Sister hopes inquest into death of Winnipeg man turned away from addictions clinic, shelter will spur change

The sister of a man who diedlast spring in Winnipeg after consuming a street drug says she's thankful to see an inquest called into her brother's death.

Lee Earnshaw, 42, was found unresponsiveinsidehis tent, set up along the banks of the Seine River, in June 2021. He had taken a toxic mix offentanyl and methamphetamine, called gold down, according to a Thursday news release from the office of Manitoba's chief medical examiner.

Just a month before he died,Earnshaw toldCBC Newsthat he was trying to get help for his addiction.

Following his death, Earnshaw's sister Carol Packer and the St. Boniface Street Links outreach group senta letter to the chief medical examinerDr. John K. Younes,calling for an inquest.

When reached at her home in Alberta on Thursday, Packer said she is "thankful that the message got across" and hopes it can initiatepolicy change to make it easier for people with addictions toaccess help when they request it.

"When someone's ready, treatment needs to be available quickly and they can't be turned away. It can't happen anymore. It just can't happen anymore," she said.

"I don't want any more families to have to read about [drug overdoses of loved ones] and nothing is changing. The health system needs to offerdifferent options and treatments to address peoplewho are living this and to prevent overdoses."

Younes called for the inquestto determine all the circumstances surrounding Earnshaw's death in order to prevent similar deaths in the future, Thursday's news release said.

In the months leading up to his death, Earnshawhad made repeated attempts to access help through aprovincial rapid access to addictions medicine(RAAM)clinic but was turned away each time due to various technicalities, according to the release fromYounes's office.

Earnshawhad also tried get help atMain Street Project,one of Winnipeg's largest homeless shelters and home toa detox program,but was also turned away, the release stated.

Attempts were made to resuscitate Earnshaw when he wasfound inside his tentand again at a hospital, including through administeringNarcan, but nothing was successful.

The manner of death has officially been deemed as accidental.

The month before his death, Earnshaw a fatherand formercommercial fisherman was featuredin a CBC News story about a lack ofdetox and treatmentbeds in the city and the resultant longer waits for help.

At the time, he talked about how he had tried to access theRAAM clinic, but even with the aid ofoutreach workers fromSt. Boniface Street Links he wasn't able to get in.

"There was some issueI had used [drugs] within 24 hours or something," he said at the time."It's kind of disappointing because you psych yourself up, you're ready to go."

On another occasion, the clinic had reached its capacity for appointments, according to the Street Links outreach team.

Earnshaw said he plannedto keep trying and that he wantedto get into a detox centre.

Packer said he wasexceptionally kind and thoughtful, and"the epitome of what you would want in a little brother."

"We were very lucky to have him in our lives for the time that we did," she said, noting the family was originally from Winnipeg but moved out to British Columbia, whereEarnshawfirst struggled with drugs.

He had gone into treatment and wasclean when he moved back to Winnipeg in 2017, but had a relapse.

Though she advocated for the inquest, Packer gives full credit to her brother for pushing the issue into the light.

"I think none of this would have happened had Leenot had the courage to speak out about it in the first placeso that people could hear from his voice,from people who are actually living the experience," she said.

"There are people who are ready to get treatment, and they're being turned away. You have to think of it as a medical emergency," said Packer.

"If people could shift their way of thinking, you would never turn somebody away who wasin distress and needed help. But in these circumstances, that's what's happening."

The date, time and location of the inquest will be determined by the chief judge of Manitoba'sprovincial court and released at a later date, Thursday's news release said.