Peril of wearing two hats
Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor
Miscommunication stirred reaction to repeated reprisals between councillors in County council chambers June 10, over an incident surrounding dignitary seating at the RCMP regimental ball held in Gleichen on May25.
“He called me a liar not once but twice, in council chambers,” said Councillor Alice Booth, who said she felt attacked.
Booth said it was not the first time she had felt bullied by male members of council in public and in camera meetings. She said she felt the time had come to address the behaviour. She also said it was inappropriate to bring the matter to the public forum.
“His accusations took a lovely event and made it ugly,” said Booth.
Booth was referring to Councillor Ken Sauve, who accused Booth of lying when she said she was not asked to sit at the head table for the event. Reeve Glenn Koester addressed Sauve and said that Booth had been on the organizing committee. Councillor Sauve confirmed in council that it was a nice event, but said it was not the first time Booth had lied to him. No discussion followed on why it was important, whether Booth was or was not asked to sit at the head table. There was no indication from the Reeve, that Sauve’s statement should be clarified or withdrawn, which Booth said implied that the men felt this was acceptable behavior.
As per County policy, Sauve asked council to approve payment for Reeve Koester’s ticket and mileage for attending an event out of his district, as he did sit at the head table. It was approved.
“It was not handled well at all, but that’s how the new Reeve does things,” said Booth.
Sauve was later contacted for clarification, and he preferred not to comment.
Vice President of the Gleichen and District Community Association Doris Lindman said the community association had been asked by Staff Sgt. James McLaren to cater to the event.
“We hadn’t had a regimental ball for a long time and we thought we would bring the tradition back, and help Victim Services at the same time. It was a way to engage the community by holding it in Gleichen,” said McLaren. “We approached the community association to cater the event.”
An organizing committee was struck composed of Staff Sgt. James McLaren, one other RCMP officer, Strathmore Regional Victim Services Society Program Coordinator Leslie Hering, Doris Lindman, and Councillor Alice Booth, who was contributing her talent as a member of the association. It was McLaren’s role to choose dignitaries and seating plans for the head table, and Hering sent out letters of request. Lindman and Booth organized the community association members, cooked, catered the event and decorated the hall.
“This was not our function, but the RCMP’s function, so we acquiesced to the RCMP’s requests,” said Lindman. “It was not a county event, nor was it a community association event.”
Following RMCP protocols for formal dinners, McLaren chose several dignitaries for the head table. A letter of invitation was sent out to the dignitaries, along with the many invitations sent to officials and important supporters. One was sent to the County of Wheatland inviting the Reeve and council members to attend the ball.
When McLaren had not had confirmation on who was attending, he asked Lindman to call to see who was going to attend. Both the MLA and MP declined. Lindman said along with the call-backs, she called Sauve, and again invited him and his wife to attend, should they be pleased to do so.
When several of the chosen dignitaries cancelled and others hadn’t replied, McLaren was getting worried. He asked Booth if she would consider sitting at the head table, if necessary. Booth said she really did not want to, as she had to take care of the cooking and kitchen duties. McLaren said he thought she would have agreed to sit at the head table if they needed her to, in the event no dignitaries appeared. Fortunately, several of the requested dignitaries confirmed their attendance at the last minute, including Reeve Glenn Koester.
Councillor Sauve and his wife did buy a ticket and attended the event.
McLaren confirmed that Sauve had come to see him after the event and discussed the situation. McLaren was under the impression that Sauve was satisfied with the discussion and answers received.
Lindman heard about Sauve’s statement in Council. She said if members of the provincial and federal government were not allowed to use such statements in the Legislature and House of Commons, Sauve should not be calling people liars in Council Chambers either.