Date set for inquest into death of Regina woman who fell five stories from YWCA window

A date has been set for an inquest into the death of Nicole Lafontaine, who fell five stories from a Regina YWCA window last year.

Officers were called to the YWCA around 2:45 a.m. on July 22, 2023 with a report of an injured person. When they arrived, they found the 31-year-old Nicole suffering from life-threatening injuries. She died a short time later in the Regina General Hospital.

At the time, police and the coroner ruled that her death was not criminal in nature.

The inquest, set for August 19 to 23 at the Royal Hotel in Regina and lead by Coroner Aaron Fox, will investigate the circumstances of her death. A civilian jury will be appointed to hear the evidence, question witnesses, and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

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Nicole’s sister Andrea, 32, died at the same Regina YWCA just seven months prior.

At 9 a.m. on Christmas Day 2022, Andrea was found slumped over in her bed, dead of a suspected drug poisoning — a bottle of Narcan was found next to her in her purse.

Valerie Lafontaine (left) and her daughter Emma call on the YWCA to improve safety measures after losing two loved ones at the facility. (Allison Bamford / CTV News)

Valerie Lafontaine, the women’s mother, told CTV News in September that she felt the YWCA failed her daughters.

“They were both seeking help. They both had active addictions and they should have been checked on,” she said.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my girls,” Valerie said. “I got a lot of life to live myself and now I have two less children.”

-With files from Allison Bamford