Cold Lake mourns youth found dead

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LEGOFF - The Cold Lake First Nations Reserve Friday mourned the sudden loss of Joseph Elroy (George) Janvier. The 21-year-old LeGoff native had been found dead of a broken neck in Edmonton one week ago. Two men, Marvin Ross of Kikino and Roy Smith of no fixed address have been charged in the death. It's believed that death resulted from an argument related to hunting trip the three had recently taken.

Janvier had been attending Blue Quills Native Education Centre in St. Paul at the time of his death and had returned to Edmonton to visit his elder sister, Sonya, with whom he'd been residing. A nephew of the deceased, Cecil Janvier, says his uncle had been studying Grade 10 subjects at Blue Quills and had aspirations of becoming a special band constable in the future.

Two things stand out in his memory about his uncle, he said.

"When I was about one or two years old, I fell into a dugout full of water and George, who was only about three or fours years old, ran up to the house to my father and grandfather and kept saying something like "baby swim" and finally they realized what he was trying to tell them and they ran and fished me out. I'd have drowned if it hadn't been for him."

George also wrote poetry and short stories for his own pleasure, but none were ever submitted for publication. "Mostly he wrote about Indian myths and legends," his nephew said. He originated his own plots, settings and characters, or expanded on established mythical and legendary stories.

An avid fan of country and western singer George Jones, Janvier knew most of his songs and liked to sing along to his records. He also had many friends. "I don't know of anybody who disliked him," his nephew stated, "he wasn't bad friends with anybody."

Raised together by their grandparents, the two boys were close companions and sometimes played fastball with the LeGoff Lakelanders, a senior men's team. George would have turned 22 years old April 2.

A single man, Janvier leaves his parents, Moise and Adeline Janvier, four brothers, Moses, Stewart, Wilson and Bernard; seven sisters, Melanie, Lydia, Sonya and Wilma Janvier, Sylvia Hackett and Ruby Mattson and numerous relatives.

He was buried March 21 in the St. Raphael Cemetery on the reserve with Fr. Henri Bois officiating.