An inquest gets underway today for seven men who died in drug overdoses while at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont., between June 2017 and October 2019.
Five of the seven were originally from Waterloo region or Guelph.
The following died either at Maplehurst or after transfer to Halton Healthcare, with their dates of death included:
- Wesley Da Silva, 40, of Cambridge, Oct. 4, 2019.
- Cory Hemstead, 31, of Brampton, June 19, 2029.
- Shawn Irvine, 38, of Kitchener, Oct. 29, 2018.
- Derek Johne, 28, of Magnetawan, June 20, 2017.
- Curtis McGowan, 32, of Guelph, Oct. 6, 2017.
- Peter Ormond, 38, of Kitchener, Sept. 25, 2017.
- Rattanbir Sidhu, 23, of Cambridge, May 7, 2019.
In Ontario, inquests into deaths while in custody are mandatory under the Coroners Act. Maplehurst Correctional Complex holds about 1,500 inmates in medium and maximum security.
‘We deserve answers’
Amber McPherson, McGowan’s sister, is among those expected to speak at the inquest. It’s being held virtually and is set to hear from 25 witnesses over 13 days.
She said it’s important people know her brother was more than just an addict who died in jail.
“I would like to keep Curtis’s name going because he was somebody. He could have gotten better. Like people say, maybe he’s in a better place because he’s not suffering now. But that’s not what I believe,” she told CBC News when the inquest was called in April.
“Nothing is going to bring him back, but I feel like we deserve answers. The whole family is going to be part of the Zoom. And we’re going to bring pictures and we’re going to just fight. Curtis was a good guy. He was hilarious. He had a big heart. He was like a big teddy bear.”
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the men’s deaths and the jury may then make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.
The main goals of inquests is to publicly examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The jury is tasked with identifying potential safety issues and may make recommendations to prevent future similar deaths.
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