Northern Manitoba community 'in shock' after hospital sent wrong body to grieving family: Chief

A Manitoba health-care organization isinvestigating after a family in a small northern community received and buried remains they believed belonged to a loved one but in fact were someone else's.

The family of 44-year-old Keith Wilson from Pimicikamak Cree Nation was notified by Manitoba Shared Healthearlier this week that the funeral home whichmade preparations for the burial received the wrong remains, according to leaders of the community, which is also known as Cross Lake.

Wilson's body was found in a river nearNorway House Cree Nation, local RCMPsaid in a release late July. The man had been reported missing, and had last been seen June 29.

Police saidan autopsy had then been performed on the body. On Thursday, Shared Health, which oversees health care in Manitoba, told CBC News in a statement they couldn't provide specific details because of the Personal Health Information Act, but confirmed the body of someone who was in its care for an autopsy was released to the wrong family.

The Cross Lake Band said Shared Healthofficials reached out to the family to tell themstaff at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre noticed the mistakewhile doing aninventory of the hospital's morgue.

"They found that [through] the tags that they have, they still had Mr. Wilson's body there," Pimicikamak Chief David Monias said.

"The family is in shock.We're in shock. We're in disbelief that this would happen to our citizens. We were grieving and mourning the wrong body and now, starting all over again."

Monias told CBC News the band reached out to Shared Health to clarify how the mistake happened.

Shared Health taking 'full responsibility': Norway House chief

Pimicikamakvice-chief Florence Blacksmith has been in touch with the family. She said the body was in a sealed casket, and that none of them couldhave noticed they were burying the wrong body.

Wilson's father"has been taking it hard," Blacksmith said. "His girlfriend called me two nights in a row that he's been crying. All I can do is send a priest over there to go pray for him, and to talk to him."

Funeral services for Wilson were held in late July. The remains wereburied in Norway House.

Norway House Funeral Home declined to comment on the situation.In thestatement issued by Shared Health, Chief Larson Anderson said the health authorityhad taken "full responsibility" for the incident.

"The funeral director,because the body wasnot recognizable, how would they know?" Monias said.

"Will this happen anywhere else? I mean, hasthis happened anywhere else?"

Shared Health said the family that received the wrong remains was notified on Monday.

CEOLanette Siragusasaid in the statement the incidentwas ruled acritical occurrence, and that a review is now underway.

"We understand this event will shake public faith in our processes and we are committed to addressing the issues that contributed to it," Siragusa said.

The CEO said a review will look into what led to the mistake, and identify improvements to the process, including ways to eliminate the risk of human error.

"We will be working to support family reunification with the proper remains of their loved one so that remembrance and a burial can be completed according to their wishes," she said.

Chief Anderson said the health authority was working alongside the Norway House council so that "immediate steps are taken" to address the situation, and to "ensure it doesn't happen to someone else."

He said Shared Health couldn't provide any specific details as to whose body was released to the family because of the Personal Health Information Act.

Monias said the body will have to be exhumed, and that they're working on getting the right remains.

In 2019, a Nunavut family whose child died in Winnipeg's St. Boniface Hospital similarlyreceived and buried the wrong remains. Monias said this is not the first time he's heard of a situation like this happening to a First Nationcommunity.

He said the band will be seeking reimbursement of thecosts of burying and disinterring the wrongbody, as well as expenses from the burial of Wilson's actual remains.

"For it to happen to us, it's unacceptable. We feel we're being revictimizedin terms of what's going on," he said. "Can you imagine what the family is going through?"

CBC News has reached out to members ofWilson's family.