Kyle Morrisseau dreamed of becoming artist before tragic end in Thunder Bay

THUNDER BAY – Kyle Morrisseau had dreams of following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

The grandson of famed First Nations artist Norval Morrisseau, he arrived in Thunder Bay in the fall of 2009 to attend school at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School but the 17-year-old from Keewaywin First Nation was found dead nearly two months later.

His mother, Lorene Morriseau, testified Wednesday afternoon at the coroner’s inquest examining the deaths of Morrisseau and six other students from remote communities who came to Thunder Bay to receive a high school education.

She told the inquest her son had a successful art show in Ottawa a couple of years prior to his arrival in Thunder Bay, and had dreams of becoming an artist and returning home to be a hunter after completing his education.

But that never happened.

Kyle Morrisseau last spoke with his mother in the late evening hours of Oct. 26, 2009, telling her he was calling from his boarding home.

His mother testified he wanted to speak with his father and brother, who were both away hunting. He also sounded intoxicated on the phone.

A day or two later the family received a call to inform them Kyle had not returned to his boarding home and had not been at school.
Her husband, Christian, travelled to Thunder Bay to help with the search.

Lorene Morriseau said after a couple of days her husband called, telling her Kyle wasn’t anywhere to be found.

After a week she, along with community volunteers and leaders, came to the city to help with the search effort.

On Nov. 10, 2009 the parents went to a meeting at the high school before returning back to their hotel. An hour later the phone rang, with them being asked to return to the high school.

Once they arrived back Lorene Morriseau said she saw a large number of people, including police officers.

They were told a body of a First Nations male in his late teens was recovered from the McIntyre River, but they still needed to identify.

The parents were asked to identify the body but Lorene Morriseau said she couldn’t do it. Her husband confirmed it was their son.

A forensic toxicologist and pathologist testified earlier in the inquest Morrisseau’s cause of death had been determined as drowning with alcohol intoxication listed as a contributing factor.

The inquest is scheduled to continue Thursday morning.