Indigenous families and leaders rally in Ottawa over parole of manslaughter convict

On Monday, Barbara Kentner’s family and several First Nations leaders assembled at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to denounce the Parole Board of Canada’s decision to grant full parole to Brayden Bushby. Bushby, now 27, was sentenced in 2021 for manslaughter after he threw a trailer hitch from a moving vehicle in 2017, striking the 34-year-old Kentner of the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, who later died from medical complications.

Connie Kentner, the victim’s sister, said the family learned of the parole through media reports and felt the justice system had failed them again. The board’s release documents claim Bushby presents no undue risk and that his reintegration benefits society, while also noting that victims may register for information and submit statements. Chiefs of Ontario issued a statement demanding a dedicated, proactive, culturally safe support service for Indigenous victims and families dealing with federal corrections and parole. Grand Chief Francis Kavanaugh called the parole a miscarriage of justice and highlighted systemic racism against Indigenous women and girls.