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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Someone knocked on the door of Alfonse Wedawin's Behchoko home looking for the 63-year-old man, and got no answer on Dec. 11.

A housing official with the master key was called to open the door of Wedawin's one-bedroom home behind the Sportsplex, where he lived alone, but the door knob was frozen.

When concerned family members finally gained entry, nobody was inside.

"From there we started searching for him," said brother Eddy Wedawin, noting the search team had hope but wondered how Alfonse, who had been seen walking around the area before he went missing, could survive in the frigid weather. "It was really cold and windy."

Temperatures in the North Slave on Dec. 11 were as low as -35 C.

The body of Alfonse Wedawin was found last Sunday afternoon in the snow near a Behchoko playground.

"Everyone was crying, screaming," Eddy said. "We all were in shock because we didn't know if he was dead or alive."

Behchoko police were called to the scene and are now assisting the NWT Coroner's office with the investigation.

Police do not suspect foul play but the exact cause of death has yet to be determined.

"People don't know why it happened. That's why we're waiting for the autopsy to get all the results back about what happened. We don't know," Eddy said. "We're just coping."

Wedawin leaves behind two brothers, six sisters, and a large extended family including half-siblings, nieces and nephews, said sister Marie Adele Walsh of Yellowknife.

Walsh, along with sister Adeline Tinqui, are awaiting the return of Wedawin's body from autopsy in Edmonton, before making funeral arrangements.

The funeral will be held in Behchoko, Walsh said, because it and the surrounding bush is the place where Wedawin lived and grew up.

He enjoyed hunting, trapping, and fishing when he was younger, said Eddy and Walsh.

Wedawin's cause of death could take three to four months to determine, said RCMP Cpl. Barry Ledoux, of the Yellowknife detachment.

In a Dec. 17 news release about the death, the RCMP strongly encouraged people to take all necessary precautions before travelling on the land or highways, including knowing your route, being appropriately dressed of the conditions, using a reliable vehicle and letting other people know your departure and arrival times.

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