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
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.