Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

CFS supervisor tearfully recalls hope for change with Phoenix Sinclair's family

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 11/30/2012 1:32 PM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

Phoenix Sinclair (FAMILY PHOTO)

Related Items

Articles

A witness broke down on the stand today at the inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair.

Retired Winnipeg Child and Family Services supervisor Heather Edinborough stifled sobs as she recalled the one social worker she believed had a strong chance of making a breakthrough with the troubled family.

She assigned to the family's case Stan Williams, an aboriginal man who practised his culture and might have been able to connect with Phoenix's single-parent dad, Steve Sinclair.

Phoenix had recently been apprehended from Sinclair's care during a weekend party that involved heavy drinking at their home in June 2003. Sinclair, who had himself been raised in care and had bad experiences as a foster child, wanted nothing to do with CFS.

"My hope was Stan's approach and his being aboriginal might meet with less resistance from Steve than had previously been the case," Edinborough said.

Phoenix's mother, Samantha Kematch, had left Sinclair two years earlier and the agency wanted Sinclair to accept some help so he would be able to resume parenting his daughter, Edinborough said.

Edinborough said she can't remember much about 2003 but she does remember supervising the case handled by Williams, who died a few years ago.

"Stan would lean forward in his seat and lock eyes with me and he would advocate for clients," she recalled, wiping away tears.

"He would cite their strengths and what they'd overcome while still acknowledging where there were things that needed to occur. It was evident to me we shared a lot of the same attitudes and beliefs and hope for kids and families and this work."

Williams wasn't able to convince Sinclair to get help for his drinking and to care for his daughter.

Phoenix remained in foster care until she was returned Kematch, a final time in 2004 — the year before the girl, then five, was beaten to death by Kematch and her boyfriend. Her murder was discovered in 2006.

The province called the inquiry into the death of the little girl to see if and how the child welfare system had failed her and her family.

Edinborough's testimony continues this afternoon.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.