THURSDAY, november 2, 2017 Vol. 74, No. 44
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
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Vanessa and Amanda Apsassin remember their sister Pamela Napoleon for her love of family and community.
Three-year investigation ends in murder charge matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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Leon Wokeley, 42, has been charged with second degree murder in the 2014 death of Pamela Napoleon. Wokeley is also facing a charge of arson and indignity to human remains, RCMP officials said at a rare press conference in Fort St. John on Monday. Left: Insp. Stephen Cocks and his special projects unit of the BC RCMP Major Wokeley was arrested in Crimes team was brought in to help investigate in 2015. Right: Insp. Mike Fort St. John Friday, Oct. 27, Kurvers of the Fort St. John RCMP. Below: Pam Napoleon (handout photo). and was to make his first court appearance Nov. 1. He remains being investigated for other in custody and has not been missing persons or homicide found guilty of the charges. cases, Cocks said. Wokeley and Napoleon The charges against him knew each other from living in were largely secured by the Blueberry River First Nation, work of Fort St. John RCMP over roughly an hour north of the last three years, Cocks said. Fort St. John, and were last “They remained engaged seen leaving the community with their community. They together July 8, 2014. listened. Our efforts focused Napoleon was reported on taking the information brought back many dark missing July 23, and her remains gathered and confirming the memories from the time she were later found in a burned- evidence,” he said. went missing until now.” down cabin north of Buick “We want to thank the police Creek near Blueberry River Beautiful spirit taken for taking their case seriously, on Aug. 4. Investigators were too early, family says establishing what happened to Pam, so we can begin to heal.” unable to determine the cause of Napoleon’s death due to the Napoleon’s sisters Vanessa Insp. Mike Kurvers, fire, and medical and dental and Amanda Apsassin joined detachment commander of records were used to confirm RCMP for their announcement, the Fort St. John RCMP, called her identity. Napoleon was 42. as did two dozen of Napoleon’s Napoleon’s death “senseless” On Monday, police offered family and friends. and the investigation “rigorous.” sparse new details on their Vanessa Apsassin The detachment will investigation, including remembered Napoleon as a continue to provide support to Napoleon’s cause of death and loving daughter, sister, and her family, he said. “I know this how long Wokeley had been a mother who cared deeply about announcement will never bring Pamela back ; I can only hope suspect, citing the court process. family and community. Napoleon loved her culture it brings some comfort and Insp. Stephen Cocks, whose special projects unit was and the outdoors, Apsassin said, answers to her family and the brought on in 2015 to investigate and loved to prepare and cook community,” he said. alongside Fort St. John RCMP, meals for special occasions, Wokeley has brief confirmed Napoleon had been Apsassin said. “She loved her boys with all history with the law killed prior to the cabin fire. “We’re not in a position to her heart, as well as her family Wokeley, born in 1975, discuss the (details) of the case and friends,” Apsassin said. “Pam was a great person who was due in a Fort St. John at this point in time,” he said. courtroom on Wednesday. “Those things will be formally was taken from us too early.” News of Wokeley’s arrest, Court records show he has discussed in court at a later while a relief, was a sad had a few run-ins with the law, date.” He called the crime isolated, reminder of the family’s tragic most recently in February 2016 when he was fined $200 for and stressed Napoleon and loss, Apsassin said. “Understandably, this is uttering threats in Wonowon. Wokeley were not in a domestic See NAPOLEON on A16 relationship. Wokeley is not a shock to us,” she said. “It
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The BC Utilities Commission will submit its final report on the economics of Site C to the provincial government on Wednesday. Sources inside the legislature say the government is expecting another late-night release of the document, which will summarize the costs of continuing, suspending, or outright terminating the $9-billion project. “Once the BCUC has delivered its final report, government will take the time necessary to fully review the BCUC’s findings and other issues outside the scope of the review. Government will also engage further with First Nations,” the provincial ministry of energy and mines said in a statement. Site C has been under construction on the Peace River outside Fort St. John since summer 2015, with an estimated $2 billion to have been spent by the end of this year. There were 2,357 total workers on Site C in August, when the new NDP government ordered the commission’s review. A government decision on the future of the dam is expected by the end of the year.
Immigration on the rise matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
Immigrant populations in Fort St. John and the Northern Rockies have nearly doubled in the last five years, according to the latest census data released Wednesday. There were 2,535 immigrants living in the Fort St. John metropolitan area, which includes Charlie Lake and Taylor, in 2016—representing 9.1 per cent of the population. That’s up from 1,375 immigrants recorded in the 2011 census, or 5.2 per cent of the population. The Filipino community represents one-fifth of the local immigrant population, with 520 immigrants recorded in 2016— 360 of whom immigrated here since 2011. Immigrants from the United States represent 10 per cent of the immigrant population, or 250, while immigrants from Germany (245), India (210), and the United Kingdom (140) round out the top five in representation. See IMMIGRATION on A4
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