Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation, SK -
Robin Sutherland will always remember her cousin Connie's laugh.
Sutherland said Connie's laugh was one she heard countless times over the years, whether it was talking about life, laughing over a practical joke or laughter for no reason.
"It was juvenile sounding, but confident," said Sutherland, speaking softly in a family member's home on Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation on Monday. "I just keep expecting to hear her laugh again."
Connie Sutherland died in a two-vehicle accident on Friday evening on Highway 11, south of MacDowall. A vehicle driven northbound by 18-year-old University of Regina Rams football player Spenser Borlase reportedly went into the southbound lane, where it collided with Connie's car. Borlase and Connie both died at the scene.
Two children identified as Connie's daughters, her mother Annette and her 13-year-old sister are still in hospital receiving treatment, with one of Connie's children being treated at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.
According to Corp. Chuck MacDonald of the Prince Albert detachment, RCMP are still investigating the cause of the crash. He said both vehicles were damaged extensively, making the chances of discovering the cause of the crash slim. However, MacDonald said he did not believe alcohol to be a factor in the crash, pending results from a toxicology report.
"There's a number of things you look for," he said. "We may not ever be able to determine the cause."
In the days following Connie's death, a memorial was set up at the crash site as well as a memorial group on Facebook, reportedly created by a cousin of the woman.
Many of the people on the site spoke of Connie's love of life and her attempts to better her life by going to school.
Robin said her cousin was also a wonderful mother to her two daughters, ages one and two. She remembers Connie speaking to her girls in quiet voices, even when they had done something wrong, and showing her children a great deal of affection.
"When she looked at her daughter doing whatever, she would just smile. It was like her soul was shining," she said. "I've never seen anyone so good with their children."
The death of her cousin is taking its toll on Robin and her family. Many of the family members are in or near the hospital, while others are doing what they can to keep things going. But for Robin, it's also a chance to remember the cousin she grew up with on Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation.
"I wish I told her more often how beautiful she was," she said. "This is not fair."
Although funeral arrangements are still pending, Sutherland said the family was considering setting up a trust fund for people to donate to in order to help the girls as they get older.
kjarvis@paherald.sk.ca
