The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre’s Solidarity Paddle finished with the final paddle of the day for Jessica Patrick’s family.
Alcohol and Drug Councillor with the Friendship Centre, Mel Bazil says the purpose of the paddle is to help support the community and give them a chance to voice their feelings about tragedies in the past.
Bazil says there is a lot of stages of grief, not just with the family but with the whole community.
“We don’t all go through the same stage together so coming together is going to be difficult, but we are going to respond as best we can, and that’s how solitary works, even if people aren’t there right beside you, you can still conduct ceremonies on their behalf,” Bazil adds.
Jessica Patrick’s cousin says she is paddling not just for Jessica but for all the indigenous women that have not been able to be put to rest.
Jessica’s cousin is requesting not to be identified because the person responsible for her cousin’s death is still at large.
She says, “my message of hope is that we that we get our answers that we need to put Jessica’s case to rest, the paddle of solidarity and warriors is a message out there for everyone to understand that we are not going to stop until we get answers.”
Jessica’s cousin asks for anyone with information to please come forward.
Anyone who knows something about Jessica Patrick Balczer’s death is asked to please contact the Smithers RCMP at (250) 847-3233, or Crime-Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477.
“As a woman, an indigenous woman, I can only imagine what its like out there for anyone who has lost a loved one, we were very privileged to have been able to put Jessica to rest,” her cousin says.
It’s important to remember there are other people still missing says Bazil, Frances Brown is another woman that went missing in the area over a year ago and her family is still searching for her.