Canadian Press Grand Chief Cathy Merrick was remembered Wednesday as a leader who combined strength with compassion and who never stopped fighting to better people’s lives. Hundreds of people went to the Manitoba legislature where Merrick, the first woman to head the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, was given the honour of lying in state — the first such occasion in Manitoba since 2013. “She cared for everyone. It doesn’t matter what status you have in life, you mattered to her,” said Grand Chief Garrison Settee of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents 26 northern First Nations communities. “People gravitated to her and felt supported by her,” said Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Merrick’s home community. “She wasn’t there to put anybody down … she was there to be sure…
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