Alberta Family Faces 'Lawfare' and Federally Funded 'Smear Campaign' After Exposing Local Government

In the mountain community of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, one family’s call for accountability has exposed what residents describe as a troubling mix of environmental neglect, questionable land dealings, and taxpayer-funded retaliation.

Mindy Pawluk, a mother of two from Blairmore, began asking questions after learning that the municipality had approved a conditional sale of roughly 68 acres of land next to the historic Old Sartoris dump site. The area—long known to contain buried waste and contaminants—borders Lyons Creek, which flows into the Oldman River, a key water source for much of southern Alberta.

Municipality Sold 68 Acres for Chump Change? Sold for approximately $5,200 per acre for a tourism development, residents question why their municipality—allegedly without advertising the sale or obtaining an independent appraisal—would sell public land apparently based on assessed value for taxation purposes rather than fair market price.

Environmental Concerns and ‘Lawfare’

Both Alberta Health Services and Alberta Environment and Protected Areas have validated envriomental concerns of developing next to an old dump site raised by Pawluk. Yet some developers have responded with threats of “lawfare”—legal intimidation tactics meant to silence.

“Development or excavation may impact local hydrology and hydrogeology… potentially mobilizing contaminants,” reads a clarification Pawluk obtained from Alberta Environment’s Contaminated Sites and Remediation Branch, which also notes that “Lyons Creek is located approximately 200 meters west of the site.”

Instead of fulfilling the basic expectation of full delineation—mapping and confirming the boundaries of contamination—the municipality appears confused about who is actually responsible for that work. Documents suggest it has attempted to exonerate itself from liability, despite clear provincial regulations placing responsibility on the municipality.

Censorship and a Federally Funded ‘Smear Campaign’

After Media Bezirgan published an initial report featuring long-time residents and a former municipal official critical of the current Crowsnest Pass administration—and of the lack of provincial oversight by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs—a series of publications emerged containing factually incorrect information, attempting to discredit the reporting and the interviewees based on false premises and statements that never appeared in the original report.

These attacks came from the Crowsnest Pass Herald, a federally funded outlet owned by Councillor Lisa Sygutek, who also sits on the very council under scrutiny. Sygutek published a string of editorials and social media posts aimed at discrediting both Media Bezirgan and residents interviewed in the report, making factually incorrect statements and, astonishingly, comparing their criticism of council to those celebrating the assassination of U.S. commentator Charlie Kirk.

Federal records show her paper has received over $230,000 in subsidies from the Liberal government of Canada, prompting residents to question whether public funds are being used to undermine independent journalism and shield municipal officials from scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the CAO remains silent, refusing to answer key questions. His wife, however, has publicly targeted family members of municipal employees for sharing the initial report, highlighting that their families’ incomes depend on the municipality—comments that have fueled fears of retaliation and a culture of intimidation against critics within the community.

Despite lawfare threats, a federally funded smear campaign, and an atmosphere of retribution, this Albertan community refuses to bow down—vowing to continue standing up for the future of the watershed, for government accountability, and for integrity in public office.

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