PBCN Chief Gives Update On Band Affairs
Friday, June 23, 2006 at 15:06
The chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation says an audit of the band’s finances is now complete.
However, Harold Linklater says he still doesn’t know how millions of dollars of Treaty Land Entitlement money went missing in late 2004 and early 2005.
Linklater has already gone on record as saying $2 million of that money wasn’t actually missing, but was earmarked for other projects.
The chief says he’s determined to discover what happened to the other $1.7 million, but for now, band members are going to have to wait.
Meanwhile, Linklater says the band has settled on who the new trustees for the fund will be.
He says criminal record checks are being done and the appointees will be introduced soon.
However, none of the trustees will be considered the group’s leader, unlike before when there was a TLE trustee chair.
Linklater stresses he will get to the bottom of the TLE matter, but isn’t sure when concrete details will be announced.
He says the band needs to have its facts straight before it can say what happened.
Meanwhile, Linklater says the band is moving out of third party management and into a co-management situation.
He says finances have improved to a point to where they’re shopping around for a suitable partner.
He notes the move should enable them to get CMHC money for housing.
The chief says changes are also coming to the PBCN election act.
On another matter, Linklater says the band continues to work on its lawsuit against the government and SaskPower over the Island Falls Dam project.
The band wants compensation for the flooding of traditional lands several decades ago, but band officials haven’t said how much they’re seeking.
The chief says he flew to Vancouver just a few weeks ago to talk the matter over with the band’s lawyers.
Linklater says they are still waiting for the provincial government’s statement of defence to come though.
He says band members will be informed about the matter as it moves along.