Quesnel, B.C., mayor wins lawsuit against city after residential school book controversy

Akshay Kulkarni · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 8:52 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

The politician of Quesnel successful B.C.'s cardinal Interior has won a suit against the metropolis aft helium was censured and removed from galore committees, pursuing a contention implicit the organisation of a publication accused of minimizing the interaction of residential schools.

Mayor Ron Paull had sought a review of council's actions against him past April, wherever helium was accused of damaging relationships betwixt the metropolis and section First Nations.

The determination followed reports that his woman had shared a publication that challenges the harm of residential schools with assemblage members, and allegations helium had recommended it to different section elected officials successful the metropolis of astir 23,000 radical located 400 km northbound of Vancouver.

Paull argued that helium was not fixed due announcement of the meeting wherever assembly stripped him of his authoritative roles, and the unit question that yet saw him being censured on April 30 was unclear and didn't person circumstantial allegations against him.

The metropolis argued, however, that Paull had waived his close to 2 weeks' notice, which is acceptable retired successful the city's codification of conduct for meetings wherever sanctions are considered, arsenic helium had sent an email saying the April 30 gathering could proceed.

Ultimately, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Hugh Veenstra recovered successful favour of Paull, and ruled connected Monday that the resolutions against the politician should beryllium quashed.

"I'm blessed that this is each coming to an extremity and present I look guardant to getting backmost to the pressing enactment that I was elected to do," Paull told CBC News.

"My wellness has been impacted by this ... excessively agelong of a nightmare, and I'm moving hard to find myself again."

WATCH | Paull censured by Quesnel councillors: 

Paull said the process to reinstate him to his committee positions is present underway.

City manager Joel McKay told CBC News that the metropolis accepted the ruling, and unit was focused connected helping assembly conscionable its goals going forward.

Book became assembly flashpoint

The contention that led to Paull's censure began past March, erstwhile the Lhtako Dene First Nation said that a idiosyncratic related to an elected councillor had been distributing a publication of essays called Grave Error: How the Media Misled Us (and the Truth astir Residential Schools).

The publication claims that the media helped signifier a mendacious nationalist communicative of what happened astatine the schools, and it had been denounced by the Lhtako Dene Nation arsenic minimizing the traumatic interaction of the institutions connected Indigenous children.

It emerged that Paull's woman had fixed it to the genitor of 1 of Quesnel's councillors, and Paull also told the tribunal that helium brought it with him to a section authorities gathering connected March 22.

WATCH | Residential schoolhouse subsister calls for Paull's resignation: 

On April 2, 2024, a ample contingent of assemblage members marched to assembly chambers and was captious of Paull, and the Lhtako Dene promised not to enactment with him going forward.

That day, councillors moved a question that asked unit to study backmost to them with their options for censuring oregon different imposing sanctions connected Paull.

City unit past prepared a study connected April 18 relating to censuring Paull — which became the bosom of the mayor's suit against the city.

CBC News has reached retired to the Lhtako Dene and Nazko First Nations for remark connected this story.

Nazko Chief Leah Stump said successful an email that her federation is hoping to "develop affirmative staff-to-staff and council-to- assembly relationships."

She noted that the tribunal ruling was focused connected the process nether which Paull was censured and not immoderate specifics astir "reconciliation oregon the profoundly hurtful and lasting impacts of residential schools."

"Reconciliation is establishing and maintaining respectful relationships, knowing and acknowledging our history, and uncovering meaningful ways to enactment together," she said.

Mayor says nary announcement given

The April 18 motion, arsenic it was written, would person asked unit to supply directions regarding sanctions connected Paull.

However, it besides included extended details connected what could beryllium done successful the signifier of sanction, including an authoritative censure and removal of his authoritative roles arsenic mayor.

It was sent to Paull on April 19, according to the tribunal judgment.

On April 22, Paull said the study could beryllium presented astatine the April 30 council meeting — which the metropolis argued constituted a waiver of his rights to 2 weeks' announcement earlier an authoritative gathering related to sanctions.

However, Paull argued successful tribunal that the question was unclear successful its wording and included nary notation of circumstantial misconduct that helium had allegedly committed.

He besides said that the question did not bespeak that helium would yet beryllium censured connected April 30, which is what ended up happening aft helium recused himself from the meeting.

At the time, councillors had argued that censuring Paull was indispensable to reconstruct the city's narration with section First Nations, and to successfully use for grants or participate partnerships with different levels of government.

The court ultimately sided with Paull, saying the question was "confusing and ambiguous" and helium was yet censured for reasons that weren't laid retired successful the report.

"I bash not mean to suggest that determination was immoderate effort successful this lawsuit to misuse powers for inexpensive governmental gain," Justice Veenstra wrote successful the judgment.

"It appears to maine that the actions of Council successful this lawsuit are much apt attributable to a confusing and ambiguous unit study ... and the consciousness that intelligibly motivated respective of the Councillors to judge that contiguous enactment was required successful bid to sphere important relationships."

A nationalist 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is disposable astatine 1-866-925-4419 for affectional and situation referral services for survivors and those affected. 

Mental wellness counselling and situation enactment are besides disposable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week done the Hope for Wellness hotline astatine 1-855-242-3310 oregon by online chat.