Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 01/99) - The author of a letter that alarmed some members of council last month said he will sue the city if he is not compensated for a piece of land a city street passes over.

"I want compensation for what they stole from me, pure and simple," said Marcel Bourget.

The property in question is a strip of land at the lake-end of 44th Street. Bourget says the city agreed in writing to give him title to the property in exchange for another small parcel in the area.

Bourget says the city never honoured the 1984 agreement. In a letter to the city, Bourget's lawyer stated because 10 years had passed since the agreement was signed and it had never been fulfilled, under the law the agreement became invalid. The lawyer also stated Bourget gained title to the Commissioner's land by occupying it for more than 10 years.

Bourget has lived in the area since the 1950s.

The following is the conclusion of the letter from Bourget that caused some members of council to forward it to RCMP who decided to take no action.

"I will leave you with a couple of proverbs:

'Righteousness is the road to life; wickedness is the road to death.

An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.

Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.'"

Meanwhile, the dispute was the subject of a meeting late last month between Bourget, Mayor Dave Lovell and acting senior administrative officer Robert Charpentier.

Of the meeting with the city, Bourget said: "It's like talking to a wall."

But Lovell says the dispute dates back far enough that the city needs time to research Bourget's claim.

"I've asked them to search the city files and I've asked him to bring me any letters he has."

Lovell said three months ago, Bourget brought in a thick file of letters and notes, but he could not recall seeing a contract dealing with the disputed property.

Bourget insisted he showed Lovell the contract. He also said the contract is in his possession but he has yet to forward it to the city.

Last year, Bourget sold a lot adjacent to the disputed property and is now in the process of relocating to Edmonton.

Bourget believes the dispute is just the latest example of 33 years of harassment he has suffered at the hands of the city.