The public will have a chance next month to weigh in on the provincial probe into the case of killer nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer.
Justice Eileen Gillese, tasked with examining the circumstances and contributing factors that allowed Wettlaufer to murder eight seniors in her care, has announced public meetings will be held October 18 and 19 in Woodstock and London.
"The commissioner will introduce herself and the inquiry team and explain the inquiry’s mandate and process. Community residents will have an opportunity to speak and to ask questions," the commission said in a statement.
The Woodstock meeting is being held at the Holiday Inn on Norwich Ave. on October 18 from 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm. The London hearing is scheduled for 5pm to 7pm the following day at the DoubleTree Hilton on King St.
Gillese, an Ontario Court of Appeal Justice, was appointed in August by the province as the commissioner of the inquiry into the safety and security of residents at Ontario’s long-term care homes.
The inquiry is expected to be divided into two broad areas; the factual circumstances surrounding Wettlaufer's crimes, and how existing legislative and regulatory framework might have contributed to allowing her offences to occur.
Wettlaufer pleaded guilty in June to eight counts of first degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. The murders occurred between 2007 and 2014 in nursing homes in Woodstock and London. The 50-year-old former nurse is currently serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
The commission will present its final report with recommendations to the attorney general by July 31, 2019.