Montreal overdose victim remembered as a caring family person
Posted September 15, 2023 11:56 am.
Last Updated September 15, 2023 6:41 pm.
Family and friends of 42-year-old Sindy Wabanonik, an Anishinaabe mother of three from Lac Simon, Quebec, are remembering her as a caring family person who liked to help others. She died after a possible accidental overdose that occurred on Sunday in downtown Montreal.
“She was a helping person. What we heard from people who came in to see her in the hospital, is that they’re going to be missing her because she was a person that was really helping others,” said Lucien Wabanonik, Sindy’s brother and chief of the Anishinaabe council of Lac Simon. “She was a loving mother and she tried her best to do what she needed to do as a mother and taking responsibility. And she was that kind of person, you know, really joyous and bringing smiles to people’s faces.”
Sindy Wabanonik (Photo credit: Facebook)
On Sunday September 10, near the intersection of St-Dominique and Ontario in downtown Montreal, six people required medical assistance for overdoses. One of those people was Sindy Wabanonik, and she would later die in hospital.
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“What we were told is that she had an accidental overdose because my sister, she was doing good. She was fighting her dependency on drugs and alcohol, but she was doing good,” explained Wabanonik.
“I spoke to her not too long ago when she was feeling okay and she had a joyous voice. At that time, she was doing good, but I don’t know what happened,” he added.
Wabanonik would like to see justice for his sister. He’s hoping a criminal investigation will lead to those responsible for the substance that led to her death.
“What we’re thinking is that probably those people were aimed because they were First Nations people. Well, that’s my thinking. I could be wrong. But, you know, it’s hard,” said Wabanonik.
For now, Wabanonik says that Sindy will be remembered for her positivity and her relationships with family and friends.
“She was an open minded person, when she shared her stories, but also her difficulties. And with those people, that’s how they were connecting. She had a positive mind, really trying hard to do something positive and constructive for others. And that’s what we remember of her.”
