Manitoba government apologizes to Osbornes

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Twenty-nine years after the murder of high school student Helen Betty Osborne outside the town of The Pas, her family has received the Manitoba government's apology for bungling its investigation of the case. On July 14, Manitoba Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh admitted that his department's predecessors in the former Conservative government had mishandled the 1971 criminal investigation. As a result, no charges were laid for 16 years. Only one man was convicted of killing the girl from Norway House, although four were directly implicated.

Mackintosh directed his remarks to Cecilia Osborne, Helen Betty's sister.

"On behalf of the government of Manitoba, I wish to express my profound regret at the way the justice system as a whole responded to the death of Betty, and to apologize for the clear lack of justice in her case," he said.

Cecilia Osborne thanked the government for the apology and indicated she was ready to get on with her life.

The minister also announced the government would introduce legislation in the next session of the legislature to establish a $50,000 scholarship in Osborne's name. Money from the Victims Assistance Fund will provide bursaries to female Aboriginal students who want to work in the education field, starting with the 2001-2002 school year.

"My sister wanted to become a teacher. We are happy that her dreams will help others walk the path," Cecilia Osborne said.

Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson, a long-time friend and advocate for the Osborne family, called on the RCMP and the federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to contribute to the scholarship fund, but had not received a response by Aug. 22.

Robinson said the Osborne family was appreciative of the apology and it "went a long ways, because that's never really occurred. Nobody's ever really apologized to this family for the pain and suffering that they have gone through over these last number of years. Right from 1971 there was hardly any dialogue-I'm talking about any level of justice here-to this family."

Robinson added he believes the legal process, as a result of a 1999 review of the case that determined no more charges could be laid, is over, even though questions are left unanswered. He said the Osborne family wants privacy now.

He said he is involved with the family in documenting "the healing component" of the meeting between convicted murder Dwayne Johnston and the Osborne family. Robinson said he has gone into sweat lodges with Johnston since 1996 to help bring awareness to Johnston about what he has done and the effect of his actions on Aboriginal people. He said he will not document "a description of the prayers or anything like that." Nonetheless, Robinson thinks the healing initiative between Osborne and Johnston is "worthy of consideration and ought to be considered for other cases of a similar nature." He added that the Osborne family, although they have not embraced Johnston, appreciate his apology to them.

Asked if he thought the government's apology was adequate, Robinson said if the Osborne family is satisfied, nobody else's opinion matters.

On July 16, a celebration that included the Osborne family, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, area residents, Robinson (who delivered a message from The Pas' mayor Gary Hopper, who was in Edmonton) and Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin, was hosted by Keewatin Community College's Mamawechetotan Centre. "A Celebration of Life" marked the occasion of Helen Betty Osborne's 48th birthday.

The highlight of the occasion was the unveiling of a $9,000 bronze plaque with Helen Betty's picture on it at the former site of the Guy Hill Residential School about 25 km out of town. About 80 people attended the ceremony in Guy Hill Park.

Lathlin, who is also MLA for The Pas, said the celebration was "a positive step" to help the Osborne family bring closure to the tragedy. He said he hoped it would contribute to the healing of the community.

Thestudents who organized and helped pay for the feast could not be reached for comment.

Mayor Hopper said on Aug. 28 that it is regrettable it took the murder of Osborne and others since then to bring about a change in people's attitudes, but he said change has occurred over the past 10 years. He spoke optimistically about improvements in relations between Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) and the town, which are separated by a bridge over the Saskatchewan River. He said both have done "a 180 degree turn" on attitudes.

From the town side, he said respect has grown for OCN as a result of seeing the economic development initiatives and quality schools they have established.

"A lot of people have changed their views from one culture to the other, looking from the outside in, and as a result of that I think there is a better understanding between our communities. . . . I think (the events surrounding Osborne's death) have just made us work harder to become one community," Hopper said.

For instance, he said there is a joint initiative to help street people. The town is partnering with OCN, the Regional Municipality of Kelsey and the local Anglican Church in hiring Anglican Church Army workers for a three-year pilot project to work with less fortunate community members. Each partner contributes up to $25,000 a year to the project. The church workers provide housing, clothing and food, and they provide support to people coming out of jails and detox centres.

"We're already seeing some positive results," said Hopper.

Today there is "a lot of interaction, inviting back and forth from one side to the other, and it's just a common theme that we're one community. The chief speaks that way, I speak that way, and we try to instill it into the young people."

In addition, an active race relations committee makes sure any incidents get dealt with right away, Hopper said.

Chief Frank Whitehead could not be reached for comment.

In 1971 Osborne was abducted by four men off a street i the logging town of 6,000, driven to an isolated location, sexually assaulted and stabbed to death with a screwdriver. The low priority of the case with law authorities and politicians resulted in years of racial tension in northern Manitoba.

That two men finally were tried in court is a credit to the diligence of RCMP constable Bob Urbanoski, said Minister Robinson. Urbanoski took over the Osborne file in 1982 after it had lain nearly dormant for11 years. Urbanoski is now a staff sergeant with the Winnipeg RCMP detachment.

The trial drew heavy media coverage and notoriety to The Pas, when it was revealed that local people withheld knowledge of the case from authorities.

Tensions were heightened further when a Winnipeg reporter wrote a book called Conspiracy of Silence, which was published in 1989. That was followed by a CBC movie of the same name a couple of years later.