Grieving mother hopes James Smith inquest leads to better supports for victims

By Nigel Maxwell

Acknowledging feelings of anxiety, Vanessa Burns says she is looking forward to an inquest that will hopefully provide her with some closure and allow her to move on with her life.

Burns will be among the witnesses to testify when the first of two scheduled inquests into the mass stabbings that occurred in September, 2022, starts Monday at the Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort.

Burns’s former spouse Myles Sanderson went from home to home at James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby village of Weldon, killing 11 people and injuring 17 others.

“Being his spouse it just really affected me because I just could not believe he did something like that and it still hurts because I also cared for him; but I’m also angry at him at the same time,” she said.

Vanessa Burns and Myles Sanderson (Submitted/ Vanessa Burns)

Burns and Sanderson had five children together, and among the 11 people killed was Burns’s father Earl Burns. Acknowledging the numerous birthdays and celebrations that have passed by since the horrific events, Burns confirmed her children know where their father is.

Noting how the events that happened remains fresh in her mind, Burns described a feeling of nervousness, explaining the inquiry may provide additional information she was not previously made aware of.

“I know it’s going to bring back a lot of emotions but also I’m eager to get it over with so I can start to move on with my life”

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The purpose of the inquest is not to find fault or lay blame, but a jury may make recommendations to help prevent similar events from happening in the future. In the weeks following the stabbings, Burns spoke publicly about a long history of domestic violence and feelings of helplessness. It was estimated Sanderson had beat her over 100 times.

So when asked what changes she would like to see come from the inquest, Burns mentioned more support for victims of domestic violence, but also better programming for those who offend.

“Because they’re always going to re-offend with a new person so what are we going to do about that,” she asked.

Noting the enormous community support she has received over the past year and a half, Burns also mentioned her own daily struggles with mental health and being a mother with five children.

“I just have to take it one day at a time and it’s a challenge,” she said.

Speaking earlier this week with paNOW, leadership at James Smith Cree Nation said they would have preferred an inquiry over an inquest, noting a need to dig deeper into what they termed systematic racism within both the RCMP and the Ministry of Justice.