MMIWG: Details about upcoming Membertou, NS Community Hearings

Press Release

Vancouver, British Columbia- Based on the interest of families and survivors around the community of Membertou, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will host a 3 day Community Hearing to hear from families of lost loved ones and survivors of violence.

The Nova Scotia Community Hearing will take place from October 30 to November 1, 2017. The public hearing venue will be hosted at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, Membertou First Nation, Nova Scotia.

The opening ceremony will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday, October 29, 2017 in the Kluskap room at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre. All are welcome.

There will be open hearings accessible to the public, where families and survivors speak in front of Commissioner(s). A pool camera will also be on-site, so the Canadian public will be able to watch the feed through numerous national media websites.

The Commissioners will also be hearing private testimony. The location and times are not publicly available to protect the safety and the privacy of families and survivors. These measures are taken to protect the safety of some families and survivors that are at risk of experiencing violence or re-traumatization if required to speak in a public venue.

There will also be Statement Gatherers available during the Community Hearings for those who wish to have a more intimate space or who wish to register and share their story on site. This method is facilitated by trained Statement Gatherer and offers an option to those who wish to provide testimony to the Commissioners in a video recorded format.

A full schedule of the Membertou Community Hearing will be posted on our website in the near future http://mmiwg-ffada.ca/en/start-the-healing/community-hearings. Please check our website regularly as it is updated often.

-30-

Released by:

National Inquiry Communications
604-561-8520
media@mmiwg-ffada.ca

ILR5