Fallon Farinacci

I am so grateful to be here and to be able to come here to tell my story and share it with all of you.

I am so grateful to be here and to be able to come here to tell my story and share it with all of you.

Yeah. So I'm Red River Métis. I grew up in rural Manitoba, a tiny, predominantly Métis community just outside of Winnipeg. And so for those who don't necessarily know what Métis is, a long story short is... I am Indigenous, and so was my father. He grew up really proud to be Indigenous, and so he instilled that in me at a young age.

Yeah. So I'm Red River Métis. I grew up in rural Manitoba, a tiny, predominantly Métis community just outside of Winnipeg. And so for those who don't necessarily know what Métis is, a long story short is... I am Indigenous, and so was my father. He grew up really proud to be Indigenous, and so he instilled that in me at a young age.

There wasn't really any kind of difference from my everyday life to culture, traditions, or community. It was just all, it was life. Yeah, it was all a part of it. I always explain to people it happened around the kitchen table, you know.

There wasn't really any kind of difference from my everyday life to culture, traditions, or community. It was just all, it was life. Yeah, it was all a part of it. I always explain to people it happened around the kitchen table, you know.

Yeah, absolutely. So in November of 1992, this man who we knew, he was a community member. Yeah. He threatened my mother's life. Leading up to that, he started crossing boundaries. And boundaries in the sense of, like, just making you feel uncomfortable wasn't usual behavior. There wasn't anything specific. And then this really kind of crossed the last boundary.

Yeah, absolutely. So in November of 1992, this man who we knew, he was a community member. Yeah. He threatened my mother's life. Leading up to that, he started crossing boundaries. And boundaries in the sense of, like, just making you feel uncomfortable wasn't usual behavior. There wasn't anything specific. And then this really kind of crossed the last boundary.

And he called our family home and he... He had asked my mom where his birthday cake was. He had found out that my mother had went to a co-worker's birthday party and my mom never made him a cake. So that is really what kind of made her feel uncomfortable to get off the phone right away. And so she said to him, I threw it in the garbage. I have to go. I have the kids bingo and hung up.

And he called our family home and he... He had asked my mom where his birthday cake was. He had found out that my mother had went to a co-worker's birthday party and my mom never made him a cake. So that is really what kind of made her feel uncomfortable to get off the phone right away. And so she said to him, I threw it in the garbage. I have to go. I have the kids bingo and hung up.

We had a community bingo. As I said, it was like a really tight knit community. So he called back and he threatened my mom and he said that she wouldn't live to see her next birthday and that he wouldn't live to see his. So she took it really seriously. They called the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and they brought him before a judge that evening.

We had a community bingo. As I said, it was like a really tight knit community. So he called back and he threatened my mom and he said that she wouldn't live to see her next birthday and that he wouldn't live to see his. So she took it really seriously. They called the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and they brought him before a judge that evening.

And they failed, though, to tell the judge that my mother and father had told the RCMP that she was concerned that they had, that he had, sorry, a .22 caliber rifle. Hmm. So there was no seizure of weapons. There was no search of his home, anything like that. And he was released.

And they failed, though, to tell the judge that my mother and father had told the RCMP that she was concerned that they had, that he had, sorry, a .22 caliber rifle. Hmm. So there was no seizure of weapons. There was no search of his home, anything like that. And he was released.

And then in December, you know, my mom continued to hear from community members that he was continuing to want to take my mother and my father's lives. And so from there, my mom wrote the RCMPL letter. And in that letter, she stated that, again, she was concerned about this .22 caliber, but also a handgun. The letter was never filed. And so it wasn't brought before a judge or anything like that.

And then in December, you know, my mom continued to hear from community members that he was continuing to want to take my mother and my father's lives. And so from there, my mom wrote the RCMPL letter. And in that letter, she stated that, again, she was concerned about this .22 caliber, but also a handgun. The letter was never filed. And so it wasn't brought before a judge or anything like that.

And now we're in January of 1993. And my family's case landed on the desk of a family crown attorney.

And now we're in January of 1993. And my family's case landed on the desk of a family crown attorney.

Not at all. No, this was criminal. He had threatened their lives. So along this case, we heard a lot of like errors, you know, human error. And so this was one of those human errors. But for some reason, this Crown picked it up and then felt it was appropriate to have a mediation.

Not at all. No, this was criminal. He had threatened their lives. So along this case, we heard a lot of like errors, you know, human error. And so this was one of those human errors. But for some reason, this Crown picked it up and then felt it was appropriate to have a mediation.