Hundreds flock to pay last respects to Chief Twinn

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Flags in downtown Slave Lake flew at half-mast on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The streets were quiet as a traditional horse-drawn hearse carried the body of the late Sawridge Chief Walter Twinn to a funeral at St. Peter's Celestin Roman Catholic Church.

Twinn died suddenly of a massive heart attack Thursday Oct. 30, after returning from a ceremonial sweat lodge.

The Sawridge chief's funeral was draped in pomp and pageantry, and was "the closest Slave Lake has ever come to a state funeral," according to Mayor Gerry Allarie.

RCMP members in red serge, carrying country and senate flags led the solemn march to the cemetery immediately following the funeral. At the same time, the former chief was given a full traditional Native farewell. Four riders on horseback and the chief's personal horse with an empty saddle followed the wagon which carried the coffin to the chief's final resting spot overlooking the community.

Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington arrived for the traditional wake on Oct. 1. A Challenger jet carrying as many as 14 senators and their wives from Ottawa was scheduled to arrive on Oct. 2.

To accommodate the estimated 1,200 to 1,500 mourners expected to attend the funeral, town officials set up a remote electronic feed to carry the funeral service via satellite to an overflow crowd at the Alberta Vocational College gymnasium.

First elected as band chief in 1966, Twinn assumed the position shortly after oil was discovered on Sawridge reserve lands. Over the years he used royalties to create a legacy for the Sawridge Band, first with the Sawridge Hotel in Slave Lake, then spreading the small chain to include Jasper and Fort McMurray. He later added the Sawridge Truckstop on Highway 88 to the chain of businesses.

In 1990 the band opened the Sawridge Plaza Mall in the community and, shortly after, took over a water-bottling operation in British Columbia.

The chief was also an integral part of the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council. In the early 1990s he launched plans for a group which would become the region's first Native police force, serving the eight reserves which make up the region.

Because of its many investments locally, the Sawridge band has long been the town's biggest taxpayer, contributing more than a quarter million dollars in annual taxes. Officials at the town are quick to admit the "town's economic viability is definitely tied to the Sawridge."

Twinn will also be remembered for his many contributions to the sporting community, particularly in boxing circles where he invested heavily. His name also figured highly in minor sporting ventures, with many fund-raisers at the local Sawridge Hotel going toward those causes.

The support has stretched across decades, according to Slave Lake's former mayor Peter Moore who said, even before the community had its first arena, Twinn was footing the bill to promote minor sport. In fact, said Moore, his most vivid memory of the late chief was the years he outfitted young hockey players with everything from skates to sweaters and sticks and paid for a trip to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories for a hockey game.

Walter Twinn is survived by wife Catherine and nine children as well as three sisters and a brother.

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Hobbema community shocked as baby delivered in ditch

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BY ANTHONY KOVATS

Wetaskiwin Times Advertiser, Hobbema

The Hobbema community is mourning the death of an infant after her mother gave birth to the child on a lonely stretch of gravel road Oct. 27.

Lorna Okeynan was in labor when she and her husband, Paul Allen, tried to make it to the hospital in Wetaskiwin on foot.

The couple, who live just outside of Hobbema, have no phone or car and, as they walked to the hospital trying to catch a ride, Lorna began to go into labor.

"We were walking down the road and a truck passed us. I said, 'Honey I got to push, I got to push,' but he said, 'Don't push yet,'" cried Lorna.

But it was too much for her to take and Lorna keynan gave birth to her daughter, Tamara, who later died at the University of Alberta Hospital.

"My husband had the baby in his arms. I was still connected to her when a car pulled up. He just looked at us and drove away."

As the family lay in the ditch a car with two nurses, on their way to a home visit, spotted them near Crane's Crossing and tried to assist. An ambulance was called to transport Tamara to Wetaskiwin and a second ambulance transported the mother and father.

Tamara was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital, but she died a short time later in her parents' arms.

Jim Minde, director for Hobbema Indian Health Services, said the intervention of the two nurses was a rare coincidence, as they were traveling to a nearby residence for a home visit.

"They were on their way out to conduct a home visit when they spotted the couple," said Minde.

Minde said there are services in Hobbema that could have helped the family.

"We have a transportation system. It's just unfortunate that these people never used these services," Minde said.

He said the child was still alive when the nurses arrived, but the cold was taking its toll.

A few hours later, doctors in Edmonton confirmed the damage done by the elements on the baby.

The couple was told Tamara's organs had shut down because of her inability to breathe and the fact her body temperature had dropped so low.

Okeynan is devastated and confused about the events surrounding her delivery. She wanted to be admitted to the hospital Saturday, but was turned away.

But the attending physician, Dr. Prem Chengalath, has a different account of the events.

He said Okeynan did believe she was in labor, but three hours of tests and observations gave no indication to the staff. Chengalath added if Okeynan was in labor she would have had the child much sooner, rather than on the Monday when her contractions started to come closer together.

Knowing her condition and situation he can't understand why the famly didn't make the necessary arrangements for transportation with existing services.

"This is her 10th pregnancy. If anyone knew she was due it was her responsibility to find a place where she could communicate with the world."

Chengalath called the situation tragic for the family, but he maintains she was not in labor when she first entered the hospital.

The medical examiner's office will be conducting an investigation of the incident.

Although the events surrounding young Tamara's death are tragic, Chengalath said he acted in the best interest of the family.

"Unfortunately she went into labor and could not get to a care facility. My heart goes out to them, but I don't know what I could have done," said Chengalath.