Dear Editor,
We here at the Friendship Centre have always strived to help bridge the gap between all peoples in our community and Mary Ella Corbiere has always been a major concern for us. She has been missing since Oct. 1 and although we have done our best distributing posters and even conducting a search for her, the public is still unaware. Mary Ella often slept in back alleys and backyards. We believe the town must be told to check their backyards for we fear she could unknowingly be in someone's backyard.
We are very concerned that the provincial media is not reporting this story and letting the public know about this lady and the facts of her case due to the fact that she was a homeless person with relatively no people who cared about her and her whereabouts. Mary Ellen was a senior citizen and a member of this community for at least 30 years and has always been an active member of the Friendship Centre.
Homelessness can happen to anyone and despite these circumstances, we all deserve to have dignity at our death. It is our belief that in order for Mary Ellen to rest in peace, her body must be found and a proper burial must be elicited.
Dianne Youngchief, executive director
Bonnyville Native Friendship Centre
