Residential fire claims two young boys

A fire claiming the life of two boys on the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has renewed calls for better firefighting services. The boys, nine and 10, were killed in the morning of Jan. 18 when a fire broke out in the home of relatives in Pelican Narrows. The homeowners’ 10-year-old daughter suffered second- and third-degree burns and was taken to a Winnipeg hospital for treatment. Three people escaped unharmed. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty said he’s been after Aboriginal Affairs Canada for years about improved firefighting on reserves. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.