‘We will come back stronger’: PBCN tells sentencing circle in arson case

Not only did Beatty have to face Judge Harradence in the courtroom, but she also heard how the fire impacted the Prince Albert Fire Department, the Police Service and the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, which she is a member of.

Donna Morin works for the PAGC and is a PBCN member and good friend of Beatty’s mother, Marilyn.

Morin explained that she worked and spent time in the Senator Allen Bird Centre for over 50 years and lives nearby.

“Change happens all the time and at Peter Ballantyne, that’s something we have to deal with. In our hearts, we have to forgive, so I’ve done that,” she told Beatty. “Gina deserves a chance. I know she can do well.”

Beatty has spent much of her time before being sentenced incarcerated after being late for a curfew and during that time, she beaded some items and sent them to a conference the band was holding.

Morin said the band has moved on and the building will be replaced.

“We look at it as an opportunity to move forward,” she said. “We are going to come back stronger, and I know Gina will come back stronger.”

An elder from the community had a similar message and agreed that buildings can be replaced. Margaret Michel said that Beatty needs long-term rehabilitation but as a young person, it is completely possible.

She recommended that an apology letter be sent to the Band and the PAGC, which owned the building.

“Looking at her, I believe she could do a lot of good for herself. Why waste your life like this?” asked Michel. “You need good friends, not people that pull you into drugs and alcohol.”

The journey that Beatty must now take to regain control of her life must be done alone but with support from the community, she said.

Crown Prosecutor Jeff Summach and defense lawyer Gordon Kirkby proposed together that Beatty be given time served of 18 months but be required to attend the program suggested by her family, which is a faith-based initiative located near Brandon, Man.

Judge Harradence agreed but increased the recommended probation time of two years to three years, following the advice of the elders wanting long-term support.

“You have an addiction to crystal meth,” he told Beatty. “From what I see, it’s destroying the minds of young people like you.” He also told her that by managing the addiction, she could find herself saving the lives of others.

The program claims a 78 per cent success rate due to its combination of spiritual and emotional support that also includes family.

Harradence also ordered that she attend addictions counselling.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Susan McNeil

‘We will come back stronger’: PBCN tells sentencing circle in arson case

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