Public inquest scheduled in death of 14-year-old who drowned in Regina creek in 2015

The family of Haven Dubois has been fighting for years for answers about how he drowned in a shallow creek in Regina in 2015.

Now, nearly nine years after his death on May 20, 2015, they may get some answers.

A public inquest is scheduled to begin May 27 in Regina, the province announced on Friday.

A coroner's report listed his death as accidental with marijuana being a contributor, and Regina police ruled out foul play in their investigation. According to the coroner's report, boys who were with Dubois that day told the coroner that he suffered a bad reaction to marijuana.

Family members have been advocating for a fuller investigation into how Haven Dubois died. (CBC)

But the family felt there was more to the story, and spent close to a decade advocating for a further investigation into his death.

Family members took part in the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp outside the Saskatchewan Legislature in 2018, and last year, the family marched to Ottawa to call for a national inquiry into missing, murdered and neglected Indigenous boys, men and two-spirited people.

Saskatchewan's chief coroner Clive Weighill met with the family a year ago. He reviewed the file and decided to hold an inquest, a government spokesperson told CBC at the time.

Section 19 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the chief coroner may direct that an inquest be held into the death of any person.

"The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner's jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths," said the news release from the government on Friday.

The inquest is scheduled for May 27 to May 31 at the Royal Hotel in Regina. Coroner Brent Gough will preside.