Family Believes 18-Year-Old Indigenous Youth in B.C. Care Froze to Death, Demands Answers

The family of Chantelle Williams, an 18-year-old Indigenous youth who died while in government care, is calling for accountability and answers — saying they believe she froze to death just months before she was set to age out of the system.

Williams, a member of the Huu-ay-aht and Ahousaht First Nations, was found unresponsive outside on Ian Avenue in Port Alberni around 5 a.m. on Jan. 28, during a cold snap where temperatures dropped below –5°C, and –7°C with wind chill. She died later in hospital.

At the time of her death, Williams was under the guardianship of Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services, a delegated agency of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). She had been living in a group home operated by Inside Out Care Corporation, just blocks from where she was found.

"She should have been under supervision"

Family members say Williams had been in hospital earlier that evening, though the reason has not been disclosed. After being discharged, she returned to the group home with someone — her relatives say they don’t know who — and left again undetected.

“Somebody has to come out and tell the truth on what happened and who's at fault,” said Martin Watts, her uncle.
“A simple apology. There has been nothing of that sort.”

Her grandfather, George Nookemus, says they had plans to go shopping and have lunch the next day. He wants to know why no one at the group home noticed she was missing.

“They could have driven down the road and found her on the sidewalk. I asked that question: ‘Did you look for her?’ They didn’t answer me.”

Questions mount about care and oversight

According to the B.C. Coroners Service, the investigation into her death remains open. RCMP have confirmed the death is not currently being treated as criminal, pending the outcome of the coroner’s findings.

Williams had been in care with Usma, the same agency previously responsible for Dontay Patrick Lucas, a six-year-old Indigenous boy tortured and killed in 2021. That case led to a damning report and criminal convictions, and raised widespread concerns over child welfare oversight in the province.

Premier David Eby had previously pledged accountability in such cases, but his office referred all questions on Williams' death to Children and Family Development Minister Jodie Wickens, who said a practice review is automatic when a youth in care dies.

Wickens said in a statement, “My expectation as the minister and as a mother is that we get to the truth of why and how it happened.”

A call for systemic reform

Jennifer Charlesworth, B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth, confirmed her office has launched an initial review and is gathering information to determine what further action to take. However, a full investigation cannot proceed until the coroner and other agencies conclude their work — a process that may take more than a year.

Charlesworth warned against placing blame on a single person or agency, calling Williams’s death likely the result of “a complex interplay of missed opportunities and unco-ordinated systemic responses.”

She linked the tragedy to generational trauma and the legacy of residential schools — particularly the Alberni Indian Residential School, located in the same city where Williams died.

“We see time and time again… that when the system fails to wrap itself around vulnerable young people, the results can be devastating,” Charlesworth said.

“She was almost there”

Williams was described by family as a vibrant, loving teen who had dreams of independence. She would have turned 19 in April, officially aging out of care.

“She was her own little free spirit,” said her uncle Watts. “How could somebody not be cared enough for until she turned 19? She didn’t reach that goal.”

In a statement, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, expressed condolences, calling the loss “heartbreaking and tragic.” She said Usma will fully cooperate with all inquiries.

Inside Out Care Corporation, the private operator of the group home where Williams lived, has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

"She had a bright smile and a loving heart"

Williams’s family held her funeral on Feb. 14, and she was buried in the Alberni Valley Memorial Gardens. Her obituary reads: “Her bright smile, loving heart, and infectious laugh will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.”

Wietske Flor, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Chilliwack Cultus Lake, raised Williams’s case in the legislature during Epilepsy Awareness Month, emphasizing the urgent need for better care and accountability across government systems.

MCFD says it is working to strengthen its response to child welfare concerns, including:

• A new Indigenous child welfare director

• 20% increase in staffing

• Stronger oversight and visit timelines

• New digital reporting tools

But for Williams’s family, the efforts are too late.

“We’re left with grief and silence,” said her aunt, Shannon Nookemus. “We just want to know what happened. She deserved better.”