4 decades after fatal crash, Quebec First Nations community may finally get answers

The Atikamekwcommunity of Manawan, in the Lanaudire region, has been waiting for this momentfor nearly four decades.

Quebec provincial police announced Thursday they were wrapping up their investigation into a 1977 car crashthat killed five members of the community.

Twowomen,two men and a 15-year-old girldrowned in June of that yearafter the van they were in skidded off the road and raninto the Milieu River near Saint-Michel-des-Saints,250 kilometres north of Montreal.

The driver and another passenger, who were both white, managed to escape.

"It will always be on my mind, because I miss my mother,"said Antoinette Flamand. She told Radio-Canada that shewas aboard the blue van that dayand begged her mother to get out with her.

Flamand, who was eight at the time,was dropped offby the side of the road. She never saw her mother, Thrse Flamand, again.

• Drowning deaths of 5 aboriginal people in Manawan come to light 39 years later

Coroner's report raises questions

A provincialsupport group for families of missing and murdered peopleAssociation des familles de personnes assassines ou disparues has beenpushing authorities to probesome of theunanswered questions about the incident.

"Why did only the two white peoplemanage to escape?"said Nancy Roy, lawyer and director-general of the association.

Last year, Roy helped the families obtain a copy of the coroner's report.She saidthe families were shocked by what they read.

The report concluded the fivedied by drowning.But no autopsy was ever performed.The coroneralso ruled the driver was impaired.But no charges were ever laid.

"They feel there are many elements that just don't fit," said Roy of the victims'families.

• Investigators assigned to look into 1977 fatal crash that killed 5 aboriginal people

A coffee before the cops

In a written statement contained in the coroner's report, the driver confessed to drinking 18 beers the day of the crash.Hesaid the other survivor was in the back seat and managed to breaka window.

Both men climbed outthrough the back, screaming forthe others to follow.Roy said the community doesn't understand why they didn't.

"One of the victims, DenisPetiquay, was an athlete, a swimmer," Roy said. "His family can't comprehend how he could have drowned."

The driver said they then swam to shore andmade a fire, waiting until sunrise towalk the 19 kilometres to the town ofSaint-Michel-des-Saints.

They stoppedfor coffee before going to police.

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Sifting through 40-year-old evidence

In 2016,the families contacted provincial police and Public Security MinisterMartin Coiteux,demandinga new investigation into the crash.

Roy said the families didn't receive an answeruntil Radio-Canada aired a report last winterthat revealed the contents of the coroner's report for the first time.

The SretduQubecreopened the case in March. They met with the community on Thursday, saying the investigation will be completed in the next few days.

"We used satellite photos taken in 1977 to recreate the scene of the crash, because the road has been diverted since then,"said SQspokesperson Guy Lapointe.

"When we are done, we will have interviewed 25 people," said Lapointe.

Police alsocarried outtests to estimate the driver's blood-alcohol level based on his statement.

Silver lining for families

ValrieQuitich also lost her mother,Julianna, that day. She says the community appreciates the work done by police, but isn't convinced it will lead to any arrests.

"I'm disappointed because police told us a lot of the evidence has disappeared," said Quitich.

"We still hope there will charges laid against the survivors[who are still alive]but the investigation should have been done in 1977."

Provincial police sayit will hand over its report to the Crown by the end of October. The Crownwill then determine whether any criminalcharges will be laid.

• Investigators assigned to look into 1977 fatal crash that killed 5 aboriginal people

Victims:

JuliannaQuitich,24
LionelPetiquay,19
DenisPetiquay,18
Marie-NicolePetiquay,15
ThrseFlamand,34