15-month conditional sentence for one-time MACA worker
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 24/00) - A long-time Northern government employee has returned to Ontario where he will be under house arrest for 15 months.
Denis Bedard, who also served as the president of the NWT Amateur Hockey Association, pleaded guilty last week to charges of fraud and breach of trust in Supreme Court in Yellowknife.
He was sentenced to serve a 15-month conditional sentence, on both charges, to be served concurrently, by Justice Virginia Schuler.
Bedard pleaded guilty to falsifying documents to obtain money while employed as a regional municipal planning engineer in Fort Simpson from July 1995 to December 1997.
Bedard was charged after the GNWT audited the department of municipal and community affairs' office in Fort Simpson.
"I was looking for actual jail time," said Crown counsel John O'Halloran. "Clearly, that is how seriously we took it."
Bedard pleaded guilty to fraud in the awarding of a $20,000 contract with Kalaaq, a now defunct company.
Kalaaq was hired to do environmental assessment and predesign on a sewage and solid waste site in Wrigley in July 1996. Bedard took $15,000 of the money.
"No work was ever performed on the solid waste and sewage site there during 1996," according to the statement of facts given to the court.
Bedard also pleaded guilty to breach of trust in connection with a contract for installation of a water system in Trout Lake for $21,607.37 in July 1996.
No water system was ever installed, according to the statement of facts. Instead, the funds awarded ... were used to purchase two sophisticated colour computer printers.
Bedard said he was used one of the $8,500 printers in his home for 18 months for personal business.
Both printers are now in the hands of MACA and the $20,000 paid to Kalaaq was returned to the GNWT.
The terms of the sentence require Bedard to be in his home from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. every day for 15 months in Calabogie, Ont. He must also perform 200 hours of community service.
"I think the judge gave a very well reasoned judgment that is appropriate," said Bedard's lawyer Wallace Benkendorfer of Edmonton.
He said evidence was presented painting Bedard's character in a good light, as an avid volunteer for minor hockey and other community organizations and as a good employee when working at other places.
"I think he has demonstrated he's been a good member of society for the most part."
