Wetaskiwin, Alberta Crown Prosecutor Lionel R. Chartrand!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post, "Privacy violated - whose e-mail is it anyway?"

Good ol Lionel.....how many Metis citizens do ya reckon he's put away by now? Few hundred? Good work, champion of Metis rights!
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lionel.chartrand@gov.ab.ca

Dear Anonymous:

Thank you for writing. For those not familiar with the situation perhaps a little background is in order.

During mid-September 2003 the now defunct www.CyberSmokeSignals.com retained (pro bono) and publicly announced Mr. L. Chartrand had been named the site's General Legal Counsel after it became aware the Manitoba Metis Federation had placed it on what could best be described as a "defamation watch." He proceeded to write several articles critical of MMF President David Chartrand's approach to hunting rights in negotiations with the province.

Fast forward to February of 2004. Lionel Chartrand was served with a defamation warning letter by Federation lawyer Murray Trachtenberg (Posner & Trachtenberg www.ptlaw.mb.ca; mtrachtenberg@ptlaw.mb.ca) for an allegedly defamatory article he'd written about then MMF Board of Director Darrel Deslauriers.

Mr. Deslauriers was subsequently removed as a Director by David Chartrand during late October of 2007 for bankruptcy. At the same time, the website's registered owner Terry Belhumeur also received a defamation warning letter but it differed from that sent to L. Chartrand.

It was in regard to a petition calling for election finance reform. The Federation's constitution (and by-laws) are silent on the subject of candidates having to disclose the amounts spent and from where the monies are sourced. Nor does is assign a ceiling on disbursements that can be made. In effect, it's impossible to find out how much was spent by whom and from where - much like the equivalent of an accounting wild, wild west.

Black print (e-mail written by Lionel Chartrand) clearly establish: the idea for the petition was his; he authored it; sanctioned its internet posting; and at no time cautioned it could contain allegedly defamatory material. Based on evidence we have seen and comment from others, it would appear L. Chartrand entered into an agreement to provide paid legal advice to the Federation on or about the beginning of 2005. In March of that same year Mr. Belhumeur and I were served with a Statement of Claim but Mr. L. Chartrand was not.

Counselor Murray Trachtenberg is clearly aware of the existence of these e-mail because at various times they were posted on CyberSmokeSignals and from my September 2007 Examination for Discovery.

So the question becomes why was Lionel Chartrand never named a Co-Defendant? We'll leave it to you our readers to speculate.

During approximately July of 2008 Mr. L. Chartrand left his position with Legal Aid Manitoba and the Presidency of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg and was appointed a Crown Prosecutor in Wetaskiwin, Alberta which relates to your comment about putting Metis citizens away. He has subsequently let his license to practice in Manitoba lapse.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk