A man who lost his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren to a drunk driver says he was disappointed to learn that the woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for their deaths was moved to a minimum-security 鈥渉ealing lodge鈥� just one month after her sentencing.
Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst, along with their children Kamryn and Miguire, were killed last January when Catherine McKay ran a stoplight and crashed her SUV into their vehicle on Highway 11 north of Saskatoon.
McKay pleaded guilty last summer to four counts of impaired driving causing death. A joint submission by the Crown and defence stated she had consumed at least seven drinks and had been driving at 120 km/h.
McKay is living at the Okimaw Ohci healing lodge, a minimum-security facility that incorporates Aboriginal teachings into its rehabilitation programs. It has residential houses instead of cellblocks and inmates, including McKay, are allowed supervised day release.
Jordan Van de Vorst鈥檚 father Lou Van de Vorst says he is shocked that someone who killed four people could be transferred from prison so quickly, adding that the punishment should reflect the severity of the crime.
鈥淲e miss our kids every day,鈥� Van de Vorst said. 鈥淢ore than once a day, my wife and I think of our children and our grandchildren and my daughter in law."
Corrections Canada would not comment on McKay鈥檚 specific case, but said that each offender gets assessed at intake and an individual rehabilitation program is made.
鈥淚ndigenous programs target offenders鈥� needs in the context of indigenous history, culture and spirituality while at the same time addressing the factors related to criminal behaviour,鈥� Corrections Canada said.
McKay鈥檚 lawyer Leslie Sullivan said that she believes healing lodges make a positive impact.
Regina mental health councillor and residential school survivor Grant Severight also defended the use of a healing lodge for McKay.
鈥淪he didn鈥檛 get up that morning to say, 鈥業鈥檓 going to go onto a highway in a drunken stupor, I鈥檓 going to run into this car and I鈥檓 going to kill people,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪he never planned that.鈥�
Prisoner advocate John Hutton, who leads the John Howard Society of Manitoba, said that prison is not the right place for someone who suffers from addiction issues and does not present a danger to society.
He said McKay will likely be eligible for parole within a few years whether she鈥檚 at a healing lodge or not, and 鈥渟he鈥檚 going to make a better use of that (time) in the healing lodge.鈥�
Van de Vorst said he believes in rehabilitation but wants to see more consideration for victims. He also said he hopes McKay鈥檚 rehabilitation includes speaking out against impaired driving.
With reports from CTV鈥檚 Jill Macyshon and CTV Saskatoon鈥檚 Mark Villani
