Not one reporter was inside a La Loche courthouse Friday morning as a judge, issuing a decision on whether to sentence the La Loche shooter as a youth or an adult, began the court proceedings.
All media who travelled to the northern Saskatchewan community to cover Judge Janet McIvor’s decision were locked outside the court for about the first hour of the proceedings. Journalists were told all seats, about 40, were reserved for victims and victims' families.
Only one reporter, CBC Saskatoon’s Charles Hamilton, was eventually allowed into the courthouse. Media, before Hamilton entered the court, briefly relied on the information of one radio DJ who was sent to a court in Meadow Lake to watch a live stream of the proceedings.
“I’m an on-air announcer by trade, so I’ve never really had to cover anything like this before. It was one of those things where it was very stressful,” Matt Ryan, a DJ for CJNS in Meadow Lake, told CTV News after the court proceedings.
“I think I was the only one here in Meadow Lake covering it for the live stream, so I was just trying to do my best to let as many people know what was happening.”
University of Regina journalism professor Trish Elliott said ensuring journalists are given spots in the courtroom is important.
“I'm sure that community should get a lot of priority, but you do need a couple of journalists at least, or as many as possible to squeeze in there, to convey to the public about what's going on inside that courtroom,” she said. “Journalists are the eyes and ears of the public. A lot of people will miss what went on, so it's important for journalists to be present.”
The CBC’s Hamilton was allowed into the courtroom a little more than 10 minutes before the judge announced the shooter would receive an adult sentence.
“The location of the sentencing is at the discretion of the judge, who elected to hold this hearing in La Loche to allow the community to participate. The La Loche courtroom presents challenges with regards to capacity,” a statement from Saskatchewan’s Justice Ministry said.
“The court determined the priority was to accommodate victims and their families who wanted to be present during today’s proceedings. The capacity of the room did, unfortunately, even limit participation from some family members.
“A live video feed of the court proceeding was available in Meadow Lake to allow access to the court decision beyond the available seats in the La Loche courtroom. However, we understand the desire of family, community members and the media to be in the La Loche courtroom.”
Crown prosecutor Pouria Tabrizi-Reardigan said he was surprised to find out most members of the media were left out of the court.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he told reporters after the proceedings. “One of your colleagues came up to me and then alerted me to it. The room was jam-packed and I was surprised the media wasn't in there.”
The shooter, now 20, was 17 when he carried out a deadly shooting in the community a little more than two years ago.
He fatally shot brothers Dayne and Drayden Fontaine at a home in La Loche before making his way to the school, where he killed teacher Adam Wood and teacher’s aide Marie Janvier. Seven other people were injured.
His identity is banned from publication under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. He was roughly two weeks shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the Jan. 22, 2016, shooting.
