PEI·NewSix jurors will sit through three days of testimony in the death of 25-year-old Brandi Clarke. It will be on them to make recommendations to prevent future deaths.Brandi Clarke was living in Canadian Mental Health Association supported housingNicola MacLeod · CBC News · Posted: Nov 21, 2025 1:00 PM EST | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Brandi Clarke died in 2023 while living in an assisted-living facility run by the Canadian Mental Health Association. (Submitted by Heidi Clarke)The inquest into the death of 25-year-old Brandi Clarke, who died in 2023 while living in a supported housing complex run by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), is set to begin in Charlottetown next week.CBC News has previously reported on Clarke’s death. She lived with psychosis and diabetes, and died after going into ketoacidosis — a metabolic state when a person’s blood turns acidic due to a lack of insulin.Clarke’s psychosis is what made her eligible for the CMHA’s Transitional Housing Program, which is funded by the provincial government and described as “a program in partnership with Health P.E.I. Mental Health and Addictions.”“It provides supervised and supported housing to Islanders living with a mental illness and/or addiction,” a recent annual report reads. “The program also focuses on moving individuals towards independent living within the community, increasing their overall well-being and self-sufficiency.”Clarke’s mother, Heidi, has previously said she had discussions with the non-profit that would be supervising and supporting her daughter’s living arrangements at the time she was admitted. She inquired about their education and abilities to support her daughter’s diabetes — namely that she would require reminders about checking her blood-sugar levels multiple times a day, and supervision in administering insulin.Brandi’s mother, Heidi Clarke, says has become her daughter’s voice in hopes that the same mistakes that led to her daughter’s death aren’t made again. (Kerry Campbell/CBC)But Clarke’s glucose monitor revealed her sugars were only tested twice in the four months leading up to her death: once on Dec. 1, 2022, while the next and final test was almost two months later, on Jan. 29, 2023. She died in March.Her mother said she is beyond disappointed in the system.“I’m being Brandi’s voice in hopes that the same mistakes aren’t made again. People should be aware of how important it is to manage your diabetes on a daily basis,” Heidi Clarke wrote to CBC News on Friday.“When we add mental health to the mix it makes managing daily living next to impossible without the proper resources and trained staff. I hope things change for the better for all involved. Take things seriously and be accountable for your actions.”This is Brandi Clarke’s blood-glucose monitor, which shows it was used to monitor her need for insulin only twice in the months before she died. (Kerry Campbell/CBC)CBC News has reached out to both the Canadian Mental Health Association and Health P.E.I. Neither responded by deadline. Jury to make recommendations The inquest is scheduled for three days and will be presided over by P.E.I.’s chief coroner, Dr. Brandon Webber, with assistance from a Crown attorney who will call witnesses to provide testimony. The Crown questions the witnesses, then any other parties granted standing can ask questions too. Those parties will be determined when the inquest begins, but at another recent coroner’s inquest, for example, the family of the deceased and Health P.E.I. were granted that ability. The testimony is heard by a jury of six Islanders, who are then tasked with making recommendations for how to prevent future deaths like Clarke’s.The inquest and jury selection begins Tuesday, Nov. 25.ABOUT THE AUTHORNicola is a reporter and producer for CBC News in Prince Edward Island. She regularly covers the criminal justice system and also hosted the CBC podcast Good Question P.E.I. She grew up on the Island and is a graduate of St. Thomas University’s journalism program. Got a story? Email nicola.macleod@cbc.caNicola MacLeod on X
Inquest into death of P.E.I. woman at non-profit assisted living facility to begin next week
