15°c Clear
28°c Isolated showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Neighbours mourn death of city woman
Body found by play structure
Nadia Fiddler
A woman places tobacco beside a candle at a vigil in the courtyard of a Manitoba Housing complex after a body, believed to be Nadia Fiddler was found. (JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
A candlelight vigil Sunday in the windless grip of a winter's night drew 30 or more teenagers and toddlers to the children's play structure where a body was found.
It was a sombre expression of grief in a frozen courtyard of a Manitoba Housing complex in Tuxedo.
Friends and neighbours said they are fairly certain they know the identity of the woman whose remains were found, but authorities have yet to confirm her identity or the cause of her death.
There were more questions than answers in the circle Sunday night.
People stood in silence as they remembered their neighbour and planted their candles in the snow in front of a potted pine at the complex's play structure.
A resident of the Manitoba Housing complex on Doncaster Street found the body of a woman in the complex's courtyard just before 10 a.m. Saturday.
Police arrived soon afterward and placed a tarp over the body, which was accompanied by a large, white purse and several cans of Labatt Extra Dry beer.
After police taped off the courtyard, as well as some of the units in the ethnically diverse complex, shaken residents tried to piece together what happened the previous evening.
Residents say at least two parties took place overnight in different parts of the complex, which sits between Doncaster and Edgeland streets, south of Tuxedo Avenue.
Deb LaPlante said she and her neighbours are fairly certain the deceased woman is Nadia Fiddler, 33.
She celebrated a birthday last week and lived in one of the complex's housing units with her boyfriend, a man suffering from Crohn's disease who did not attend the vigil.
On Sunday, the Winnipeg Police Service was still not ready to confirm the woman's identity, said Const. Jason Michalyshen.
It was also uncertain whether the she succumbed to exposure, foul play or a combination of factors.
Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy, although a spokesman said right now there's nothing to indicate foul play.
While authorities aren't ready to identify the woman, her family, originally from Garden Hill First Nation, attended the vigil.
The relatives -- two women and a man -- quietly walked toward the centre of the complex, where the candles lit up the snow, and stood in silence. The man identified himself as the husband of one of the two women and said both were Fiddler's aunts.
He did not give their names.
They declined comment and, after a soft exchange in Oji-Cree, the man quietly picked up a braid of sweet grass left in the snow and a lit taper candle.
"They wanted answers," LaPlante said afterward of the relatives' arrival.
She said she and the woman's cousin, who also lived at the complex, are heartbroken.
Some neighbours reported hearing shouts at about 3 a.m. Another described someone banging on the door of their unit about 4 a.m.
Her neighbours remember Fiddler as a free spirit, fun-loving and generous with her money.
She was careful about her appearance and always well-dressed.
In the snow, next to the candles and the potted pine, kids and adults left behind children's stuffed animals.
alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 4, 2013 A3
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 15 articles for today)
Lotteries
1:00 AM 0In the event of a discrepancy between this list and the official winning numbers, the latter shall prevail.
PICK 3
Winning number ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- City-wide average mosquito count drops
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- MP Glover files new version of disputed 2011 election expenses
- Committee wants report on free replacement for garbage, recycling carts
- Pallister continues PST fight
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Game-day planning a must
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- No mad dash for concessions
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Kenyan wins Manitoba Marathon
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- UPDATE: Now with FAQ: Keeping the e-party going without the party-crashers
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Daycare provider charged with abandonment
- Poolside feeding prompts eviction
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Bible Belt's bogeyman still haunts town
- Strong may they run: Manitobans reflect on that fateful day in Boston
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- City-wide average mosquito count drops
- Province's new approach to teaching math long overdue: readers
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Doctors blamed for death
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- A day in the life of 13,380 Manitoba Marathon participants
- Province blows off wind megawatt goal
- Known as kind, outgoing men
- Stoppage of play off the field
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Squirrel crawls out of Winnipegger's toilet
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Father blasts 'horrific' movie
- Teachers support adding sexual-orientation themes to all curricula
- The crime fighter's revolution
- Safeway stores likely to close
- Car in deadly crash stolen?
- Fishing for fashion
- City's first urban reserve born
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe 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.