The shock of the shooting on Friday still hasn’t worn off for Shelley Janvier.
Janvier is a teacher in Burnaby, B.C and has created a gofundme page to help support the families of the victims of the shooting in La Loche.
On the page it explains:
“The money will be used for funeral expenses for all victims, and for those who are in hospital and need family by their sides. If we exceed our goal, the rest of the money will go to the La Loche Community School to help their students and staff cope with this tragedy … I have contacts in La Loche and will ensure the funds will go directly to the cause. “
Janvier grew up in Descharme Lake, a small community north of La Loche. After graduation, she spent the first two years of her teaching career working at the school in La Loche.
“I just felt compelled to do something. I just checked with a couple people from home, and I said ‘what do you think about this’ and they said ‘yes you should just do it,'” said Janvier.
During her time teaching in La Loche, Janvier got to know Marie Javier, one of the shooting victims, as a student.
“She had such an energy about her, I remember just her smile and her love of her language. I remember her bringing in these little Dene songs to school and wanting to share them with her classmates,” said Janvier.
Janvier said she was able to regain much of her language thanks to Marie.
“I can still hear her voice and just the way her eyes light up. She was a wonderful human being back then and from what I hear that’s how she was all her life.”
As of Sunday morning the “Victims of La Loche Shooting” gofundme page had raised over $8,000.