VANCOUVER — A coalition of British Columbia families and support groups says there's no room for mistakes in the newly announced national inquiry into murdered and missing women.
Mary Teegee, with the Carrier Sekani Family Services, says inaction over the decades around missing women, especially aboriginal women, is a mark of racism and hasn't been acknowledged until recently.
She says the new inquiry must ensure families are given resources to participate fully and that recommendations must be followed up in a timely manner.
Lorelei Williams, whose cousin's DNA was found on serial killer Robert Pickton's farm, says families need clear answers from the inquiry.
She says she's concerned the inquiry could focus on the systemic issues without fixing them, and urged the government to make a plan for implementing the findings — including more than 700 recommendations already generated from other reports.
The inquiry is scheduled to begin on Sept. 1, is expected to last at least two years and cost at least $53.8 million.
