Censorship Failed: Missing ~$3 Million+ Dominates the Election Debate in Empress, Alberta

Millions of dollars’ worth of gravel has left the municipal pit of this small Alberta village — but the money is nowhere to be found, and taxes keep climbing.

I travelled to Empress, a forgotten community of about one hundred people near the Saskatchewan border to cover the public municipal election debate. When I arrived to film, the hall manager told me to leave — because he didn’t like my reporting on the missing taxpayer funds. A physical altercation ensued.

WHERE IS THE MONEY?

According to a formal complaint submitted to Alberta Municipal Affairs and the RCMP, the Village of Empress entered into a legal agreement with a local contractor licensed to mine gravel and pay royalties to the village. But right next to that permitted site, another operation began — an “off-the-books” gravel pit by other operators.

The complaint alleges that millions of dollars in aggregate left the unauthorized pit while the village’s audited statements show no corresponding revenue. A forensic accounting review later identified an approximate $3-million discrepancy. Despite those findings, the RCMP quietly ended its investigation, and then-Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver reported seeing nothing wrong.

“I don’t see any big money coming in, but I see a lot of gravel leaving,” said council candidate Richard Russell, describing what he and other residents continue to observe. He has promised to push for an investigation into the missing funds if elected.

PREVIOUS REPORTS:

Over $3M of Taxpayer Funds Missing; "No Comment," Says Village CAO; RCMP Investigation Pending

Residents, Former Mayor Blames Bureaucracy for Missing $3M+ in Taxpayer Funds in Empress, AB