Penashue says Fifth Estate probe not 'fair, full picture'

Newfoundland and Labrador's representative in the Harper cabinet says a recent Fifth Estate story did not accurately portray the federal response in the search for Labrador teen Burton Winters, claiming the CBC spoke to the wrong people.

"There is an angle that The Fifth Estate took, and unfortunately the facts weren't sought, which is very, very, I guess, unfortunate," Penashue told CBC News in St. John's Friday. "Because it doesn't present a fair, full picture of just exactly what happened."

Winters, 14, went missing while on a snowmobile trip near Makkovik. His body was found on ocean ice, days later. The teen walked 19 kilometres before succumbing.

The Fifth Estate reported that searchers were unaware of what the military has claimed to be a "time-tested protocol" — namely, that help won't be sent unless ground search and rescue officials make a second call.

"My view is that you need to ask the right person that question," Penashue said. "Because if you ask someone that question — [ask it] to the wrong person — you're going to get a response that's not current."

Presented with another Fifth Estate finding — that operational logs contradicted claims the weather was too inclement to put helicopters in the air the first time the military was asked for assistance — Penashue gave a similar response.

"You have to ask the right question to the right people," he said.

When Penashue was asked who the 'right people' were, the minister declined to comment.

The Department of National Defence also declined comment to The Fifth Estate while the story was being prepared.

Penashue — who represents Labrador in the House of Commons — says full-time search and rescue service in Goose Bay is "not going to happen."

"It would be nice to have search and rescue in every corner of the province and every corner of the country, but that's not realistic," he said. "We have to work within the means of what we can afford. And these things cost money."

He stressed that ground search and rescue is a provincial responsibility, with the federal officials playing a supporting role.

Missing teen

Burton Winters was reported missing on Sunday, Jan. 29.

Air support from the military was requested at 9:40 a.m. Monday, the next morning.

The Canadian Forces has two Griffon helicopters stationed at Goose Bay, but one was out of service for long-term maintenance. The other chopper was determined to have a mechanical problem that needed to be fixed.

Cormorant helicopters at bases in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia were not deployed to Labrador. Poor weather was initially cited as the reason.

Civilian helicopters took to the air soon after.

The military has previously cited its call-back protocol for not joining the search until a second request came in, more than 48 hours after Winters was last seen.

A day after that, searchers found the teen's body.

Under pressure

Penashue has been under pressure in Labrador, as residents seek answers about the Winters' case — and better search services in the region.

Currently, only secondary search and rescue assets — the Griffon helicopters, whose main purpose is training — are stationed at 5 Wing Goose Bay.

The primary response aircraft are Cormorant helicopters located at Gander and Greenwood, N.S., along with a C-130 Hercules based in Greenwood.

In response to the outcry, Ottawa said it has now changed its call-back protocol for future cases.

Following the Fifth Estate report, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale told the provincial legislature she would demand answers from the Department of National Defence about the search.