‘A wicked web of lies’: Alberta town under fire for rejecting wellness centre for Indigenous families | 24CA News

The city of Bashaw, Alta. is going through a $4 million lawsuit launched by Bashaw Retreat Centre Inc. in opposition to the mayor and previous and present councilors, alleging they obstructed efforts to lease the power out as a wellness centre for Indigenous households.

In an announcement of declare filed in late February, Bashaw Retreat Centre Inc. plaintiffs James Carpenter and Dr. Tony Mucciarone – each non-Indigenous – claimed “misuse of power rooted in prejudice” that made the Bear Hills Family Wellness Centre mission unimaginable.

The Town filed their assertion of protection on April 13 saying “the town denies each and every allegation in the Plaintiff’s Statement of Claim unless otherwise stated,” and denies “this matter involves a misuse of power rooted in prejudice.”

Bashaw has not responded to Global News’ requests for remark. None of the claims have been confirmed in court docket.

The lawsuit facilities round a retreat centre the plaintiffs deliberate to lease to Maskwacis — made up of Ermineskin Cree Nation, Samson Cree Nation, Louis Bull Tribe and Montana First Nation — to be used as a wellness centre for Indigenous households. Phillip Millar, authorized council for Carpenter and Mucciarone, stated whereas the 4 First Nations usually are not concerned within the lawsuit, they’ve voiced assist.

In an announcement learn to city council on June 14, 2022 Louis Bull Coun. Wayne Moonias, stated “our experience has been unpleasant to say the least, our messages have been deflected and met with indifference … (the building) has been approved by (Bashaw) for a senior’s lodge, event center, festival center, retreat center and various congregate living. We are no different than these types of uses.”

He went on to say repeated requests for data by the city council have “infringed on our sacred way and forced us to exploit our culture as though it were a simple, medical procedure of sorts.”

Prior to the pandemic the power was used as an occasion and wedding ceremony venue, however when COVID-19 shuttered every part, Maskwacis started talks with Carpenter and Mucciarone to see about utilizing the power as a household wellness centre.

Carpenter and Mucciarone sought a letter of assist from city council, which began a means of “bureaucratic hoop jumping” Carpenter informed Global News.

They say they the city’s CAO informed them to submit an software  for a ‘change of use’ — they didn’t perceive why as the power had been used for a wide range of issues prior to now however submitted the appliance in May 2021 which triggered repeated requests for extra data.

The city’s assertion of d,efence reads “the change of use was required to comply with the Land Use Bylaw 780-2018.”

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At a council assembly a month later, the East Central Alberta Review reported that Carpenter expressed concern that the delays had been due to  “the colour of one’s skin,” and “… if this wasn’t First Nations I don’t believe we would even be at this discussion right now.”

They went again to the drafting board and did group session. “We did three open houses, three Facebook lives; we put a three page flyer in every mailbox in town and then we actually knocked on every single door,” Carpenter stated.

A second software was submitted on Jan. 10 2022 which was deemed incomplete and the city requested for extra data eight instances.

That software was deemed full on May 3, 2022 however one other request for extra data was issued 17 days later.

“Bear Hill’s Family Wellness Centre was a 900 page document that was submitted. So in other words, the town council knew what the program was … 100 per cent, town council knew exactly what we were doing there,” stated Carpenter at a press convention earlier this yr.

The city’s assertion of defence reads “The town denies that it forced the plaintiff to submit hundreds of pages of information. The town also denies that its requests for supporting documentation were definitively answered by the plaintiff.”

Eventually city council unanimously defeated the appliance on Aug. 30, 2022.

The city cited six causes together with that “the applicant has not provided a clear understanding of what is proposed to occur in the facility” and “the proposed location directly adjacent to the residential community and in close proximity to the local school would unduly impact the use and enjoyment of the adjacent properties.”

Carpenter believes the group soured on the thought as a result of the phrase “rehabilitation” was used within the first software and so they assumed it was for an addictions facility.

“We (originally) called it Young Spirit Winds because that was one of the programs (Maskwacis) had, and it was the same team that wanted to do a family wellness centre,” he stated. Young Spirit Winds is a day therapy program

“Their belief was if they had a family wellness centre, they could prevent the (need for) Young Spirit Winds, get in front of it and work with families.”

At a press convention earlier this yr Carpenter tried to make clear use of the phrase “rehab.”

“Never, ever, ever, ever were intoxicated individuals coming here or people on drugs or anything,” he stated. “These were people that wanted to come together and reconnect with their heritage and their culture, their spiritual, their elders, their family lives to build and grow and to help their children and nurture their families.”

They modified the title to Bear Hill’s Family Wellness Centre to make a transparent distinction that it was not a rehab centre.

When Moonias attended a city council assembly final yr, he tried to make clear as properly, saying in his assertion “the Western terms have become a way to make ‘treatment’ or ‘rehabilitation’ words of disgrace, have a negative impact and form judgment to look down upon those with addiction issues or in need of mental health help.”

He identified Maskwacis already had addictions providers and the proposed facility could be “for overall wellness and to be a culturally based program for families to improve wellness.”

But it went nowhere.

“It’s a wicked web of lies, roadblocks and everything else,” Carpenter stated.

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The assertion of declare alleges “when the Bashaw town council learned of the plaintiff’s intent to involve First Nations clientele, the defendants actively sought to obstruct the business venture and engaged in a pattern of dealing, based on prejudice and discrimination to prevent the use of the facility by Indigenous clientele.”

The lawsuit names present Bashaw mayor and each current and former councilors.

One of the previous councilors named is Lynn Schultz, who in keeping with native media experiences,  throughout a council assembly rejected the thought of adopting a land acknowledgement saying “I don’t really care what people think if I’m racist. I’m not … I don’t think recognizing that this was once Aboriginal ground is a way to move forward.”

In that very same council assembly, native media quoted former Bashaw deputy mayor Rosella Peterman defending residential colleges saying “We have a number of friends who went to residential schools who said those were the happiest years of their lives,” she continued. “(Indigenous people) weren’t ripped from their families in this case. They were large families that couldn’t look after their children … we get fed one picture all of the time and that isn’t the only picture.”

Carpenter and Mucciarone have given up on the plans for Bear Hills Family Wellness Centre and the property is at present listed on the market priced at $1.35 million.

Bashaw resident Jan Wells stated she was dissatisfied to see the mission not transfer ahead.

“It would have put Bashaw on the map for a good reason rather than where it is sitting now for a bad reason,” she stated. “A lot of the people in town, they only heard what they wanted to hear … they had these preconceived notions.”

Wells believes nearly all of Bashaw’s 800 residents are glad the mission didn’t undergo, “its a very cliquey town, you either fit in or you don’t and to bring in a centre like this, would be on the wrong spectrum for most folks … ‘you’re not going to bring those people in to our town,’ you know?’”

She runs a home-based business and stated after making supportive feedback on social media, was referred to as right into a retailer that sells her merchandise and requested to take away them.

“That’s just how things are in town now,” she stated.

A letter to the editor posted within the East Central Alberta Review, by resident Margaret Baier stated “I have lived in or around Bashaw for 43 years and found this community welcoming, caring and tolerant … media coverage emphasizes this situation as a racial issue but I do not believe that is at all true.”

“How unfortunate that Bashaw has been painted as prejudicial and discriminatory when actually we are not.”

On a public Facebook submit concerning the lawsuit, a resident stated “I’m all for supporting mental health and supporting others to get better but not at the risk of our youth. Find another building, our town council made the right call.”

In an interview with Global News, Bashaw Retreat Centre Inc.’s lawyer stated “I think a lot of their defence is saying they just had discretion … OK discretion of what?”

Adding, “we’re going to move as soon as possible to book questioning, hopefully we can get our documents together and get something moving within three months. I know the citizens want something and communities want something.”