Call to keep people safe in extreme cold after woman’s body found

Tribal Chief Mark Arcand of the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) has called for more to be done to protect people in extreme cold weather.

Arcand made his remarks in a news release on Feb. 4 after the body of a 19-year-old woman was found in a Fairhaven park in Saskatoon on Monday.

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Arcand called for a whole community response when it comes to keeping people safe in the harsh conditions “in response to preliminary information suggesting extreme cold weather was a factor.”

The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service has yet to determine the woman’s cause of death.

“Whatever the circumstances, nobody in our community should ever lose their life to the cold,” Arcand said in the release.

“We have to look out for one another, and have proper supports and facilities in place to ensure people are kept safe.”

According to the Saskatoon Police Service, officers were called to a park in the 300 block of Pendygrasse Road just before 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.

The temperature at the time was -28 C, with wind chill bringing that to -39, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The extreme cold warnings issued by ECCC warned that in those temperatures that frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, and the conditions also brought a risk of hypothermia.

The location where the woman’s body was found is near the STC’s Emergency Wellness Centre, but Arcand said there was no indication the woman has ever stayed there or been in contact with staff.

Arcand said his thoughts are with her family and friends.

“We hope this young woman’s loved ones are receiving the love and support they need as they grieve this tragic loss,” Arcand said in a statement on Feb. 4.

“This individual is not someone who was known to us, but it is still deeply saddening to know this happened,” he said.

The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service has yet to determine the woman’s cause of death.

Read more:

• EXCLUSIVE: Saskatoon encampment numbers jumped 145% since 2022
• Four dead at Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation: Saskatchewan RCMP
• Extreme cold eases in southern Sask., but snow is on the way