When Loretta Cardinal received a text message from her sister regarding a shoot out targeting two First Nations reserves and a school in Ashmont, she feared for the safety of her children.
“I thought about my children and what they would do if they walked into the school…I have six kids,” Cardinal said.
On Nov. 3, St. Paul RCMP charged 70-year-old Ashmont resident, Andrew Sydora, with three counts of uttering threats. Sydora will appear at the St. Paul Provincial Court on Thursday.
Following the threats allegedly made by Sydora – who was charged and released with conditions the same day – the RCMP and St. Paul Education Regional Division held two meetings Monday evening in Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Whitefish Lake First Nation.
Parents in Saddle Lake were visibly upset with how RCMP and the school board handled the issue. A common concern amongst the community is why the accused was released, why he was not remanded overnight and whether he had a mental health assessment. While others brought up the lack of security provided to the schools and community following the threats.
“We want to hear from you about what could we could do moving forward,” SPERD Superintendent Glen Brodziak said.
Cardinal believes racial bias came into play, and that the accused man was released because threats were made against First Nations reserves, she told a crowd of about 100 people at the Saddle Lake high school.
“If threats were made against Racette (a St. Paul school) I believe things would have been handled differently,” Cardinal said. “I’m sure he would have been remanded overnight.”
Cardinal is co-chair with the Saddle Lake Education Authority. When her calls to others in her community went unanswered, Cardinal rushed to the home of Saddle Lake Chief Eric Shirt.
“We sat at the kitchen table and started making phone calls and came to the conclusion that we should not send our children to school,” Cardinal said.
Cardinal’s children attend school in Saddle Lake and did not attend school on Tuesday (Nov. 5).
“Are you guys dealing with these things differently?” she asked. “Are you handling it fairly? Even thinking about our children and families…I feel that the constable who worked on this case didn’t think about the ripple effects…and that the community was possibly in danger.”
RCMP Chief Superintendent Wendell Reimer said the force always handles situations regarding public safety “consciously.”
“We have a process that we go through in regards to a release,” Reimer said. “We look at whether they are going to re-offend, and we look at their history.”
The majority of students who attend Ashmont School are First Nations; about 95 per cent, according to Brodziak.
“Maybe the officer that was dealing with this didn’t look at the certain things that we are talking about now,” Reimer said. “At the time he would have been looking at the evidence he had in front of him and I can see he didn’t have all the information and the statements.”
One man in the crowd asked why the man wasn’t charged as a racist, or for committing a hate crime.
Reimer says the detachment has been getting more information and statements as the investigation progresses.
“The investigation is still ongoing…I believe (the officer) investigated this incident from a third-party phone call…there was no witness evidence,” Reimer said.
And racism and hate crime could be looked at as the investigation unfolds, Reimer added.
“In this case, there is also going to be some reflection on how we can do better,” Reimer said.
Chief concerned for public safety
In an interview on Tuesday morning with the Journal, Chief Shirt said the RCMP, in its handling of the situation, has failed to provide any reassurances to Saddle Lake residents regarding public safety.
"There are several things that concern us, one is that you had this individual talking about it to somebody, we don’t know who this somebody was, but if he’s talking about it, he’s been thinking about it and he’s been thinking about his final solution . . . " Shirt said. "This guy was charged with making threats but when you look at it, he made threats to a specific group of people. That to me is racism but also a hate crime, and he’s been let off onto the street."
The fact that the accused also lives in Ashmont, near the school, is a very real concern to Shirt.
"You have parents in Saddle Lake that are unwilling to send their kids to Ashmont for good reason because you have that person within a few blocks of that school, living in that community," he added.
Even the children are scared for their safety, Shirt adds.
"The kids have a worry that there is somebody out there that has made these vile threats to their safety and living within a few blocks of that school," he said. "Those are very real concerns and they must be addressed aggressively and not this slap on the wrist."
The incident is being treated lightly by the authorities, says Shirt. He compared it to an incident that occurred in September, where a 15-year-old youth in Milk River was remanded in custody until his bail hearing. The youth was charged with uttering threats against students at a school there.
Shirt says he feels troubled by the fact the local RCMP have handled this situation differently.
"Now we have an individual...an adult who made a threat to a school and two communities and he’s walking free and our members are not free, they have to worry about this guy," Shirt said.
Shirt said buses won't run from Saddle Lake to Ashmont School until the community feels safe again.
"Would you send your kids to that school where that guy is living within a few blocks? He needs to be removed. How that is done? I don’t know. In domestic violence situations, individuals are removed and this is more than domestic violence. This is a crime of hate. You can’t take a soft position on this. I know the cop said the guy had some remorse. Of course, you’re going to have some remorse when you get caught. That’s a natural reaction."
