MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM — Nigel Evan Wolfe is hoping that a jail sentence of nearly two years will help him rehabilitate his behaviour so he can be a good father to his newborn daughter.
Wolfe, 34, appeared in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on March 19, where he pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, two counts of possessing a weapon while prohibited and one count of possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.
As part of a joint submission, he received 40 months — or 1,200 days — in jail. However, since he had spent 340 days on remand after his arrest, the court credited him with 510 days, which means he has 690 days — under two years — left in jail.
He was also prohibited for life from owning or possessing firearms, while he forfeited all the items officers discovered on him after his arrest.
Wolfe’s offence occurred on April 15, 2023, when he attended Casino Moose Jaw for some fun, Crown prosecutor Rob Parker said. However, he was on several court orders from different judges that prohibited him from possessing firearms, while he was also wanted on several outstanding warrants.
Police learned that the man was inside the casino and, at 2:10 a.m., arrested him on the warrants. After seizing him, they found a nine-round clip of .22-calibre ammunition, a .22-calibre handgun in his pants and meth. They also found bear spray and a knife.
Parker added that Wolfe has a lengthy criminal record with “many concerning convictions.”
There are some significant Gladue factors in Wolfe’s situation because he is First Nations and has connections to the Beardy’s and Okamasis reserve near Batoche, Legal Aid lawyer Suzanne Lalonde said. His mother and her two sisters were victims of the ’60s Scoop, so they were separated and placed with different White families growing up; she ended up in Mortlach.
Wolfe’s mother had him at 18 — he never met his biological father — but gave him up for adoption, so he lived with a foster family, Lalonde continued.
“The family that raised Nigel was an extremely strict family. There was some abuse in the home that he suffered,” she noted. “Also, as a child, when he would have contact with his mother, at times, he would witness her as the victim of abuse in relationships that she was in — and that affected him deeply.”
Although he was never raised with his Aboriginal culture, Wolfe is exploring it because he believes it can help him, Lalonde said. Meanwhile, his daughter was born about 10 months ago while he was on remand; his girlfriend has visited him with their baby.
Wolfe has been on remand for a lengthy period because he hoped his time there would eventually land him in a provincial jail — instead of a federal one — so his girlfriend and child can visit, the Legal Aid lawyer added.
Meanwhile, he has completed his general education degree (GED) while on remand, and after his release, he wants to join a trade.
Judge Patrick Koskie — who accepted the joint submission and waived the victim fine surcharge — noted that Wolfe had accumulated many weapons offences since 2014, which was concerning. However, he commended the man for acquiring his GED and for wanting to pursue college courses.
The judge also thought it would be good if the man included his daughter in his cultural activities since he wanted to raise her differently.
“Everybody has a different event (in life) that sort of is a … TSN Turning Point,” Judge Koskie added. “It appears to me that your daughter’s birth is that to you, so now you should seek help from others … .”
