The family of Ashley Morin gathered before walking to North Battleford to raise awareness on the second anniversary of her disappearance. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

By Brady Lang

Post about Ashley Morin walk cost Sask. man job, minor hockey position: FSIN

Jul 14, 2020 | 3:27 PM

A Facebook post riddled with backlash has allegedly cost one Saskatchewan man his job, along with his presidency of a local minor hockey association.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) made a post on Tuesday, updating an incident from Friday where user Alex Johannesson posted about a group making its way to North Battleford, slowing traffic on the Highway 16 overpass.

The group had been walking to North Battleford to honour and remember Ashley Morin, a young woman who went missing July 10, 2018. She had been reported to RCMP as missing, but a press release one year later on the first anniversary of her disappearance stated the case was being treated as a homicide.

In the original post Friday, the FSIN called Johannesson’s comments “disturbing,” and made pleas to Redhead Equipment in Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association to cut ties with the man.

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650 CKOM confirmed Tuesday that Johannesson had “stepped down” from his role as president of minor hockey in Waldheim.

Saskatoon police say it has an investigation into the incident as well.

“We are also aware of the (Morin) family’s wishes that the complaint be dealt with using compassion and education. That consideration will be part of the investigation and possible future submission to the Crown,” an email Tuesday from Saskatoon police Director of Public Affairs, Alyson Edwards, states.

Claims that Johannesson had been terminated at his job have not been confirmed by Redhead directly, but 650 CKOM has reached out for comment.

As of Monday morning, Redhead said in an email that its “management team is dealing with it internally.”

“Please be assured these views DO NOT reflect the values of Redhead Equipment and we are taking this incident extremely seriously,” reads the email, from Redhead Equipment’s Director of Marketing, Chelsea Jacobs.

650 CKOM has also reached out to Johannesson himself about the post, with no reply at the time of publishing.

On Friday, FSIN said that Saskatoon police chief Troy Cooper had immediately acted on the complaint, ensuring safety along the highway with help from the RCMP for those participating in the walk.

The second annual walk began at 11 a.m. Friday, exactly two years since Morin disappeared. The group arrived in North Battleford Sunday.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Keenan Sorokan