse Roach is the latest of 37 individuals killed on 17B, according to flyers passed out at the site of a public protest Monday morning.

According to the flyer, none of those deaths were followed with a sustainable conviction.

Today’s protest was being held on Highway 17B at the site where Jesse’s body was discovered, near Bell’s Point Road.
 
Roach’s aunt, Bobbi-Jo Martin, made a speech to dozens of friends, family and members of the community who came out.

“May the truth be told, Justice for Jesse. This is why we are here today, it’s an opportunity for the family to be heard.”

“How do you explain these events to a 10- and 11-year-old child who will never see their brother again?” Martin asks.

"In response to the information released in the police report, our family is very upset by how the investigation has resulted. We feel the charges laid were grossly unrepresentative of the actions, especially when the was a loss of precious life,” Martin adds. “As a family, we can’t help but wonder why this is like this, and if the roles were reversed, would the outcome be very different?”

Martin went on to say: “We feel that this whole process has been a travesty and a miscarriage of justice. Therefore we are making a public request to have this case reviewed and the appropriate charge applied."

Jesse was 22 when his body was discovered October 13, 2013.

While the family wants answers as to why no serious charges were laid, Chief Lyle Sayers promised the community that they will come up with a solution to prevent this from happening in the future.

“If it means we close the highway at Echo Bay, then that’s what we will do,” Sayers suggested, to the cheers of most in attendance.

To view video of this mornings events, click here.