Family members of Veronica Poitras walked 50 kilometres from St. Brides to Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake on Saturday afternoon, to honour a life that was cut short.
Veronica died when she was 16 months old. She would have turned two on April 17, the original date for the walk, which was postponed due to weather. Her death has been ruled a homicide and RCMP charged Sherman Robert Whitford with second-degree murder in October of 2017. Whitford was released on bail and a preliminary hearing is set to begin Oct. 29.
RCMP were on hand to escort those who walked on Saturday. The walk began early in the morning, and carried on into the early evening, ending at Veronica's grave site. Spokesperson for the family Shannon Houle says organizers specifically chose to walk on the highways.
"We wanted to make sure it was on a major highway, so people can see us. Because if we're on the back roads, you're not going to see nothing. Most of the murders, if you look at indigenous women, happen on the back roads. They need to see us."
Houle says the indigenous culture is centred around children, and she encourages people to speak up if they believe a child may be harmed.
"When there's a child (being harmed), say something. Somebody heard the cries in that apartment. Somebody said they heard lots of crying. Why didn't they say something? There were signs, but nobody said anything."
Veronica's father, Kerey Poitras, says every day is a struggle since his daughter's death, especially when it comes to supporting Veronica's three-year-old sister, Vayda.
"It's tough living without her, knowing she's not here, and with her bigger sister talking about her all the time. We wouldn't be walking here today if she was still alive," said Kerey.
Veronica's kohkom, Alison Poitras, deals with similar stories like this more often than most in her job as a social worker. But she never expected it would happen to her own family.
"We don't want anybody to grieve the way we do, or live the way we do without our baby Veronica. (The walk) is not about any other issue, it's about human rights."
Alison doesn't think closure will ever come.
"There will never be closure for me. Because of what I do too, protecting children, helping women and being a woman. I don't want to have anybody grieve like this."
She adds, "We'll always miss her. We never got to celebrate her second birthday this past week, and we won't get to see her grow up with her other cousins."
Veronica's grandfather Jason Houle often helped take care of his granddaughter, and also has trouble coming to terms with the loss.
"I was there the minute she was born, and I was there when she was put into the ground."
He wears a photo of Veronica around his neck everyday, so she is always with him.
"I hope there is justice."
Veronica was named after Jason's mother, because he says they look a lot alike. The brutality of Veronica's death is what Jason can't comprehend. The family admitted Veronica to the hospital on Aug. 26, 2017, taking her off life support two days later.
The family has been putting up signs in memory of Veronica in Goodfish Lake, but when they went to a dinner to celebrate her second birthday on April 17, Jason saw they had been torn down.
"I don't know why someone would do that. I'd like to know myself. Because we're the ones not stopping until we get justice."
