Dave Deibert and Shane Fraser
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The family of a husband and wife who died in a bear attack at their northern Saskatchewan cabin says the tragedy happened in a place that meant so much to the retired Regina couple.
The provincial government confirmed last week that a bear was involved in the deaths of two people at McTavish Lake, north of La Ronge.
On July 15, RCMP responded to a call about “a suspected wildlife incident” and located two bodies in the area.
The victims weren’t named by authorities, but they have since been identified as Jay and Deb MacDonald.
“Our grief is complicated by the fact that McTavish Lake, where the tragic incident occurred, is a place that was sacred to them,” the family wrote in an obituary for the MacDonalds.
“They built their camp together with hard work and vision and the time they spent there shaped and sustained them; it strengthened their relationship to each other and it gave them countless precious moments with friends and family in the beauty of the Northern Saskatchewan wilderness.”
Following a brief search, conservation officers located the bear believed to be responsible and euthanized it, the province said. The bear was transported to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon for a necropsy.
Black bears are the only bear species native to the area.
McTavish Lake is a remote fly-in community located approximately 90 kilometres north of La Ronge.
One victim was discovered on July 15, while the other was located the next day, the provincial safety ministry noted.
A reverend in Regina told The Canadian Press that Jay and Deb were loving and faithful people.
“Both of them will be remembered for their kindness, generosity, deep faith, love for their family, and their commitment to serve our church community,” Rev. Louis Kim Nguyen, with Regina’s Christ The King Parish, said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“We are shocked, but God has a plan.”
This is the second bear attack in three months in northern Saskatchewan. In May, a worker at a uranium exploration camp was killed by a black bear.
RCMP say the investigation into the McTavish Lake attack remains ongoing. Officers were initially involved, but since the deaths are not considered suspicious, the Saskatchewan Conservation Officer Service, in tandem with the provincial coroner, took over the investigation.
“We are grateful for the many sincere expressions of support which have come from so many in our community and especially from those closest to us,” the obituary stated.
