Casandra Fox of Sweetgrass First Nation is shown in a police handout photo. Fox, 26, died at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in Maple Creek on Jan. 18, 2023. (Image Credit: Saskatchewan RCMP)

By Kenneth Cheung

public inquest

‘Could be life and death’: Jury calls for safety changes after suicide at Sask. healing lodge

Jul 8, 2026 | 11:39 AM

A coroner’s jury decided federal correctional workers should carry emergency rescue tools at all times, warning that the 30 seconds to one minute spent retrieving one could be the difference between life and death.

The recommendation follows a public inquest into the death of Casandra Fox, 26, at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge near Maple Creek.

Fox, who was from Sweetgrass First Nation, died at the federal healing lodge on Jan. 18, 2023. A six-person jury found she died by suicide.

Following the two-day inquest, the jury recommended all workers carry what its report identifies as a “911 tool.”

“In a situation where time is very important, running 30 seconds to one minute to get this tool could be life and death,” the jury wrote.

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The jury also called for an audit of all indoor facilities for hanging and ligature points and recommended informal checks be performed “at a more random fashion.”

Fox had been serving a sentence at the healing lodge in connection with the 2020 death of Bradley John Ham. Fox was originally charged with first-degree murder before pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder. She was sentenced to four years in November 2022 at North Battleford Provincial Court and died less than two months later.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call or text 9-8-8, Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline, at any time of day or night. In an emergency, call 911. Saskatchewan residents can also contact HealthLine 811 for access to mental health and addictions support services.

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

‘Could be life and death’: Jury calls for safety changes after suicide at Sask. healing lodge

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