Man's death in Gatineau prompting conversation about housing supports for Indigenous residents
Christine Angnetsiak is still grappling with the tragic death of her cousin, Tommy Robert Angnetsiak.
His body was found on the bank of the Ottawa River near Gatineau's Jacques Cartier Park on April 6. Police say no foul play is suspected.
The body of 30-year-old Tommy Robert Angetsiak was found on the bank of the Ottawa River near Gatineau's Jacques Cartier Park on April 6, 2024. (CTV News Ottawa)
"The last he was heard from was in November and he was reported missing in March," Angnetsiak said. "We tried to get the word out that he was missing. We did all we could."
The 30-year-old was from Pond Inlet, Nunavut. He moved to Ottawa 15 years ago for a better life. His family says Tommy was experiencing homelessness and had struggled with addiction.
Friends and the community showed an outpouring of support on social media.
"A lot of people actually came forward and said a lot of the same things as I did and said how generous and how kind he was," Angnetsiak said.
Tommy's death is now sparking a conversation around the disproportionate impact of homelessness and substance abuse on the Indigenous population in Ottawa.
Indigenous people represent about 4 per cent of Ottawa's population. A 2021 survey from the City of Ottawa found 32 per cent of people experiencing homelessness identified as Indigenous, but that number is likely higher. Of those, 59 per cent indicated living with substance use.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"There should be more from the shelters, specifically, and for Indigenous people in the city because of the amount of new people there is in this," said Angnetsiak , "and because of the struggles we face and the generational trauma and everything our people are going through."
Arrangements to bring his body back to Nunavut are in the works, with a GoFundMe page set up to help with the costs.
"I loved Tommy so much. There's no one like him. His spirit is one of a kind," said Angnetsiak. "I just wish I was able to hug him one last time."
A coroner's investigation is now underway. Gatineau police previously said there was no foul play suspected in his death.
Correction
A previous version of this article misspelled the family name Angnetsiak and misspelled Christine Angnetsiak's name as Christina. The correct spellings are now present.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.