Bullet fired at former candidate's home

Page 2

A shot fired into the home of Emil Cardinal, former Zone 1 Metis Nation of Alberta vice-presidential candidate, may be linked to his court case against the Metis Nation, says Cardinal's campaign manager.

Russell Whitford said the bullet, shot at Cardinal's Lac la Biche trailer home early Monday evening, may have been "intended to scare Cardinal into dropping his case."

Cardinal is challenging the results of the Sept. 4 election in which he was defeated by three votes. In his case, which began Oct. 12 in Edmonton's Curt of Queen's Bench, Cardinal claims the bylaws and rules of the Metis Nation were breached when ineligible voters were allowed to cast ballots. He wants the election declared "null and void."

Cardinal's wife Beverly and daughter Florence were home at the time of the shooting but weren't hurt when the .22 caliber bullet shot at the front of the trailer ricocheted into the master bedroom and lodged itself into the wall.

Cardinal said the shooting "may be linked to my case against the Metis Nation. Someone could be trying to scare me. I'm not scared, but my kids find it hard to sleep at night. I'm optimistic I'll win the battle."

Cardinal and his wife have one son, Emil Jr., and three daughters, Tina, Jenny and Florence, ages 14 to 18.

In a telephone interview from Jasper, Metis Nation president Larry Desmeules said he was unaware of the incident and that "it's ridiculous to think the shooting has anything to do with the case."

"The Metis Nation doesn't even care about this case. Emil didn't follow the bylaws and the judge will see that. We don't fool around with that kid of stuff (shooting)," he said.

Cardinal said his neighbor saw a man outside the trailer, who fled in a black and silver pickup truck when the neighbor tried to speak to him. The witness, whose name is being withheld, could not be reached for comment.

Whitford said reward money may be posted "for finding who did this and shy."

A Lac la Biche RCMP spokesman said the shooting is being investigated.