Article content continued

It should absolutely serve as a warning to other parents

An autopsy concluded he had a Group A streptococcal infection that could have been treated with penicillin.

The police said they have no medical records for the boy prior to his death. The child had recently been enrolled in a local school. Prior to January of this year, he had been home-schooled.

“We have no direct information that religious beliefs factored into this, but there was a belief system and homeopathic medicine did factor in,” Sgt. Cavilla said.

The mother has one older child who does not live with her. She is estranged from the father of the deceased boy.

The family live in an older, squat apartment along the trendy 17th Ave. SW of Calgary, a strip replete with coffee shops and bars. Home to a Tarot card shop and used clothing store, the block is a close-knit community, according to a neighbour and friend of the family.

Jon-David Walmsley said the boy was an outgoing, energetic child who would bring him and his roommate the mail. He was the only child in the building and loved the Incredible Hulk comics, he said.

“We’re in each other’s business. There’s a lot of cookie sharing and bringing down meals and stuff,” the friend said, noting the accused was an attentive and well-regarded mother. Everyone was shocked by the boy’s death.

“It put a dark cloud over the building,” Mr. Walmsley said. “She was a fantastic mom, and I can’t believe anybody would say otherwise. It’s very surprising.”

He was one of the most wonderful little boys

The child’s grandfather, a well-known political organizer named Donn Lovett, said he was shocked by the charges. The family has hired a lawyer, Mr. Lovett said, noting there were discrepancies between the police’s claims and the medical record he had been provided.