Mother of Chantel Moore attends healing gathering at B.C. legislature, says she wants justice

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WatchPeople from all over Vancouver Island gathered in front of the B.C. Legislature today in memory of 26-year-old Chantel Moore, an Indigenous woman who was shot and killed by police in Edmundston, N.B. earlier this month. Jasmine Bala reports.

Martha Martin said Thursday she wants justice for her daughter, Chantel Moore who was fatally shot by police in Edmunston, N.B., earlier this month.

Martin attempted to hold back her tears as she read a statement about her daughter’s death at a healing gathering on the front steps of the British Columbia legislature in Victoria.

She says she wants to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to talk about her daughter’s death, police shootings of Indigenous Peoples and race relations in Canada.

“Today I’m here to be my daughter’s voice,” Moore said.

Because she was not just a status card number. She was my daughter, she was a mother to a six-year-old who is now left without a mother. And most importantly, she was human. It is not fair that I will never get another ‘Good morning, want to go for coffee?’ All because in this split second a policeman decided to pull his trigger.

“Let’s make changes in our system, new training for wellness checks. It’s been two weeks today that my daughter was taken and I want to know why it is the premier feels it’s not needed to do an inquiry. We are here and we are going to make noise and I’m asking our leaders to stand with me, to make this change that we so need to also help me push for the inquiry because my daughter’s life mattered as much as anybody else in this country.
I call upon you Justin Trudeau. I’m asking you to come and address me with these problems because this is not justified. My daughter, I can never bring her back. I want justice for my daughter, and that is why I am here. I want her voice to be heard and I want it loud and I’m going to continue until there is justice.”

About 200 people gathered at the legislature for the ceremony, some carrying signs with Moore’s picture saying, “Forever Golden Chantel” and “We Want Justice.”

Martin says her daughter, who grew up on the west coast of Vancouver Island, had moved to New Brunswick last December to be close to her six-year-old daughter and make plans to return to school.

Police have said Moore died when an officer arrived at her home in response to a request to check on her well-being, and police have alleged their officer encountered a woman with a knife making threats.

Another memorial service is planned for Moore on Saturday in Port Alberni. Moore grew up on Vancouver Island. She had lived in Nanaimo Port Alberni, on the Tseshaht First Nation.

There have been vigils for Moore in New Brunswick and gatherings on Vancouver Island.
New Brunswick’s premier says Indigenous people should lead some kind of review into the fatal shootings of Moore and 48-year-old Rodney Levi, an Indigenous man shot and killed by police in New Brunswick one week after Moore’s death.

But Premier Blaine Higgs said a public inquiry into systemic racism may not be the best option.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says it’s now time to take actions, starting with a full public inquiry into the RCMP.

“It really comes down to saying there has to be zero tolerance for racism in our police forces, whether local police or RCMP,” she said. 

With files from The Canadian Press
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