The NDP opposition is calling for an inquest into the apparent freezing death of a Saskatoon man.
The body of 42-year-old Jerry Peequaquat was found inside the cab of an abandoned semi-trailer tractor unit parked in a Saskatoon alley over the weekend.
He was homeless and had been living in the truck for months.
NDP Leader Cam Broten says he wants to know if the social services department failed Peequaquat.
He says an inquest may provide answers and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“This is incredibly tragic and completely unacceptable that a man 42-years-old would freeze to death in a makeshift shelter that he found in a broken down truck,” he says. “This is not right and for that reason I have called for a coroner’s inquest.”
Social Services minister Donna Harpauer says it’s too early to call an inquest.
She says more information is needed before starting a formal investigation and there is no record of Peequaquat contacting social services asking for financial assistance.
Saskatoon police have completed their investigation and the file has now been turned over to the coroner’s office.
A wake for Jerry Peequaquat will be held on the Yellowquill First Nation on Thursday, followed by a funeral on Friday.