By Chelsea Laskowski

Families rebuild after Pelican Narrows girl’s death

Aug 26, 2014 | 12:00 PM

Despite a tough year recovering from the death of a 10-year-old girl in a house fire, a Pelican Narrows family is putting the pieces back together.

Denasia Highway was staying with her great grandparents on Sept. 24, 2013 when a fire was accidentally lit by a man who had been huffing gasoline from a nearby shed.

He discarded a cigarette carelessly and the fire spread to the home, burning it to the ground.

Darryl Sewap has received an 18-month sentence for criminal negligence in relation to the fire.

Even before that decision came down last week, Highway’s family has started to rebuild what was lost.

Budget 2025

Halfway through budget talks, council makes few changes

6h ago

Crime

Cocaine and cash seized during bust at Prince Albert business

10h ago

Crime

P.A. security guard robbed and stabbed, one person arrested

Jan 08, 2025

Although the pain of losing Highway was strong at first, her grandfather Kenneth Sewap, who is not related to Darryl Sewap, said it has faded a bit.

Kenneth said his parents haven’t had a home since the fire.

“They stayed with my sister Rosemarie, because she’s a nurse in Pelican [Narrows]. That’s where they stayed, and they also went to their trap line, stayed there for about a month. Because we have a couple of cabins out in the trap lines.”

Kenneth’s sisters wanted to rebuild their parents’ home right away, he said.

Derbies, bingos, 50/50 sales and other fundraising efforts have helped to raise money to make that happen.

He brought his expertise as a carpenter who has built houses with the band for years.

“I’ve been working there since this past spring, trying to rebuild everything up. I’m almost done, I’m three-quarters done anyways now. So we’ll be moving in sometime in September,” Kenneth said.

He said the family hasn’t harboured negative feelings towards Darryl.

“Everything’s good. We talked to their family. We’re not like that to hate someone.”

claskowski@panow.com

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk