Chris Clegg
High Prairie town council is fully aware they attended a supper hosted by MPE Engineering in September 2023 at Edmonton.
Many questions arise from this supper and no one is talking.
The 2023 Alberta Municipalities Convention and Trade Show was Sept. 27-29, 2023 in Edmonton. Until a few weeks ago, no one knew what occurred at the conference because only one councillor provided a written report. That was Judy Stenhouse, but there is no reference to attending the supper paid by MPE Engineering. You can see her report in the Oct 10, 2023 council agenda.
Each councillor was emailed asking if they attended. What we do know is Stenhouse, Sacha Martens, James Waikle, Donna Deynaka, and John Dunn attended. Mayor Brian Panasiuk and Councillor Therese Yacyshyn did not respond. Whether they attended is unknown and no one is confirming or denying their attendance. Why Panasiuk and Yacyshyn are not responding to such a simple question is perplexing.
Sept. 11, I asked council what day the supper was and to provide reports and expense claims. No one responded but Stenhouse’s report is on file in the Oct. 10, 2023 agenda. To date, no expense claims received.
Sept. 10, I emailed MPE Engineering. I asked what day the supper was, why MPE Engineering was taking the council out to supper, and if Waikle ordered a tomahawk steak valued at $269. I also asked what the total bill was and if alcohol was supplied as part of the meal.
MPE Engineering did not respond.
A few weeks ago, Martens released a statement to all of council and copied to South Peace News that most entrees ranged from $28 to $65. Waikle ordered a tomahawk steak, valued at $269, she wrote.
The problem here is, councillors are supposed to report any reward, gift, or benefit of any kind . . . which is connected directly or indirectly with the performance or duties of office.
No one did so! Make no mistake! Was this supper not a gift from MPE Engineering? Remember, some members of council were so hung up on Code of Conduct and proper rules they spent tens of thousands of taxpayer’s dollars on the SAGE Report to prove a point. Yet, all who attended this supper including those who voted to spend money on the SAGE Report were breaking the rules themselves and said nothing. How pathetic is that!
Other questions arise from attending the supper. What day was the supper and why is this important? The conference started Sept. 27 at 7:30 a.m. and went all day. Thursday, Sept. 28 it began at 7 a.m. and went all day. Friday, Sept. 29 it began at 7 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m. with a bag lunch to go.
Evening sessions occurred Sept. 27 and Sept. 28 called Sponsors’ Networking Events. Is this actually a fancy name for supper to mislead the public?
If council bolted from the convention to attend the MPE-sponsored supper they were not in Edmonton doing what they were supposed to be doing – attending the conference! That is an assumption, however, because no one is talking.
Remember, this is the council that says it strives to be as open and transparent as possible, yet they cannot answer a simple question as to what day the supper was held? Really?
The reality is, council found time to attend the supper but had no time to write reports on the conference (except for Stenhouse) or report on the gift they received from MPE Engineering as is their responsibility.
When the press asks valid questions, answers should be provided. What day was the supper? Why was it held? Why was the gift not reported?
By not saying anything does not make it go away. Questions need to be answered, especially why the gifts were not reported and what the purpose of the supper was.
I look forward to an answer from any of the council members who attended.
The town councillors’ snouts are really in the hog trough!