Council overhauls City transit fares and categories

Jason Kerr
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Council overhauls City transit fares and categories

For the first time in several years, Prince Albert’s bus fares are going up.

City Council voted 7-2 in favour of increasing bus fares across almost all categories, while also raising the age at which residents can no long ride the bus for free, and the age at which they qualify for a seniors pass. The changes will come into effect in September, but must be approved at a regular council meeting first.

During a presentation at Monday’s executive committee meeting, City of Prince Albert Transit Manager Evan Hastings said the city will still have the lowest transit fares in the province even with the increase. Mayor Greg Dionne said that was one of the main reasons he voted in favour of the increase, but added that council should have reviewed transit fares yearly so the increases were smaller.

“We’ve got to get away from not raising fares or looking at fares every year at the end of the year,” Dionne told council. “You look at ’19, all the way back to that, we know how the price of fuel and cost of labour has gone, so partly sometimes when we’ve got to take these bigger hikes it’s our fault because we delay the inevitable. But even with the new rates and fares, we’re still going to be the lowest in the province, so I can’t argue with that.”

The biggest change is to regular adult monthly passes, which will increase from $70 to $80. Other changes see the daily fare increased from $2.25 for seniors and $2.50 for all other paying customers. The fare is now set at $3 for everyone.

During his presentation, Hastings said the daily fare change would make it easier on drivers.

“We currently use cash boxes, and it’s very difficult for a bus driver to know when a senior comes on the bus and then a child and then an adult, who pays what, right, because it switches every time,” he told council. “At $3, it makes it consistent for everybody.”

Changes for university students include the creation of a new semester pass similar to what is available in Regina and Saskatoon. Students will now be able to purchase a four month pass for $225. Student previously were able to pay $45 for a monthly pass, but that will increase to $65/month in September.

Council also voted to terminate the letter of understanding (LOU) with the Prince Albert Catholic School Division and Saskatchewan Rivers School Division that saw the City sell discounted bus passes to the divisions, which they in turn sold to students at a second discounted rate.

The new system will see school divisions charged $12 more for their discounted bus passes, although Hastings said the divisions can continue to sell them at $20 to students if they choose.

As part of the new fare system, residents will now need to be 65 to qualify for a seniors pass. Previously they only needed to be 60. Youth who are under the age of 10 will also be able to ride the bus for free starting in September. Previously, the option was only available to youth under the age of 6. Hastings said the latter change was made in hopes of getting more families to ride the bus.

Council narrowly defeated an amendment from Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp that would have seen regular monthly passes increased to $75 instead of the proposed $80. Lennox-Zepp said she wanted no increase at all, but proposed $75 instead of $80 as a compromise.

Couns. Charlene Miller, Dennis Ogrodnick, and Tony Head joined Lennox-Zepp in voting in favour of the amendment.

After the amendment failed, Ogrodnick and Head both voted in favour of the original motion while Miller and Lennox-Zepp voted against.

“The people who take the bus in our city take the bus because they need to,” Lennox-Zepp said. “They are often working low-paid jobs. They need to use the service, and they aspire to own a car…. People that I talk to will say, ‘I don’t have a car yet, but if I keep working hard in the City of Prince Albert, I will own a car.’”

Coun. Blake Edwards was the most vocal councillor who voted in favour of the fare increase. He said the City has been hit hard by cost increases and needs to save money where it can.

“We need to care about all the people in the City because we’re all paying for these services,” Edwards said.

“I care about people too,” he added. “Here we are, we had an $80 rate, (we) throw out $75, I’m going to vote against it. People can think how they want to think (and say) ‘oh, councillor Edwards doesn’t care about people.’ I care about people. We need to move forward with the $80 recommendation…. It’s a fare rate at $80 in comparison to every other city that’s compared, we’re still the lowest.”

Watsonairs take inspiration from the big screen for spring concert

Jason Kerr
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Watsonairs take inspiration from the big screen for spring concert

The Watsonairs Ladies Choral Group is ready to treat listeners to a night at the movies when they take the stage for their annual spring concert on Sunday.

The group will perform songs from a variety of movies, including The Lion King, Spider Man, and Mamma Mia. Choir Director Amy Robinson said they focused on memorable movie songs because they wanted to try something fun for their spring concert.

“We thought that the singers would enjoy singing them and we’d have a lot of fun and they’d also be crowd-pleasers (that) get the crowd going, and get the crowd energized,” Robinson said. “Just try something a little bit different.”

Robinson said movies often evoke strong emotions in the people who watch them, and music is a big part of that.  The Watsonairs hope to capture those feelings with Sunday’s performance.

“(Being) relatable, evoking emotion or creating core memories, I think that speaks to people and it moves them for a host of different reasons,” Robinson said.

“Some of them (the songs) are emotional. Some of them are upbeat and inspiring…. It takes you out of the humdrum of daily life for an hour or two.”

Proceeds from Sunday’s performance will go towards the Prince Albert Ronald McDonald House, which is currently under construction. Robinson said she new families in Winnipeg who were helped by Ronald McDonald Houses, so she’s glad to see one being built in Prince Albert.

She said the project is also “near and dear” to a number of ladies in the choir.

“There are always so many good things to raise money for, but we just decided to go with the Ronald McDonald House because that’s where kids are,” she explained. “It’s our future and it’s a budding thing that we’ve never had in PA before.”

The Watsonairs Spring concert will not only usher in the new season, it also marks Robinson’s first concert as permanent choir director. She began serving as the group’s interim director in September, but enjoyed the experience so much she decided to keep going.

“It was a very fulfilling, challenging, exciting thing,” she said. “I’ve always loved conducting and I had taken various little classes here and there along my musical education to know how to conduct. It was just an absolute supreme privilege and I just really enjoyed it. I just wanted to keep doing it, and just do the choir a service.”

The Watsonairs Ladies Choral Group performs “Going to the Movies” at Messiah Luthern Church on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at Canadian Tire, or from choir members. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for 12 and under.

Prince Albert non-profit delivers safety lessons ahead of National Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert non-profit delivers safety lessons ahead of National Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Know who you can go to for help if you ever find yourself in danger.

That was the message when Prince Albert Aboriginal Head Start hosted an honour gathering on Thursday ahead of Red Shirt Day.

The annual event raises awareness about the large number of Indigenous women who are missing or murdered ever year. Head Start executive director Trena Larocque said the goal is to teach children how to spot danger and make safe choices.

“Our kids are very young, so I’m hoping they don’t have that issue, but we’re instilling that knowledge in them right now,” Larocque said. “Hopefully that will (continue) with them when they become teenagers and have a little bit more freedom.”

Red Shirt Day, also known as Red Dress Day or the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, is held annually on May 5. This year, that date falls on a Sunday, when children who are part of the program will be at home with their families.

Larocque said they wanted to recognize the day on Thursday to emphasize the importance of safety.

“It’s very important that these children know that they need to be safe, so we decided that we would do a walk to honour and make sure they were aware of how important this day is,” she explained.

Children involved in the head start program were part of march around downtown Prince Albert Thursday morning. They then took part in activities designed to teach them what to do if they feel threatened or in danger.

Larocque said they hope students will learn that it’s okay to ask for help when they are in trouble. Staff also emphasize the importance of knowing who to go to when they feel threatened. That list includes parents, relatives, and police officers.

Larocque said knowing where your children are, especially at night, is also important for keeping them safe.

“(It’s) being aware that when they are outside if they feel threatened and they’re young, to stay close to mom and dad, to stay close to their grandparents, to their relatives, (and) that they shouldn’t be wandering off too far on their own,” she said. “If they do feel in danger and if they are on their own, yell and get attention from someone so hopefully they can be taken care of and be brought back home.”

The Prince Albert Aboriginal Head Start Program is a non-profit preschool program that focuses on language development and cultural engagement. The program has space for 20 students at its 10th Street East location, plus another 25 spaces available as part of its home visit program.

The organization plans to host a community BBQ on Monday to give families a chance to check out the program.

Correction: This story has been updated to remove a sentence about families knowing where their children are that was incorrectly transcribed. The Daily Herald apologizes for the mistake.

Health minister and opposition critic spar over decision to charge cancer patients for parking at Victoria Hospital

Jason Kerr
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Health minister and opposition critic spar over decision to charge cancer patients for parking at Victoria Hospital

Parking payments at Victoria Hospital were the topic in a brief exchange between NDP Opposition Critic for Rural and Remote Health Jared Clarke and Health Minister Everett Hindley on Wednesday.

The two parties have sparred over the issue this week following complaints that cancer patients are being charged to park at the hospital while attending to receive treatment.

Clarke said charging cancer patients for parking punishes a group that is already suffering.

“These are folks who are going through a lot of terrible stuff right now, going through treatment, working through cancer, this just seems really cruel,” Clarke said during a phone interview on Wednesday. “(It) just speaks to the, I think, misplaced priorities of this government.

“For cancer patients who are going to the Victoria Hospital to have this service there and then be revoked is cruel, and, I think, mean-spirited,” he added.

Clarke said the province is “nickel and diming” cancer patients, while wasting millions with its healthcare budget.

During his response in the legislature, Hindley said the SHA is working to align their policies across the province, and would speak to why they are doing it.

Cancer patients did not pay for parking under the old Prince Albert Parkland Regional Health Authority, according to an email from the SHA, but that changed in 2023 when Parking Services implemented a new provincial policy. That involved installing new parking equipment at Victoria Hospital.

“There is now a consistent approach to parking services in Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw and Yorkton, where cancer patients are no longer provided with free parking,” reads the SHA email.

“When the new parking equipment was installed in Prince Albert last fall, current patients continued to received free parking. New patients had to pay for parking. This was accommodated by use of a code that was provided to the existing patients. Unfortunately, an internal audit uncovered misuse of this privilege.

“Parking Services is working towards alternative options to provide some support for patients who had been receiving these benefits previously; however, there will need to measures taken to avoid the same problem with non-eligible people using this privilege. The goal is to have a fair and consistent provincial policy at all locations throughout the province.”

The SHA did not respond to an email with a list of follow-up questions asking how the passes were misused, what the alternative options would be, or if cancer patients in other cities were filing complaints.

Clarke said the SHA should reverse course immediately and provide cancer patients with free parking.

“They’re going through a terrible time, and if this is something that can help ease the burden (and) make life just a little bit easier for them,” he said. “I think that’s something that should be common sense.”

The Daily Herald requested interviews on Wednesday with Prince Albert MLAs Joe Hargrave and Alana Ross. A government spokesperson said both MLAs were busy with meetings and would not be free.

Debates over the Victoria Hospital parking policy started on April 18 when Prince Albert City Councillor Dennis Ogrodnick posted a message about it on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Orgrodnick wrote that the policy added “another financial burden for some, adding stress to an already stressful situation.”

He also wrote that the decision to charge parking fees was “cruel and mean spirited.”

Man accused of violating long-term supervision order arrested on Wahpeton

Jason Kerr
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Man accused of violating long-term supervision order arrested on Wahpeton

The Saskatchewan RCMP Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST) have arrested a 56-year-old man wanted by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) since January.

Kelfort Keller was arrested on April 30 at around 2 p.m. on Wahpeton Dakota Nation. He will make his first court appearance on May 2. The Saskatchewan RCMP Critical Incident Response Team and Police Dog Services assisted with the arrest.

Keller was wanted by CSC for being unlawfully at large after allegedly violating a long-term supervision order.

Change works out for hardworking comedian

Jason Kerr
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Change works out for hardworking comedian

Mid-life career changes can be tough, but this one worked out great for Saskatoon-based comedian Farideh.

The longtime performer was a regular fixture on Saskatchewan’s music scene as one-third of folk group Rosie and the Riveters. After leaving that group, however, she found a new role as a musical comedian focusing on the day-to-day chaos that comes with being a mom.

“I actually thought I was moving away from my music career because I found it really difficult to balance motherhood and being a touring musician,” Farideh said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “I started creating content online while I searched for my next career path. I was like, ‘well, I’m used to entertaining audiences live. How about I try that online.’”

She started by writing songs about being a mother, and some of the patterns she saw in her own life and the lives of her friends who were also moms. She had her latest viral hit: ‘Good Mom’, in May 2023. The song focused on the fears and worries mothers have that they are ruining their children.

As the song grew in popularity, comments flooded in from moms around the world who felt like someone had perfectly captured their life.

“My favourite comments on my videos are comments like, ‘I feel seen’,” Farideh said. “Sometimes motherhood can be a very lonely journey where nobody knows that you hate laundry and nobody sees that daily frustration with feeding your child or the struggles that happen when your husband is approached in public for being in a park with a child and told how wonderful he is, and yet your job feels so thankless. It brings me a lot of joy to know that other moms feel like I get it, that they feel seen and they feel represented.”

Farideh’s first viral hit focused on the double standard mothers deal with from those who praise fathers for doing extremely basic things mothers never get credit for. ‘You Are Such a Good Day’ not only found eager listeners, it drew attention from The Today Show and Good Morning America.

Two years later, Farideh is still pleasantly surprised those songs resonated with mothers everywhere.

“I never imagined that I was funny enough to attract a large audience online and in person, but it turns out I am, so it’s been really great,” she said.

After the success of those viral videos, Farideh has decided to return to the stage. Although she’ll still sing a few songs, this time the comedy is the primary focus.

Her ‘Mama Needs a Break Tour’ begins May 3 in Prince Albert, with follow-up performances in Saskatoon and Regina. Farideh credits her history of music for helping her transition so easily to comedy.

She also credits it for helping her land her biggest comedy gig to date: an appearance at the Halifax Comedy Festival, which runs from May 8-11. It will also be streamed on CBC Gem.

“It’s a very coveted spot, and a lot of people work for a long time to get this opportunity so I feel really blessed,” Farideh said. “I think that my experience as a musician really shows up, because as a comedian you’re developing not just your comedic jokes, but actually your ability to perform for a live audience. The fact that I’ve been only doing this like a year-and-a-half, and to get this opportunity, is pretty unusual.”

Farideh performs at the Rock Trout Café on Friday, May 3 with special guests Aimee Grimard and Drea Omer. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online or at the door.

They do need our support’: weeklong Smile Cookie Campaign lends helping hand to Prince Albert SPCA

Jason Kerr
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They do need our support’: weeklong Smile Cookie Campaign lends helping hand to Prince Albert SPCA

A trip to the SPCA a year ago helped inspire the latest Smile Cookie Campaign, which began this week in Prince Albert.


From April 29 to May 5, 100 per cent of the proceeds from Smile Cookie sales at Tim Horton’s will go towards local charities. Prince Albert’s four Tim Horton’s restaurants will put their proceeds towards PA’s SPCA.

Tim Horton’s Franchisee Cheryl Sander said they are always looking at different charities to support, but the SPCA caught her eye after a visit with her daughter in 2023.

“My daughter didn’t ask for presents for her birthday,” Sander explained. “She just asked for money to give to the SPCA because she loves animals so much, and then we went there and I was like, ‘oh my goodness. There’s so many.”

The Rose Garden Hospice, YWCA, and Hope’s Home have all benefited from previous Smile Cookie Campaigns. Sander said they try and support a different charity every year to spread the support around. Selecting the SPCA was an easy choice.

“They work so hard there,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how many volunteers they do need and how much support they do need, so I’m hoping that this little bit extra can really support them. Once you go to the SPCA you see it for yourself. You realize, ‘oh, my goodness, they do need our support, so let’s give back.”

SPCA volunteers and supporters were up early Monday morning helping decorate the hundreds of Smile Cookies that were sold on the first day. The list of helpers includes staff from Gray’s Funeral Chapel, Park Range Veterinary Services, and members of KIN Enterprises.

By 3 p.m. on Monday, Prince Albert residents had purchased more than 900 Smile Cookies at the Marquis Road Tim Horton’s location alone.

Ideally, they’d like to sell 500 cookies a day at each location, so getting 900 from one restaurant is well beyond expectations.

“That’s insane,” Sander said. “Nine hundred is unreal. Nine hundred cookies at one location for eight hours only, that’s a ton of cookies.”

Prince Albert SPCA staff members were out at each restraint promoting the first day of the campaign with a few four legged friends.

SPCA President Brent McDonald said staff members were excited to hear the SPCA had been chosen. He said the organization welcomes all the help they can get.

“I was ecstatic and very excited about it,” he said. “All the funds that we can raise at any given time are very helpful towards our SPCA for operations and animal care and control. The staff are just very excited about this whole project.”

McDonald said the SPCA is “over the top on animals” at the moment. They organization has little space for new arrivals, but McDonald said they are managing well despite the crowded space.

“We are working tirelessly to get them adopted out and moved on,” he said. “We’re trying our best to keep up.

“I would recommend and highly challenge all our businesses and all our local people to please help out. It’s an easy way of doing a fundraiser for the SPCA. It’s just something that’s very helpful.”

McDonald said the funds will help pay for everything from veterinarian costs to food.

This is the first of two Smile Cookie Campaigns that Tim Horton’s will hold this year. The second is typically held around Christmas.

Med Gala expands awards to honour Prince Albert healthcare professionals

Jason Kerr
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Med Gala expands awards to honour Prince Albert healthcare professionals

The Boreal Healthcare Foundation will honour a pair of familiar faces while also recognizing healthcare providers in two new award categories when they meet for the Med Gala on Saturday.

Dr. Lalita Malhotra, and her late husband Dr. Tilak Malhotra, will be recognized with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare, an honour carried over from the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s Doctor’s Gala. The foundation will also honour Tammy Gillis with the Nursing Excellence Award, and Parkland Ambulance the Collaborative Care Award. Both awards will be handed out for the first time on Saturday.

Boreal Healthcare Foundation CEO Cody Barnett said the gala has always honoured doctors, but the foundation wanted to do something for the rest of Prince Albert’s healthcare professionals and partners.

“Our healthcare system is really complex and there are a lot of people who contribute to the great level of care that’s provided,” Barnett explained. “We wanted to be able to recognize more staff. That’s not to say the doctors themselves don’t do a great job, but they’d be the first ones to tell you they don’t do it alone.”

The Malhotra’s moved to Prince Albert in the 1970s and quickly became pillars in the medical community. An obstetrician gynecologist, Lalita became known for her work delivering babies in northern communities. Those efforts were recognized in 2022 when the Victoria Hospital’s new neo-natal intensive care unit was named in her honour.

Tilak was Prince Albert’s first Paediatrician, and the first Saskatchewan Paediatrician asked to participate on the Canadian Paediatrics Society national board. He passed away in July 2017.

“The two of them worked tirelessly for decades at the hospital and in the community,” Barnett said. “As a couple, they’ve also made some incredible donations to various projects in the City and have really made Prince Albert their home just through their work and then through their philanthropy.”

Gillis serves as the nursing unit manager in the Victoria Hospital’s emergency department. Barnett described her as an incredible nurse and manager whose leadership was instrumental during the pandemic. He also credited Gillis for the teaching she does, and her efforts to train the next generation of nurses.

“She’s absolutely a delight working in one of the busiest ERs in the province,” Barnett said. “(She’s) one of those incredible healthcare professionals that we couldn’t picture our healthcare system working without her.”

Parkland Ambulance celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and Barnett said the foundation was impressed with the amount of work they do in the community. He said Parkland paramedics are well known for responding when someone needs emergency medical care, but he also emphasized the role they play in non-emergency situations.

“They bring patients into the hospital or transport patients for special need services between our hospital and different facilities. They are incredible partners to work with. Their staff do a lot of community service and education outside their really impressive workload as emergency responders,” Barnett said.

Funds raised from Saturday’s Gala will be put in the foundation’s general fund. Barnett said most of the money from that fund is going towards the new Victoria Hospital project.

The 2024 Med Gala will be held at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre. Last year’s gala raised $118,130.

‘These are issues that have our ongoing attention’: CSC responds concerns about poor working conditions raised by union representing federal corrections officers

Jason Kerr
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‘These are issues that have our ongoing attention’: CSC responds concerns about poor working conditions raised by union representing federal corrections officers

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has released a statement saying the organization is aware of issues raised by federal correctional officers prior to a recent protest in Saskatoon, and is working to address them.

Federal corrections officers gathered on Tuesday to protest the high levels of verbal and physical assault they experience in federal penitentiaries. Union leaders have also raised concerns about drug abuse in the penal system, which they believe is contributing to the high levels of violence.

“We acknowledge that correctional staff have challenging jobs, and we appreciate the work they do every day to keep our employees do to keep Canadians safe,” the statement reads. “We are, and will continue, to work with our staff and union partners to ensure safe work environments. These are issues that have our ongoing attention, vigilance and action.”

In an interview prior to the protest, Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO) regional president for the prairies James Bloomfield said many corrections officers feel like punching-bags because inmates face so little accountability.

He also raised concerns about drug abuse in institutions like the Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary just outside Prince Albert, particularly Suboxone, a drug originally created to decrease the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms.

In their statement, the CSC said they have developed a multi-prong approach reduce the risks of contraband. The efforts include intelligence investigations, searches of offenders and their cells, and the use of technological tools such as ion scanners. The CSC also uses detector dogs, and works closely with police partners across Canada to reduce drug abuse, the statement reads.

“We know that our priority to maintain safe institutions can be undermined by the introduction of unauthorized materials in CSC institutions, such as contraband, which can lead to increased violence and impact ongoing efforts towards rehabilitation,” reads the CSC statement.

“We have ongoing, long-standing relationships with union partners and continue to work together on solutions to these important issues, such as the safety and security of their members.”

UCCO reports that 55 per cent of federal correctional officers have suffered a work-related mental health injury.

In an interview, Bloomfield said understaffing is already a problem, and it’s getting even worse as poor work conditions make it difficult to recruit new members.

He said many corrections officers don’t feel like their concerns are being heard.

“(It’s) just ‘write a report and good luck,’” Bloomfield said. “There is no accountability for that person who commits that assault. On the streets, they’d be arrested and go to jail, but when they’re already in jail, that’s where the policies need to take over to help us with some behavioural concerns, and our employer is not helping us with that at all.”

The Saskatchewan Penitentiary is a clustered institution with minimum, medium, and maximum security facilities. It is one of 12 CSC facilities in the Prairie Region. The CSC also operates Willow Cree Healing Lodge near Duck Lake.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Crown asks for life sentence for former Prince Albert RCMP officer convicted of manslaughter

Jason Kerr
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Crown asks for life sentence for former Prince Albert RCMP officer convicted of manslaughter

Was Bernie Herman a victim of blackmail who made a wrong decision, or was he a person in a position of trust who took advantage of a vulnerable young man?

That was the question up for debate as crown and defence lawyers made their submissions at the former RCMP officer’s sentencing hearing on Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt argued Bernie should receive a life sentence after being found guilty of manslaughter in the death of former lover Braden Herman, no relation. Meanwhile, defence lawyer Darren Kraushaar argued Bernie was a “strong candidate for rehabilitation” who had no previous criminal record.

Bernie spoke briefly on his own behalf towards the end of the hearing, telling the court he was sorry for the “time and resources wasted on this matter.” Judge Gary Meschishnick will deliver the sentence on Tuesday, June 18.

During the Crown’s submission, Schmidt argued that Bernie and Braden’s relationship was “certainly dysfunctional,” but Bernie was still in a position of trust. Schmidt told the court Braden was “as vulnerable as he could be” when Bernie shot him in an isolated part of Little Red River Park on May 11, 2021.

Schmidt described the shooting as an act of intimate partner violence, and argued the court needed to hand down a sentence that acknowledged Bernie’s high moral culpability.

Schmidt also pointed to evidence presented during the trial where Bernie called Braden a “parasite” as signs Braden was the victim. She also argued Bernie had an opportunity to leave the relationship, but never took it.

The defence described the shooting as “a tragic case” that did not warrant a high jail sentence.

Kraushaar told the court Bernie “deeply regrets” his actions. Kraushaar also described the shooting as a “split second decision.” The defence argued that Bernie had no previous criminal record, was a good dad, and overcame physical and sexual abuse at day school to have a 33-year career in the RCMP.

Kraushaar told the court Bernie suffered from PTSD due to his job in policing, was a productive member of society, and “not an offender that the court should be making an example of.”

Kraushaar argued that Bernie was a victim of blackmail, and was abused by Braden during their relationship. While that did not excuse his actions, Kraushaar said it showed Bernie was not a risk to the public, and had “very good prospects” for rehabilitation.

When asked by Meschishnick if Bernie was in a position of trust, Kraushaar said no. When asked if his position as an RCMP placed him in a position of trust, Schmidt said yes, while Kraushaar said it was not a factor.

Much of Thursday’s debate focused on comparisons between this case, and others where defendants were found guilty of manslaughter and received high sentences.

There is a minimum four-year sentence for manslaughter if it involves a firearm. Once sentenced, Bernie will be placed into protective custody as a former police officer.

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