Whitehorse shelter operator denies wrongdoing in 2023 death of resident | CBC News
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The Connective Support Society is denying all accusations of negligence in the death of Josephine Hager at the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter in 2023.
Connective, which operates the shelter, is currently facing two lawsuits in the Yukon Supreme Court filed by the families of two people who died at the facility in 2023 and 2024. Connective filed a statement of defence to one of the lawsuits on Feb. 4.
In the statement of defence, Connective responds to allegations made by Dale Joe, whose daughter Josephine Hager died at the shelter on Feb. 1, 2023.
Joe’s statement of claim alleges that negligence contributed to his daughter’s death. It lists Connective and five unnamed employees as defendants. It says Hager died from alcohol and morphine toxicity after passing out in a hallway in the view of staff and security cameras. The lawsuit says Hager was a resident of the shelter’s third floor.
Connective denies it was negligent and says it met the standard of care expected.
The defence claims it was “not unusual” for Hager to be intoxicated at the shelter, and that she was often “excessively aggressive” with staff and other shelter users.
In the early morning of Feb. 1, 2023, the shelter operator says Hager was intoxicated but conscious. Connective submits that shelter staff checked on Hager multiple times, but Hager was aggressive and refused help to her apartment. When another shelter user reported that Hager was not breathing, Hager was transported to hospital but did not survive.
Connective also argues that the limitation period under the Fatal Accidents Act has passed, because the lawsuit was filed more than one year after Hager’s death. Connective says the claim should be barred for that reason.
The shelter operator is asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed with costs.
In an email statement to CBC News, Connective vice president Yael Zachs reiterated that the operator denies all the allegations in the claim and said “it would be inappropriate … to comment further” while the matter is before the courts.
Connective is facing a second lawsuit, filed by the family of Leonard James Capot-Blanc, who died at the shelter in 2024. The shelter operator said on Thursday it’s in the process of also filing a statement of defence to that lawsuit.