EP39// The Suspicious Deaths of Verna Simard, Ashley & Nadine Machiskinic

HANDS OFF MY PODCAST: TRUE CRIME

The Suspicious Deaths of Verna Simard, Ashley & Nadine Machiskinic 05/04/23

EP39// HOM PODCAST RECORDING / JASMINE CASTILLO

MAY 5TH IS MMIWG2S DAY ALSO CALLED RED DRESS DAY.

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit Peoples. It is also known as Red Dress Day, which encourages people to wear red in order to honor those who have gone missing or been murdered. The color red symbolizes a beacon that can help guide spirits home.

Indigenous women and girls in Canada are significantly more likely to experience homicide or go missing than previously thought, according to a study done by Maryanne Pearce and Tracey Peter from the University of Manitoba. They found that Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other group of women in Canada, and 16 times more likely than Caucasian women. Additionally, Indigenous women make up 28% of all female homicide victims despite only comprising 4% of the total female population, while they also experience sexual assault three times more often than non-Indigenous women, and most trafficked people in Canada are Indigenous.

Intro:

The city of Vancouver, British Columbia has a long history of violence against Aboriginal women. In recent years, this violence has been highlighted by the suspicious deaths of three Indigenous women at two hotels: Ashley Machiskinic at the Regent Hotel and Nadine Machiskinic at the Balmoral Hotel, as well as Verna Simard. This episode will examine these suspicious deaths and explore why they are part of a larger pattern that is often overlooked when it comes to violence against Aboriginal women in Canada.

History of Vancouver:

Vancouver, British Columbia has a rich and long history that dates back to the last glacial period. It was during this time that its first inhabitants arrived in the area and began to settle down.

The city's location on the western coast of Canada near the mouth of the Fraser River and on waterways such as Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet, and their tributaries made it an ideal place for meeting, trading, and settling down. For thousands of years prior to European contact, these waterways were used by Indigenous peoples for transportation and trade.

Today, visitors can explore some of Vancouver’s earliest sites through museums like the Museum of Anthropology at UBC or Stanley Park's First Nations totem poles; visit historic buildings like Gastown or Chinatown; or take part in cultural events like Pow Wows or Canoe Journeys which celebrate both ancient traditions and modern interpretations of those traditions. These experiences remind us all how much we owe to those who settled here long ago – helping make Vancouver one of Canada's most vibrant cities today!

Women's tribal history/family:

These women were warriors. They faced life head-on and never gave up, even when tragedy seemed to follow them everywhere they went. Despite the heartache and pain that comes with living a life of struggle, these women persevered through it all with dignity and grace.

They are an inspiration to us all; reminding us that no matter how dark things may seem, we can keep going if we have the strength within ourselves to do so. Even when our loved ones suffer similar fates, we must remember that hope is still alive. We owe it to these brave women to carry on in their memory and honor their courage by never giving up in the face of adversity.

The recent report highlighting the lives and deaths of Indigenous women in Canada is a stark reminder of the injustices they have faced. These stories demonstrate that no one should ever endure substandard living conditions, especially not in such a prosperous country like ours. It is our duty as Canadians to ensure that all members of our society are given equal rights and opportunities so that nobody has to suffer through these tragedies again. We must work together to create better living standards for those who are currently struggling and demand justice for those whose lives were taken too soon. Let us use this report to inspire us all to make sure that everyone can live with dignity and respect in Canada.

Cree Nation History in Canada:

Based on the website Cree - Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia | University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)

Ojibway term Kinistino. The proper term in the Plains Cree language is nêhiyawak (knee o wack)

The Nêhiyawak have had a long presence in the prairies, beginning with their involvement in the fur trade in 1740. They adapted quickly to using horses instead of canines for transportation and packing goods which allowed them to travel further distances and become more efficient traders. Together with other Indigenous groups such as Saulteaux (Sal toe) and Assiniboine (os sino boy een), they traded with both French and English settlers during this time period. The Nêhiyawak developed new methods of farming that helped sustain their communities over time despite ever-changing environmental conditions while also being renowned storytellers who passed down traditional tales from generation to generation today. Despite having been forced by Canadian governments westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries to relocate from their traditional homelands, they remain a vibrant part of Canada’s history.

Ashley Nicole Machiskinic

Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Ashley Nicole Machiskinic was born on November 20, 1987.

Ashley’s cousin, Mona Woodward described Ashley as “a very happy, bubbly, generous girl. She has a very difficult upbringing, living in foster homes until the age of 12 when her mother brought her to Vancouver to escape.”

Vancouver police veteran and now a well-respected outreach worker, Dave Dickson, described her as, “Just a little sweetheart. She was just another typical kid that was in the care of the ministry.”

The former constable also said, “I’ve known Ashley since she was 15. She was an attractive, quiet young woman and there is absolutely no way on earth that she committed suicide by jumping out of a fifth-floor window of the Regent Hotel.”

Ashley Machiskinic was 22 years old when she fell from the fifth floor of the Regent Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on September 15, 2010.

Ashley’s mother, Brenda Strongarm, along with advocates, neighbors, and family members, believes someone pushed her daughter out of the window of the Regent Hotel.

Ashley's death was ruled a suicide by the police, but Dave Dickson, a former police veteran, and her friends and family believe she was pushed out of the window due to an unpaid drug debt.

When Ashley fell, she landed on her back, which is suspicious. One witness claims the person threw her shoes out the window after she fell which would also imply she was thrown out.

“Violence against women down here (Downtown Eastside)… is worse than ever — it’s at an all-time high,” said Mr. Dickson.

In 2016, Ashley’s cousin, Mona Woodward said Ashley’s family members were still grieving. Mona visited the alley where Ashley died to say prayers and lay down sacred medicine for the Cree woman who died. “I was praying that she was happy, that she was in a better place,” Mona said, holding back tears. “I hope they find out who is responsible and that justice can be done for her. We’ve experienced a lot of anger, a lot of pain, and a lot of frustration.”

A Vancouver Police Department spokesperson told CBC News, “Ashley’s case was examined and thoroughly investigated by the VPD Homicide Unit with our major crimes section. The investigation was examined and reviewed at several levels, but there is no evidence to show her death to be suspicious.”

The coroner’s report states that Ashley died as a consequence of a “fall from a height” with “cocaine and ethanol intoxication” listed as other significant contributing factors.

Carol Martin was one of the first to the scene after Machiskinic’s death.

“I ran over to her right after she fell and she was staring straight up, just gasping her last breaths — I was totally traumatized and I’ve worked down here for 15 years,” she said.

“Whoever threw Ashley out, chose the busiest time when the alley was full of people buying drugs, to make a point — don’t rip us off,” Gladys concluded.

According to journalist Angela Sterritt’s interview with Ashley’s cousin Mona Woodward in 2010, “The Vancouver Police Board posted a $10,000 reward for information that proved ‘conclusively the circumstances surrounding Ashley’s death.’ But that reward expired in the fall of 2012 after what was called an exhaustive investigation, and the Vancouver Police Department deemed her death not suspicious.”

Area residents and community leaders are convinced that Ashley did not take her own life. A Downtown Eastside activist said she knows of six women in the drug-ridden community who have been thrown out of windows as punishment by drug dealers. She was just one of several women to be killed or punished in a highly public way by drug dealers who want to send a message to women about what will happen to them if they don’t pay off their drug debts.

As stated on the Battered Women’s Support Service website, “Women get their heads shaved for a $30 drug debt, they’re killed for $50,” said Carol Martin of the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services, is calling on the Vancouver Police Department to join activists in working to put an end to the violence.

"The rapes and the beatings are standard [punishment by drug dealers]. What is a little bit unusual are women's heads being shaved . . . and women coming out of windows," MacDougall said Tuesday.

MacDougall said she doesn't know who killed Machiskinic, but people in the DTES are afraid to tell police investigating her death what they know.

Ashley was part of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) community. On Monday, October 4, 2010, one month after Ashley’s death, community members were participating in a memorial service for her. The community was frustrated by the response of the Vancouver Police Department and their statements about Ashley and her death, the members (from the Women’s Memorial March Committee) marched to the police station to start a demonstration. The women demanded Ashley’s case be reopened and thought of as a murder, not a suicide. They also demanded a meeting with Chief Constable Jim Chu, who was in a meeting and could not come out. MacDougall was one of three protesters arrested Monday night after refusing to leave the VPD's Main Street headquarters at the end of a vigil and march. She was released after five hours and faces a charge of assault by trespassing.

The activists want to meet with VPD Chief Jim Chu. They contend the VPD is not treating Machiskinic's death as suspicious, but a spokesman for the VPD said the "incident . . . has been actively under investigation since it was initially reported to the VPD."

The next day Chief Constable Jim Chu invited the Women’s Memorial March Committee to meet with him. The members presented the Vancouver Police Department with a letter outlining their concerns, demanding that charges against the protesters be dropped.

It’s predominantly First Nations women who are the victims.

“There’s been a few women lately thrown out of windows, at the Balmoral, the Regent, women missing fingers, wearing wigs because their heads have been shaved,” said Gladys Radek, organizer of the annual Walk 4 Justice in support of missing and murdered women in Vancouver and along the Highway of Tears.

Leaders of the Eastside have said that drug dealers are able to kill or maim women with liberty because without witnesses coming forward, Vancouver police write their deaths off as drug overdoses or suicides.

Marlene George of the Carnegie Centre, who led a Sisters in Spirit march to the spot where Machiskinic died, agreed, “There’s a code of silence down here. The worst thing you can be is a rat. It is very difficult to get the police to speak about this and to acknowledge the drug dealers are behind these events.”

Even considering what friends and family feel about Ashley’s case, Vancouver police spokesman Constable Lindsey Houghton called Machiskinic’s death “a tragic rumor that has not been corroborated … a case of what appears, after investigation, to be someone taking their own life.”

They met again another time and continued the conversation. According to the SisterWatch Program, “Chief Constable Chu recognized the value of the meetings; he invited the group to form a committee consisting of senior police leaders and community representatives to continue regular meetings. Members of the DTES community and the police agreed to continue meeting at a joint table to discuss issues relevant to the safety of women – to this day, this committee meets every six weeks.”

Kawacatoose Nation History in Canada

Based on Kawacatoose - TOUCHWOOD AGENCY TRIBAL COUNCIL and Kawacatoose First Nation - Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia | University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)

The Kawacatoose Reserve is located in southeast Saskatchewan near Raymore, Quinton and Punnichy. It covers 8,248 hectares and has a population of 2,210 people with over 1,000 living on reserve. The signing of Treaty 4 in 1874 led to the formation of the Kawacatoose First Nation (Poor Man or Lean Man). Prior to this, they were part of the Touchwood Hills people or pusakawatciwiyiniwak which also included the Gordons, Muskowekwan and Daystar bands. These four groups are now collectively known as the Touchwood Agency Tribal Chiefs (TATC) including Fishing Lake Band. The larger group that these bands belonged to was called Downstream People or mamihkiyiniwak which consisted of four other groups: Calling river people (katepwewcipi), Rabbitskin people (wapucwayanak), and Prairie people (paskwawiyiniwak). They occupied southeastern plains and used Assiniboine-Red River and Lake Winnipeg waterways for trade and military purposes with Kawacatoose as one of their main chiefs.

Nadine Kelly Machiskinic

As Lis Em was researching Ashley’s case, I came across a few others seemingly related. One is 29-year-old Nadine Machiskinic, who, from what I’ve researched, is not related to Ashley.

Nadine, born on May 7, 1985 a mother of four, . Machiskinic, who was originally from the Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan,

On January 10, 2015, Nadine fell 10 stories down a laundry chute at Regina’s Delta Hotel. She died a few hours later in the hospital. On the morning of January 10th, tragedy struck at Regina’s Delta Hotel when the body of Machiskinic was found at the bottom of a laundry chute.

A Regina Police Service spokesperson, Elizabeth Popowich, said the police didn’t come to the hotel or the hospital that morning because they weren’t called.

According to the coroner’s report, Nadine arrived at the hospital unconscious with cracked ribs early on a Saturday morning. But the coroner didn’t call the police.

The pathologist who examined Nadine’s body a few days later said she died from blunt force trauma to her head, neck, and trunk, caused by the fall.

Unfortunately, by then any evidence that could have been gathered had already been cleaned up by hotel staff. This delay has left many unanswered questions surrounding this mysterious death, leaving friends and family to wonder what really happened that fateful day.

A month after her death, the coroner concluded her death was an accident and Regina police closed the investigation, despite the fact that the report concluded that Nadine was too intoxicated to get into the laundry chute on her own.

When Machiskinic died, the Regina Police Service was tasked with delivering samples from the autopsy to a lab for toxicological testing. However, due to a mix up, the samples sat in storage for six months before being delivered. Const. Keith Malcolm was part of the team that received the samples and admitted there had been an error in communication between him and his colleague. This lapse of time meant that valuable evidence may have been lost or contaminated, making it difficult to determine exactly what caused Machiskinic's death. The incident has raised questions about how well police are trained to handle such sensitive material and whether protocols need to be updated or improved upon going forward.

However, in an earlier version — which the family thinks they were given accidentally — Saskatchewan forensic pathologist Shaun Ladham wrote that “the levels of the drugs present would make it unlikely that she would have been able to climb into the laundry chute on her own.”

In the final autopsy report, the Saskatchewan Office of the Chief Coroner relied on the opinion of Dr. Graham R. Jones, an Albertan toxicologist who said he did not believe, “that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that she would have been incapable of climbing into the laundry chute without assistance.”

Tony Merchant, the lawyer for Nadine’s family, said, “The police should have been believing this is probably a homicide, it’s not an accident.” He said that at every stage, the investigation was deeply flawed. “Everything seems to indicate that this was a slow walk; uninterested investigation. They’ve closed the investigation and said, ‘We have determined there’s no foul play,’ when anybody looking at the facts would say all the indications are foul play.”

Saskatchewan’s chief coroner, Kent Sterwart, said that’s because no one told the coroner on duty how and where Nadine’s body was found. He said normally that sort of information would be passed on by police.

“I would have anticipated a 911 call, aside from the ambulance showing up – my understanding is that generally, police show up at the same time, too,” said Stewart. “I don’t think that that happened in this particular circumstance.”

Friday, June 24th, 2016, the Machiskinic family released documents that showed striking differences between autopsy reports they were given in April and June. They have long argued that the investigation failed to pay enough attention to Machiskinic’s final movements, with one burning question being how she ended up in the laundry chute in the first place.

A question on how Nadine even got in the chute, knowing that to access it, only through a hatch just 53 centimeters (which is a little over 20 inches) wide. Some other sources measure the chute to be approximately 45 centimeters high and wide (17.71 inches)!

Ms. Popowich also said that a year went by before police attempted to track down two men who were shown on surveillance video getting on an elevator with Nadine just minutes before her death.

The family’s lawyer, Mr. Merchant called this oversight a “stunning and inexcusable oversight.”

He continued, “It was obvious to look for these two men. The first thing you would do – even if you’ve only ever watched television –is look at the surveillance tapes. You don’t have to go to a police school to be taught that.”

Ms. Popowich couldn’t explain the delay in searching for the men, but said police were likely “busy following up on other leads,” and that “Officers don’t have the ability to establish a moratorium on all other crime in the city. So there’s a limit to the resources you can put on it.”

Sgt. Troy Davis and his partner were determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of Machiskinic. As part of their investigation, they requested a list of all guests who stayed at the hotel on the night she died. This was important because surveillance footage showed Machiskinic entering an elevator with two unidentified men moments before her fatal fall. Despite their efforts, these men have yet to be identified and remain a mystery in this case.

The coroner’s report mentions there were two “mysterious kids” who were seen with Nadine on the hotel floor from which she fell. According to a review of the police investigation by the Public Complaints Commission, there was only one person staying on the floor that night. He told the police that an intoxicated Aboriginal female matching Nadine’s description, “had been yelling in the hallway of the 10th floor and was banging on doors, including his.” He said she was yelling about a fire. Someone had also pulled the fire alarm on the door.

The coroner adds a puzzling detail indicating that the witness “say two ‘kids’ behind her.”

No one has any idea who these kids are or why they were behind her. Mr. Merchant said despite the mistakes, delays, and lack of diligence, police have shut down the investigation, and there’s nothing the family can do about it.

Machiskinic’s aunt, Delores Stevenson, had earlier told the police meeting she still had many unanswered questions.

“We are tired of being juggled around,” she said. “Given the profile and lingering questions in this case, including the conflicting autopsy reports, we think that it’s time for Regina Police Service to sit down with myself and my mother and the people that are raising Nadine’s children.”

"I'm feeling really positive about it," she said.

But Winona Williams isn't sure her Machiskinic's death or the tip line will change much for women in the area.

"Nobody wants to be involved because if you are found saying something, you will get jumped, you will get beat up."

Just recently, Williams said, her sister's head was shaved in what she said was a random attack.

Williams said there is little trust for the police, who don't seem to come as quickly when they're called to the Downtown Eastside as they would if they were heading to another neighborhood.

She tells people in the neighborhood to ask for an ambulance when they're calling the police.

"Because, you know what, when you're requesting an ambulance, that means someone's hurt and police and paramedics show up."

Police held a town hall meeting in the Downtown Eastside specifically to talk about violence against women in light of Machiskinic's death, but the event deteriorated into a litany of shouted concerns about policing.

In the past few decades, dozens of women have vanished from the Downtown Eastside.

The remains or DNA of 33 women who disappeared from the neighborhood were found on Pickton's pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

He was convicted of killing six women, and a public inquiry has been announced to examine the failed police investigation that allowed Pickton to continue killing.

In the past few decades, dozens of women have vanished from the Downtown Eastside.

The remains or DNA of 33 women who disappeared from the neighborhood were found on Pickton's pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

He was convicted of killing six women, and a public inquiry has been announced to examine the failed police investigation that allowed Pickton to continue killing.

Monday, DECEMBER 6, 2010, Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vancouver Police Department launched Sister Watch, a community program aimed at keeping women of the Downtown Eastside safe. Sister Watch, previously called the Guardian Project, features a telephone hotline where individuals can call in to report cases of violence against women. The Guardian Project will see the force set up a crime tip line, create a website and hold town hall meetings in a neighborhood where dozens of women have disappeared over the years, including the victims of serial killer Robert Pickton.

"Crime statistics for this area have never truly reflected the danger and jeopardy that women of the Downtown Eastside face," Chief Jim Chu said Monday as he announced the project in the heart of the neighborhood.

Wabigoon Nation History in Canada

Based on https://www.wabigoonlakeon.ca/ and http://www.firstnation.ca/wabigoon-lake

Wabigoon First Nation is a Saulteaux First Nation band government located in the Kenora District of northwestern Ontario, Canada. With an on-Reserve population of 175 and a registered population of 533 people, Wabigoon has been part of the local community for many years. The Anishinaabemowin name for this community translates to “Where the Rivers Meet” and it was officially confirmed by the Ontario government in 1915. Members are proud to carry on traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation while also embracing new opportunities that come their way. In 1987, those living on the eastern portion of the Reserve changed its name to Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.

Verna Mae Simard (See-Mahr) -Shabaquay

Another woman, 50-year-old Verna Shabaquay (who mostly went by the surname Simard), Verna is from the Wabigoon First Nation. She was a mother of 5 children, Marcel & Shawn Shabaquay, Monique & Jesse Ranville, and Reggie. She was also a grandmother to Ellissa Rose Shabaquay and her brother Cecil Simard.

Verna May’s hobbies were doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and listening to Country music. She enjoyed spending time with her many friends, reading, writing, and Bannock making. She worked at the Empress Hotel as a waitress and was a customer service rep. at the Vancouver Bottle Depot.

Like the life of Verna Mae Simard-Shabaquay. Her mother, Tina, died when she was young, she was then taken from her father, Charles, into Children’s Aid where she was abused, she had a short-lived marriage, she lost a son, and abused drugs and alcohol until she died mysteriously Friday, September 16, 2011 after falling off the notorious Regent Hotel in Vancouver’s troubled downtown east-side. the same hotel almost one year to the day of Ashley Machiskinic's tragic death.

The mother of five was in her hotel suite with her boyfriend that night, according to Vancouver police. Her death was initially ruled suspicious by police, but it was later determined that no foul play was involved. Jesse Ranville, Verna’s youngest son, says one person disputed several eyewitness accounts, and that was enough for police to say it was not suspicious.

Constable Jana McGuinness said many people called 911 after Verna’s body was discovered on the sidewalk.

Police interviewed numerous witnesses, including Verna’s longtime boyfriend ( who she had a history of domestic violence with) was in the room when she fell.

The report noted Vancouver police "will reopen the case if any new evidence is obtained."

Systemic Oppression, etc:

In 2016, CBC News analyzed 32 deaths and two disappearances of Indigenous girls and women across Canada, in cases where authorities ruled there was no foul play involved. That investigation revealed:

Ten had unexplained injuries, though officials maintained those injuries did not contribute to the deaths.
Seventeen were involved in domestic and family violence, where families insist there was a clear suspect.
Six were found nude or partially clothed in suspicious or anomalous circumstances.
In 31 of the cases, a person of interest was identified at some stage either by police or family members.
In five of the cases, coroner's or inquest findings appeared to conflict with police determinations.

In 25 of the 34 cases, families say they felt racism and assumptions about the women and their lifestyles hampered the investigation.

List of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls - Oubliées ou disparues (oublieesoudisparues.ca)

Any Updates?

Possibly Solution:

A group on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside says Indigenous women need to be included in leadership and decision-making positions in governments and other groups if violence against women is going to stop.

It’s one of 35 key recommendations made in Red Women Rising: Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. A new report on Indigenous women survivors in Vancouver's downtown Eastside is released during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C. Wednesday, April, 3, 2019

This report, based on input from 113 Indigenous and 15 non-Indigenous local women, provides a unique insight into the issues facing communities in the Downtown Eastside. The authors of the report emphasize that it must be seen within its wider context - that of colonization across these lands.

The main recommendation that all 128 collaborators and participants were unanimous on was for active Indigenous women’s leadership to be included at all levels of decision-making. This is an important step towards achieving greater representation and equality in our communities.

We hope this report will help create positive change by highlighting how Indigenous women can take ownership over their own lives, as well as providing guidance for policymakers to ensure their voices are heard when decisions are being made about their community.

Walia said that would mean the full adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

In order to ensure the safety and well-being of Indigenous women, a number of recommendations have been put forward. These include providing safe housing for all Indigenous women on- and off-reserve, ending child apprehensions and creating legislative reform that will protect the rights of Indigenous women. Additionally, an Indigenous Women's Centre should be established in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) that is run by and for women. This center would provide essential services such as mental health support, education programs, job training opportunities, and more. By implementing these recommendations we can create a better future for Indigenous women in Canada.

The 220-page report comes as the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is expected to release its own final report this month. Inquiry chief commissioner Marion Buller had requested a two-year extension last year, but the federal government allotted six months. I will add this report in the show notes.

Call the number for MMIWG2S counseling:

The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has been released, but those affected by this issue are still able to access vital support services. Mental health counseling, emotional support, community-based cultural support services, and assistance with transportation costs are all available for survivors, family members, and those impacted by this tragedy. These resources provide comfort in a time of great pain and grief for many Indigenous families across Canada. It is important that we continue to prioritize these supports so that everyone can heal from the trauma caused by missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Health support services (rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca)

If you have any information regarding the death of Verna Simard, Ashley Mashikinic, or Nadine Mashikinic, please contact the Vancouver Police Department at (604) 717-3321.

BIG THANK YOU ON CASE RESEARCH for HandsOffMyPod:

Lisa Em, (https://www.instagram.com/lisa.em.loves/ )