Reconciliation between Quesnel City Council and surrounding First Nations are now in question following last night’s (April 2nd) Council meeting.
This follows the previous council meeting on March 19th, regarding Mayor Ron Paull’s wife, Pat Morton sharing a controversial book on residential schools.
Community members and First Nations have shared their feelings leading up to this council meeting, with clear concerns about working with one another to move forward.
Councillor Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Council’s Indigenous Relations Liaison says this has been a step backwards.
“With all the good work we’ve done in our community, coming off the heels of an amazing Lhtako-Quesnel BC Winter Games that highlighted our communities so amazingly to the rest of the province into this, it’s like all that work and it gets blown out of the water with one act, or lack of.”
Roodenburg added that feeling now is sadness and anger, making the community not look good.
“No community in Canada needs to be having these discussions again about denialism. It’s insane, the facts are there.” says Councillor Scott Elliot.
“We’ve got 94 calls to action, because over 5 million documents were received for truth and reconciliation, so there’s facts out there and that’s not what’s taking place here with these books.”
Elliot also took part in the Truth and Reconciliation rally just before the Council meeting, which he says was very powerful and emotional.
Councillor Mitch Vik, who was the acting Mayor during the meeting, says Council passed a motion asking staff to bring forward an article of censure against the Mayor, which will occur at the next meeting.
That came after three Councillors including Roodenburg, Elliot, and Tony Goulet asked Mayor Paull to step down, which he has no intention of doing.
Roodenburg explained they can’t simply kick the Mayor out of Council, as the community charter doesn’t allow it.
Mayor Paull has declined to comment on the matter at this time.
She, along with the City Manager, Lhtako Dene Nation and other key individuals will be meeting tomorrow (April 4th) to figure out expectations and how to move forward.
–Files by Zachary Barrowcliff, My Cariboo Now