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THUNDER BAY — Molly Boyce, one of the first clients of the Kwae Kii Win managed alcohol program at the Thunder Bay Shelter House, told the jury in the coroner’s inquest examining the deaths of two Indigenous men while in police custody that the program lives up to its Oji-Cree name meaning ‘turning point,’ but more resources are still needed in the city.
Mamakwa, 44, of Kasabonika First Nation died on Aug. 3, 2014. McKay, 50, of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, died on July 19, 2017. The 15-bed Kwae Kii Win Centre, operated by Thunder Bay Shelter House, provides harm reduction services through managed alcohol consumption for clients experiencing chronic alcohol abuse.
Prior to enrolling in the program, Boyce said she was into "everything you could think of not to think," and Kwae Kii Win helped change that mindset. “We need to hear from people who have survived the program, who have survived on the street,” Rankin added. “I think we need to look to our clients of these services and have them educate the community. That is the strongest way to do that. The community has a hard time seeing that sometimes. It can be difficult. But Molly is one of the best success stories we have.”
Rankin, who served as the executive director of Thunder Bay Shelter House for 12 years until 2012 and recently returning to the role again earlier this year, also testified to the need for more housing options in the city. The program costs approximately $330,000 a year to operate and it received $116,000 from the city, as well as an additional $50,000 from the Social Services Administration Board with the Shelter House making up the balance.
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