May 5: Ile-a-la Crosse RCMP have arrested and charged an adult male in relation to an assault investigation. At approximately 11 p.m., Ile-a-la Crosse RCMP received a report of an armed male at a residential property on Lajeunesse Avenue in Ile-a-la Crosse. It was also reported to police a female had been assaulted. Officers immediately responded. Investigation determined an altercation occurred between an adult male and an adult female outside a residence. During the altercation, the female was assaulted. The male threatened the female and others at the property before leaving. The female was taken to hospital with injuries described as serious, but non-life threatening, in nature. As a result of investigation, Ile-a-la Crosse RCMP attended a separate residential property on Lajeunesse Avenue and arrested an adult male. While at the second property, officers located and seized two machetes and a prohibited firearm. Resulting from continued investigation, 44-year-old Abraham McCallum of Ile-a-la Crosse is charged with: three counts of assault with a weapon; two counts of uttering threats against a person; one count of uttering threats to property; one count of failing to comply with a release order condition; one count of breach of recognizance to keep the peace; one count of possession of a prohibited weapon for a dangerous purpose; one count of possession of a prohibited firearm when knowing possession was unauthorized; one count of using a firearm in the commission of an offence; and two counts of weapons possession contrary to an order. McCallum appeared in Meadow Lake provincial court May 7. 

May 8: Saskatchewan RCMP’s Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) has charged a 25-year-old male with manslaughter following a homicide in Turnor Lake. At approximately 2:55 a.m., Buffalo Narrows RCMP received a report of an injured female at a residence in Turnor Lake. Officers from the Buffalo Narrows and La Loche RCMP detachments responded immediately and located an injured female at the residence. They arrested a male outside the residence. EMS attended and declared the female deceased. She has been identified as 21-year-old Shalayah Montgrand of Turnor Lake. Her family has been notified and victim services have been made available to them. Saskatchewan RCMP’s HIU took carriage of the investigation. 

As a result of their investigation, 25-year-old Darian Montgrand of Turnor Lake was charged with one count of manslaughter. Montgrand was scheduled to appear by CCTV in Meadow Lake provincial court May 11. As a result of continued investigation by the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Homicide Investigation Unit, however, Montgrand is facing additional charges. He has also been charged with three counts of possession of firearm and ammunition contrary to conditions and one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm. 

Meanwhile, in the wake of this incident, the Saskatchewan NDP spoke out calling for increased policing and frontline resource investment in the north. “A young mother has lost her life,” noted Athabasca NDP MLA Leroy Laliberte. “A child has lost his mother. A family is grieving and an entire community is mourning. But, we also need to speak honestly today about what northern communities have been saying for years. People in the north have been sounding the alarm over and over again about the growing mental health, addictions and public safety crisis — and too often those calls for help have been ignored.” Birch Narrows Dene Nation chief Jonathon Sylvestre agreed, said the tragedy has devastated the community and underscored years of frustration over a lack of supports in the north. “It’s pretty sad it’s come to this to finally get some attention on the needs of our community,” Sylvestre said. “People are hurting and struggling to understand how something this tragic could happen here.” Sylvestre said Birch Narrows and Turnor Lake have repeatedly raised concerns around addictions, mental health and public safety while facing limited police presence and growing criminal activity. “There have been times where we had extremely limited police presence in our communities,” Sylvestre said. “We’ve had to hire our own security force, but they’re limited in what they can do. We have drug dealers throughout the community and many are not even from here. We need governments to stop making promises and start delivering real supports on the ground.” Laliberte said the province must commit to sustained investments in addictions treatment, mental health care, policing resources and community safety initiatives across northern Saskatchewan. “People in the north are tired of being forgotten and tired of empty promises,” Laliberte said. 

May 12: The Government of Saskatchewan is partnering with Canadian country star Paul Brandt and his #NotInMyCity initiative to provide enhanced human trafficking training to Saskatchewan law enforcement agencies. The province will provide $100,000 to #NotInMyCity, through the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, to have the International Association of Human Trafficking Investigators deliver specialized training to Saskatchewan RCMP, municipal police, marshals, highway transportation officers and Indigenous police services. The training will be delivered in the fall and will focus on strengthening investigative capacity, victim-centred practices and inter-agency coordination for frontline officers. “Last spring we were proud to host #NotInMyCity’s Maddison Sessions Conference in Saskatoon, which provided a critical forum for law enforcement from across Canada to discuss solutions to human trafficking,” justice minister and attorney general Tim McLeod said. “The funding being provided here and the training it will deliver are a continuation of that relationship and a firm example of the work Saskatchewan is undertaking to eliminate human trafficking in our province.” This was echoed by Alana Ross, minister responsible for the status of women. 
“Human trafficking has no place in Saskatchewan, and our government is taking concrete action to stop it,” Ross said. “By investing in specialized, survivor-centred training for frontline officers, we are strengthening our collective ability to identify trafficking, support survivors and hold offenders accountable. Partnerships like #NotInMyCity are critical to building safer communities and protecting some of our most vulnerable people.” Brandt founded #NotInMyCity in 2017. In 2023, the organization launched the first Maddison Sessions conference in Lake Louise, AB for frontline investigators, including police officers and crown prosecutors, to share knowledge and resources to combat human trafficking across Canada. A second conference was held in Kelowna, British Columbia, in 2024, and the third conference was held in Saskatoon in the spring of 2025. “Human trafficking is a complex crime that can be difficult to detect, and that is exactly why specialized training for frontline officers is essential,” Brandt said. “With the support of the Government of Saskatchewan, this partnership will bring practical training to law enforcement across the province, building investigative capacity, advancing victim-centred approaches and strengthening coordination that can make a difference for survivors.” Through the National Action Plan to End Gender based Violence, Saskatchewan will receive $20.3 million in federal funding for programs and services to address interpersonal violence and abuse over the four years spanning 2023-24 to 2026-27. Saskatchewan annually invests more than $70 million on programs, services and initiatives to address interpersonal violence and abuse. This funding directly supports interpersonal violence programs and services that help victims, broaden housing supports, raise awareness of human trafficking and improve access to legal and courtbased resources. To access human trafficking services and resources in Saskatchewan, visit: stoptrafficking.ca.