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By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

constituent angered by reply

Red Deer-South MLA staffer who downplayed residential schools in email no longer with office

Jun 29, 2021 | 3:50 PM

An office staff member for Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan who downplayed residential schools in an email reply to a constituent is no longer with the office.

Last Thursday, June 24, Janelle Melenchuk sent an email to the office of Premier Jason Kenney, Education Minister and Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange, Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan, whose riding she lives in, and NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman.

The email addressed the recent discovery of 751 unmarked graves at a former residential school site in Saskatchewan, and noted the role of Chris Champion in the drafting of Alberta’s new K-6 curriculum.

Champion, who served on the curriculum review panel until last fall, has been widely criticized for his comments casting doubt on the seriousness of residential schools.

“Racism has no place in our curriculum. Racists have no place in our schools. Do your job. Stand up to white supremacy and racism in Alberta,” she wrote.

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Less than an hour later, Melenchuk received an email reply from the Red Deer-South constituency office, signed by Brian Barritt.

“Hi Janelle: Thank you for your concern with regards to what happened in the government sanctioned schools for natives. As a matter of record, the unmarked graves have always been known about. It is my understanding that the fact that the graves were always there was not a secret and was known. It has just now however, became (sic) a topic of discussion in the press,” Barritt wrote in the email.

An email from Brian Barritt, an apparent constituency staffer, replied to a constituent referring to residential schools as, “schools for natives,” and blamed the media for only now making them an issue. (Supplied)

“It is my opinion,” Barritt continued, “that the individuals that were in power in the government of the time, and those that were in power in the schools / churches, if they are still alive, should be the ones held accountable for these atrocities.”

rdnewsNOW has called and emailed Stephan’s offices in both Red Deer and Edmonton asking about the matter and Barritt’s affiliation with Stephan. We have yet to receive a reply.

Chad Krahn, Stephan’s constituency office manager, is currently on leave while he runs for Red Deer city council, according to an automatic reply email.

We also reached out the premier’s office and Ministry of Indigenous Relations regarding Barritt’s comments and whether the government has given any further thought to throwing out parts of the draft curriculum influenced by Champion.

Tim Gerwing, the United Conservative Party’s Director of Communications, replied saying, “The individual in question no longer works for MLA Stephan. We won’t be commenting further on HR matters.

Gerwing noted, “Alberta’s government is working in partnership with First Nations on reconciliation, including providing $8 million to support Indigenous-led research into unmarked graves in Alberta.”

Jerrica Goodwin, Kenney’s press secretary, referred us to recent comments about residential schools made by Premier Jason Kenney and Wilson.

“As for the individual in question, he is not a Government employee,” Goodwin stated.

Melenchuk says it’s not the first time she’s received a lacklustre response from Stephan’s office and isn’t impressed with his lack of accountability.

“I wasn’t expecting much, but I wasn’t expecting that. It didn’t respond to what I was saying, I felt it was extremely condescending, inappropriate, dismissive and racist. Many people are having an awakening right now to what’s gone on in Canada. This can’t be the response when we’re talking about the curriculum, which by the way is total garbage,” says Melenchuk.

Growing up in Rimbey, Melenchuk says talking down about Indigenous folks was the norm, but she avoided it.

“I didn’t learn about residential schools myself until I was at the University of Lethbridge from 1999 to 2004. Like Murray Sinclair (Chair, Truth and Reconciliation Commission) has said, education is what got us into this mess, and it has to be the thing that gets us out,” she stressed.

“I teach in the Catholic school system and I am struggling with that. The struggle isn’t new in regards to this history, but I think it’s exacerbated by the fact the church has taken next to no responsibility for residential schools in Canada.

“The Truth and Reconciliation journey belongs to all of us. It is time to listen,” she added. “I am speaking out because the response I received from my MLA’s office continues to perpetuate what we’re trying to reconcile as a nation. We can’t have this kind of rhetoric and blatant ignorance coming from a government official’s office, period.”