Fifty-three-year-old Annie Little, who died in Winnipeg Nov. 23 from injuries received during an assault, was a member of Red Sucker Lake First Nation and one of the first registered nurses from the region who worked all over the north.
Winnipeg police were called to a hotel at 3000 Portage Avenue around 7 a.m. Nov. 21 where they found Little unresponsive. She was transferred to hospital in critical condition where doctors determined she had suffered severe injuries and was not expected to survive.
Police said several people were partying in a hotel room and that interviews with them determined that this was a domestic assault in which Little had received numerous upper-body injuries. Fifty-year-old Calvin Oliver Harper of Winnipeg was arrested at the scene, charged with aggravated assault and detained by police. On Nov. 27, he was arrested again and charged with manslaughter in connection to Little’s death. He remains in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre, police said.
Keewatinook Liberal MLA Judy Klassen, whose riding includes Red Sucker Lake First Nation, paid tribute to Little in the Manitoba Legislature Nov. 22, the day before she died, remembering her as a regional pioneer in the nursing field.
“[Red Sucker Lake] can lay claim to many successful people such as Annie, one of our first registered nurses in the Island Lake area,” said Klassen. “Annie has over 30 years’ experience as an RN and has worked not only in each of the Island Lake communities but across the north. We’re in so much shock but, Annie, know that we love you, we cherish you. Thank you for proving that we can become professionals.”
Little was working in Berens River at the time that she was killed.
Klassen said Little had been her own dying mother’s nurse in 2004.
“Annie took care of my own mom during her final days,” Klassen said. “Annie took the time to come and get my mom’s wishes and carried them out. We didn’t have to make any hard decisions thanks to her. Annie was there and explained carefully what we were to expect as my mom slipped away.”
Little had two children, one of whom – Lance Harper – died in October 2016 while in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. Little was seeking more information about what happened to her son at the time she was killed.
“Annie received the medical reports recently and with her extensive knowledge she knew things just didn’t add up according to the medical data,” said Klassen, who told CBC that Little’s family had asked her to continue the search for answers.
