Service held for victim of tent fire at Sudbury encampment

Friends and family of the woman who passed away at the homeless encampment at Energy Court on Monday gathered for a service Thursday afternoon in Sudbury.

It was an emotional day Thursday for many friends and family as they sang, drummed and smudged at Energy Court in Sudbury, where their loved one, Amanda, passed away on Jan. 12.

She was the victim of a fire in a tent in the city’s largest homeless encampment.

“She’s very spiritual, very happy,” daid her sister, Alexandrea Wemigwans.

“She walks into a room and makes anybody smile, laugh. Just very cheerful.”

Those in attendance Thursday afternoon placed flowers and teddy bears next to the image of Amanda. Others placed tobacco and other offerings.

“We were just overwhelmed with the amount of support,” Wemigwans said.

“Somebody even made a song. We just listened to it before we actually got here. It’s beautiful. It’s nice that people, you know, are remembering Amanda. She just affected a lot of us in different ways.”

“She knows that we are here, she is looking down upon us, and she is so grateful that so many of us are here to honour her and to remember her,” said an elder who spoke at the service.

“Her life over there will be different -- so different than what we know … here. No hunger, no pain. Oh, just wonderful things.”

Amanda’s family said they want people to remember her younger self.

“I want people to remember my sister the champion (from) she was when she was younger,” Wemigwans said.

“She loved wrestling in her youth. She was very artistic, loved to draw.”

While officials are continuing to investigate the fatal fire, Amanda’s sister said she’s hoping that more affordable housing will become available in the community, especially for people with mental health struggles and schizophrenia.