Young Sanikiluaq resident dies in tragic Winnipeg road accident

News Winnipeg
Inuit woman struck down
Visitor dies after being hit by truck

By CHRIS KITCHING, Winnipeg Sun


Relatives of a Nunavut woman killed in a collision in Winnipeg say she dreamed of being a mother and mentored youths in her remote Inuit community.

Louisa Sala, 20, died in a city hospital after she was hit by a pickup truck on Portage Avenue near Strathcona Street in the West End.

Const. Natalie Aitken, a Winnipeg police spokeswoman, said Sala was standing on the road and may have been attempting to flag down a vehicle for a ride.

The young woman’s father was with her and witnessed the collision, her aunt Lucy Sala said.

“He tried to tell her to get off the street but it was too late,” Lucy Sala said by telephone.

A source said police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor.

Sala was a resident of Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, a hamlet located on the Belcher Islands in Hudson’s Bay, about 100 km off the coast of Quebec.

She was visiting Winnipeg with her parents and other relatives.

Her parents, through the Kivalliq Inuit Centre in Winnipeg, declined to comment.

Sala tagged along on the trip because she was about to move into her own house in Sanikiluaq and needed supplies, which are cheaper in a big city than in her tiny community, her aunt said.

Lucy Sala said the family flew to Winnipeg on Monday.

She said her niece attended school and worked for the Sanikiluaq municipality at its recreation centre, where she supervised children and activities.

Lucy Sala said her niece’s death occurred at what was a joyous time for the family, as her daughter, who is about the same age as Louisa, gave birth to a child Monday.

“Louisa talked to my daughter about having a baby of her own,” Lucy Sala said.

The eastbound truck which struck Sala stopped at the scene. No charges have been laid.





"Our prayers go out to this girl and her family"