Troubled inquiry into missing, murdered Indigenous women seeks two more years
OTTAWA — The troubled national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is formally asking for another two years and more money to finish its work, saying more time is needed to hear from the hundreds of people still waiting to share their stories.
The inquiry, which has a budget of nearly $54 million, was originally scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2018, but chief commissioner Marion Buller has long warned more time and money will be necessary.
“We believe that the two years is required to do justice to our critical mandate for the safety and security of our women, Indigenous women and girls, and 2SLGBTQ (LGBTQ and two-spirit) people across Canada,” Buller said Tuesday after the commission submitted its formal request.
“The response from families, survivors and Indigenous communities has been overwhelmingly strong,” she added, describing the inquiry’s work as a “sacred responsibility.”