The Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre Executive Director Katie Bortolin has issued the following statement:
The Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre stands in solidarity with our community, Barbara Kentner’s loved ones, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and the Ontario Native Women’s Association. We condemn the Parole Board of Canada’s decision to grant Brayden Bushby full parole. This unjust decision reinforces that the safety of Indigenous women in Thunder Bay is not prioritized; however, the culture of impunity for white male perpetrators of racialized gender-based violence is.
At NOWC, we know that Indigenous women in Thunder Bay are not inherently vulnerable to gender-based violence: they are targeted for it. Brayden Bushby, a man with racist ideologies and violent intentions, made a deliberate and calculated decision to harm an Indigenous woman the night he threw the trailer hitch. He ultimately killed Barbara Kentner and needs to be held responsible. Granting him full parole with loose and inappropriate conditions sets an alarming precedence to others with similar and dangerous ideologies. This is a severely irresponsible decision by the PBC.
There is ample evidence to suggest that Bushby is at high risk to reoffend. The evidence includes: getting a Confederate flag tattoo; involvement in a vehicle collision where he left scene and failed to report; vehicle theft; driving under the influence of alcohol while on day parole; and being an instigator in carving a swastika into the lawn where he was living. The “justice” system rewarding such heinous conduct frames Bushby’s actions as minor lapses in judgement and isolated incidents. This is the fault of a patriarchal system that pathologizes and infantilizes white male perpetrators of gender-based violence. The misogyny that normalizes Bushby’s behaviour continues to minimize Barbara’s life.
The Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre recognizes our shared responsibility in continuing to address injustice, advocate for systemic change, and work to protect women in our region. We will continue to amplify the voices of those most harmed by failures in the system.
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