Inuvik (Mar 14/03) - While a petition to ban a convicted murderer from Inuvik gathers names, the man's sister says he's a changed man.

Albert Andrew Ross killed 15-year-old Heather Pascal in 1982 and is now out on parole, living in Tsiigehtchic.

Laura Moses is the step-sister of Heather Pascal. She has collected more than 200 names on a petition she is circulating around town calling for the banishment of the offender. - Terry Halifax/NNSL photo

Pascal's step-sister, Laura Moses, is circulating a petition calling on council and the parole board to ban Ross from Inuvik. Her story was told in The Drum last week.

So far, she has collected more than 200 names.

Albert Ross's sister, Mary Anne Ross, said she understands Pascal's pain, but said the community must also realize her brother is a different man from the one who killed Pascal.

"I feel like my life is on Jerry Springer," Mary Anne Ross said.

She wants to work out a solution, not just for the immediate situation, but for other people who face similar problems.

"(Moses) brought it out in the open and let's deal with it now," Ross said. "Let's deal with it as a community in Tsiigehtchic, in Tuk, in Inuvik, Aklavik, Paulatuk and Holman."

She said her brother spends only a few hours in Inuvik each month and feels he will forever pay his debt.

Works with youth

With the community's approval, her brother moved back to Tsiigehtchic last May after being paroled. She said he has been living a sober and hard-working life.

He works with a youth program.

"He tells them about his life," she said. "(Saying) 'If you do get into trouble this is what's going to happen to you.'

"He's a very positive person and he's had to learn that the hard way."

She empathizes with what the Moses and Pascal families are going through.

Ross's aunt was also killed and the man who committed the crime has served his time and moved back to Inuvik.

"This person who killed my aunt now has a life," Ross said. "He's a father and he's doing well and I'm happy for him.

"We can't just go out and attack this person and kill him too," Ross said. "What good is that going to do our family?

"It would just cause more aggravation between us."

Time to forgive

Ross said she believes that a community has to forgive to grow strong.

"We're a strong family and we understand and we forgive; we have to -- we live in the same community," she said. "We don't want to hate and we don't want to lash out at people."

She said there was never a program in place to bring the families together and she feels more should be done to integrate offenders back into the community.

They would welcome something like a healing circle where the victims and the offender meet to put their hurt behind them.

As of Tuesday, Moses had 209 signatures on her petition. She spent the weekend going door to door and also has petitions at Moe's Stationery, Mac's and the Roost.

Moses doesn't share Ross's empathy for offenders.

"I don't think a healing circle would work, because there is so much anger in the way he killed her," Moses said.

"He's never shown us any remorse and I don't feel we're at a point where a healing circle would work."

Moses said many people have asked her to live and let live, but many have backed her decision and signed her petition.

"Some people feel like it should just be swept away, but I think people need to know what happened here," Moses said.

The renewed focus on Heather's murder has re-opened old wounds.

"I agree that guy should not be in Inuvik, but she should have just left it alone -- this is only hurting us more," said Agnes Pascal, Heather's sister.