LLOYDMINSTER – A trial for the leader of a street gang didn't proceed Nov. 1 and has been delayed until March 2024. Terrance Stonechild, 35, was also granted bail Wednesday in Lloydminster Provincial Court.
Stonechild had been in custody since he was arrested following a police chase on Onion Lake Cree Nation in December 2022. He was previously banished from the community after the First Nation had declared a state of emergency and booted out known gang members.
During Stonechild’s sentencing hearing in Lloydminster Provincial Court in July 2021, court heard that when he finished his 412 day sentence, he would be released to Wetaskiwin, Alta., where his father resided. That's where he was living when he was re-arrested on Onion Lake Cree Nation in December 2022 and charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property over $5,000 obtained by crime, and breach of a probation order.
Onion Lake RCMP had tried stopping a stolen vehicle but the driver fled from police resulting in a 2.5-kilometre police chase. In the vehicle, police seized about 355 grams of methamphetamine and a sum of cash.
According to parole documents obtained by SASKTODAY.ca, Stonechild has a lengthy criminal history, a track record of violence, and a history of not complying with release conditions.
Court previously heard that Stonechild admitted to being the “king of Westside Outlawz” street gang, a violent street gang that had its beginnings in Onion Lake, Sask./Alta., and has since spread to Edmonton, Alta., North Battleford, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and other northern parts of Saskatchewan.
Stonechild was one of dozens of people banished from OLCN after they had declared a state of emergency Jan. 24, 2020, following a string of gang and drug-related violence that threatened the safety of its 4,000 residents. OLCN has three townships spanning 188,000 acres and is on the Saskatchewan-Alberta border about 50 kilometres north of Lloydminster, Sask. / Alta.
Many Saskatchewan First Nations continue to struggle with violence, street gang, and addiction related issues as they cope with colonialism.
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