Cathy Merrick, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, speaks to media in Winnipeg on Feb. 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Tributes poured in Friday for Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, who died after collapsing outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building.
Merrick, the first woman elected to the role, was talking to reporters about two court cases when she said she felt dizzy and fell to the ground.
Fire and paramedic crews arrived, performed chest compressions and carried Merrick away on a stretcher to an ambulance, which sped off with its siren on.
“She approached her work with joy, compassion, thoughtfulness and a spirituality that was grounded in the belief that we are all equal in the eyes of the Creator and that we all deserve to live a good life,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in a press release.
Flags outside the legislature were lowered.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham posted on social media that Merrick’s “leadership, strength, and compassion touched many lives.”
“She was a tireless advocate for First Nations in Manitoba,” Dan Vandal, Manitoba’s representative in the federal cabinet, said.
Merrick took over the helm of the assembly at a difficult time for the organization in 2022, when her predecessor, Arlen Dumas, had been removed over sexual harassment allegations.
Merrick was known for her compassion and worked to support people in need or had experienced trauma.
This report for The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 6, 2024.
