Books, money, missing after Caslan break in

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Financial records and receipt books are missing from the Buffalo Lake (Caslan) Metis Settlement after an office break in, says chairman Horace Patenaude.

"Some money is missing and the books for the Waskahigun (Housing) Corporation are gone," he said. "The RCMP are investigating and they lifted some fingerprints, but there have been no arrests."

The office break in occurred about two weeks ago and no evaluation as to whether the proposed five-year audit by the Metis Settlement Members Coalition, headed by chairman Joe Blyan, can be carried out, according to deputy minister Archie Grover.

This break in is the second time a settlement's financial records have been reported stolen this year. In August Paddle Prairie settlement chairman Gregg Calliou charged that dissident members, unhappy over the election of illiterate councillors, had taken records.

However, Blyan says he is skeptical, pointing out he does not understand why a thief would take financial records.

"We need those records to carry out that financial audit. Now how ill we find out how the money was spent?" he asked.

But Grover says he is confident that the true financial picture could be pieced together from other financial statements and receipts.

However, Grover points out that only direct government funded programs on the settlement would be audited. Settlement organizations such as Caslan Cats do not fall under government jurisdiction despite the fact that the government provided the initial funds to buy the capital equipment, said Grover.

"The council has agreed to the audits anyway and right now we are looking for funding to carry out the audit," he said.

Grover estimates the five-year audit will cost $400,000 "and we just don't have that amount right now," he added.

The government had been approached by about 50 members of the coalition to remove two Caslan council members, however the petition which contained more than 50 per cent of the settlement voters was turned down by the Attorney General's office.

"There is no provision to remove council members by petition. The only way to remove them is if they committed a felony," said Grover.

However, Blyan says he is angry over this decision and points out that if a city council had received a petition to remove some of its members, "they would be long gone."

"Where is the government's trust responsibilities?" asked Blyan. "This is public funding we are talking about."

But Grover feels that the formation of the coalition and the dissention on the settlements are "growing pains."

"Until just recently we had settlement managers on the settlements . . . we removed them and gave more power to the councils," he said. "It seems elections are held in a supposed democratic process, but after elected the councillors lose favor with the electorate and I don't know how that can be overcome; the election system is the best way we know how.

"You just can't discuss every issue with every member of the settlement, you have to have elected representatives to deal with that," he added.

Blyan says he agrees with the democratic process but "not with the way things are being handled right now on the settlements."

"We just don't trust our councillors and what's happening at Caslan is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot of problems at the other settlements too."

The coalition will attempt to meet with the Federation of Metis Settlements this week. Grover says he has also promised the coalition that he would bring their concerns before the minister, Ken Rostad, but as yet has "not been able to find the time."

Another meeting between the coalition and Grover is expected in the new year.