‘A beautiful person’: Family, community mourn death of woman in Point Douglas
About 100 folks gathered exterior an house block in Winnipeg’s Level Douglas space on Saturday night to pay tribute to the lifetime of a mom of 4 whose life was reduce brief by violence this week.
Household, pals and others locally who knew Danielle Daybreak Ballantyne lit candles, sang conventional Indigenous songs and prayed collectively, maintaining vigil for the reminiscence of the 36-year-old who was discovered useless by police in a set within the 100 block of Jarvis Avenue on Monday.
Ballantyne, who was initially from Misipawistik First Nation (Grand Rapids) however moved to Winnipeg a couple of decade in the past, was a giving one that was very protecting of her household, relations stated.
“She would go above and past,” stated Lorraine Ballantyne, a youthful sister, in a short interview.
“She did not have a lot, however what she did have she gave to us and her kids. Her kids have been an important factor in her life. She would do something for them.”
Danielle Ballantyne’s loss of life was one in every of a number of severe violent assaults that police have been referred to as to in the identical common space of Winnipeg that morning, stated police.
Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged with second-degree homicide in Ballantyne’s killing. Additionally they every face a separate homicide cost every for the killing of one other man a few hours earlier than Ballantyne was discovered.
“We love her very a lot and we pray for these individuals who did this,” stated Ballantyne’s aunt Gail Ledoux.
“We pray for them and forgive them as a result of my niece was a fantastic individual. She liked everybody,” Ledoux stated. “She would all the time say I like you to everybody she met.”
Ballantyne was homeless when she died, relations stated.
Darryl Contois, who works with Sabe Peace Walkers, stated he’d gotten to know Ballantyne, who would usually go to the company’s workplace at 190 Disraeli to have one thing to eat and to look at TV.
“She would assist folks regardless that she wanted assist,” Contois stated. “Danielle will probably be missed … could her spirit fly excessive and watch over us.”
Her uncle, Percy Ballantyne, referred to as on Indigenous leaders to do extra to assist the various 1000’s of First Nations members in Canada who reside off-reserve. They do not get sufficient sources, together with funding and housing, he stated.
“We have to return to our tradition, our worth system and be extra kinder to 1 one other and assist one another as Indigenous folks,” he stated to applause.
A uniformed member of the Winnipeg Police Service and various cadets attended the vigil. A number of members of Ballantyne’s household thanked police for his or her assist.
Her funeral is deliberate for Tuesday in Misipawistik.
Chief Heidi Cook dinner instructed CBC in a Friday interview the group is pulling collectively to assist Ballantyne’s household. “Clearly it is a shock to lose someone so out of the blue,” Cook dinner stated.
“Danielle was liked by lots of people, stated Cook dinner. “She didn’t need to die. No matter was occurring in her life there was all the time hope she would have a great life, discover peace.”
