IQALUIT - RCMP said last Tuesday the autopsies had been completed on the bodies of an Iqalummiut family of four found dead June 7.

Students and staff at Joamie School received counselling on June 8 and June 9 after one of their classmates was killed. The student's father, mother and sister were also found dead in Iqaluit on June 7. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

“The coroner has the power over the bodies to return them to the community they came from,” said Sgt. Jimmy Akavak at a press conference in Iqaluit on June 14.

The bodies of Vivian Sula Enuaraq, 29, and her daughters Aliyah Degrasse, 2, and Alexandra Degrasse 7, were found in their Tundra Valley home on June 7. The body of Enuaraq's partner and father of the children, Sylvain Degrasse, 44, was found at the cemetery.

Once the coroner receives the DNA reports, the bodies will be released to the families.

Dates for any of the funerals have yet to be announced but Enuaraq's mother has stated her daughter and her children will be buried in Pond Inlet.

While the yellow police tape is down at the cemetery, the tape remained up at the Degrasse family home as of June 15.

“We keep that scene in case something resolves from the autopsies,” said Inspector Frank Gallagher, commanding officer of the RCMP V Division.

Once the RCMP is finished at the house, professionals in crime scene clean-up will be brought in from the south. At a city council meeting on June 14, Mayor Madeleine Redfern said the city is taking the lead on getting the associated costs covered.

With contributions from the city and the Government of Nunavut, the only outstanding amounts needed were to cover accommodations and meals for the three-member team. Airline tickets were donated, eliminating their travel expenses.

The total cost, she said, was about $10,000.

Redfern had a message she wanted to share with community members: “We must be compassionate at this time, be cautious and careful with our suffering and not to turn it into anger.”

Police are still seeking information from the public to help piece together what happened before the killings. Akavak said they are interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen or had any indirect or direct phone calls with any of the deceased. Some individuals have already come forward with information.

Police are seeking no suspects in the case.

“From what we know, there's no reason to be alarmed or for the public to be scared,” Akavak said.

The flag at Joamie School was still at half mast the week of June 13. Alexandra Degrasse was a Grade 2 student at the school.

Vice-principal Clyde Steele said with not that many days left in the school year, a memorial or celebration will be held in late August or early September once the students return from their summer vacation.

“We will certainly remember her,” he said.

The school population of about 200 students from kindergarten to Grade 5 had four guidance counsellors on hand to provide support for students and staff on June 8 and June 9.

“They are really quite resilient. There certainly was sadness and grief and a lot of confusion as to what happened and why,” said Sheila Levy, guidance counsellor at Inuksuk High School who was there along with counsellors Christa Kunuk, Rosie Kopalie and Oopa Picco.

Levy said she worked with the students and had them draw pictures about a good memory they had with Alex. The pictures, she said, will be given to the family.

The majority of the school population was present on June 8 and Levy said it was probably because they felt they needed to be surrounded by their peers.

When working with children after a crisis, Levy said special care must be given.

“These are young kids, you have to remember, and their concept of death is quite different from an adult's and how they handle it is so different,” she said.

All the parents of children in Alex's class were called either by Levy or the teacher.

Levy said everyone needs to work together to ensure a similar event does not occur in the future.

These comments were echoed by city councillors at their most recent meeting.

“Nunavut as a whole is facing a mental health crisis and we urgently need a mental health strategy,” said Councillor Mary Wilman.

She urged the city, though it may not be their place, to lead the charge in getting such a strategy drafted and implemented.

“This is very painful. Children are affected and when the government tries to do things, it's a bit slow,” said Coun. Joanasie Akumalik.

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada issued a press release on June 8 expressing its concern about the rates of violence and abuse against women reported in Nuanvut being 14 higher than the national average.

“This tragic situation must be a wake-up call for all of us,” stated Elisapee Sheutiapik, the group's president, in a press release.

She said she and the organization are working with all levels of government and various organizations to ensure crisis and support services are available.

With many organizations short on cash and personnel, she said groups must come together in the city, in the territory and nationally.

“It's not just water, sewer, roads; you need to have people healthy physically, mentally, emotionally,” she said.

Coun. Jimmy Kilabuk said at the city council meeting there is another sector of the population that needs help – men – and that they too will need support.

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