Schools, band office closed after Saskatchewan shooting kills one, injures another

PELICAN NARROWS — The remote northeastern Saskatchewan community of Pelican Narrows has been left shaken after a shooting near its local health clinic that killed one person and injured another.

RCMP say a suspect was taken into custody late Monday, almost six hours after residents in the community about 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon were ordered to shelter in place.

Officials with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation say that for safety reasons, schools and the local band office will be closed the rest of the week.

It also says the health centre will offer limited services to clients with serious medical needs.

Dr. John-Michael Stevens has provided services at the clinic for nine years and says staff he’s spoken to say that they — and the community at large — are shaken.

He says these types of shootings are starting to become common and there’s concern that something far worse could follow.

“I think what people are afraid of is that it’s only a matter of time before there’s a mass tragedy,” Stevens told The Canadian Press late Monday.

Stevens, who lives in Saskatoon, said he got word of the shooting through a cellphone alert while seeing a patient at another clinic in Sandy Bay, Sask., about 70 kilometres northeast of Pelican Narrows.

While RCMP later clarified the shooting took place near the clinic, initial reports suggested it happened at the clinic.

“Got a little bit shaken from that,” Stevens said.

Stevens said the clinic primarily serves residents of Pelican Narrows. On an average day, upwards of 50 staff members could be working, with patients coming and going.

The community itself is filled with “strong, compassionate and resilient people,” who often invite him on fishing trips or into their homes for dinner, he said.

Recent acts of violence, he said, are transforming the community.

“I don’t feel unsafe generally walking around outside, but I know the community members do,” he said. “For the people who live here, they are very, very fearful with how things have been progressing.

“The community of resilient people is being torn down.”

Steven said he’s due back in Pelican Narrows on Tuesday. When he arrives, he said he’s expecting to see a community that is “emotionally broken” and in need of support.

“Everyone’s very shaken, so I think that’s what I expect — a lot of debriefing, a lot of chatting, supporting,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2026.

— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

The Canadian Press