Photo by Whitehorse Star

Brad Cathers

Trust must be rebuilt, Cathers says

The Yukon Party’s education critic is giving some credit to Thursday’s about-face of the Department of Education and the RCMP on the Hidden Valley Elementary School situation – but he’s still not happy with what happened.

By Whitehorse Star on September 24, 2021

A Yukon Party MLA is giving some credit to Thursday’s about-face of the Department of Education and the RCMP on the Hidden Valley Elementary School situation – but he’s still not happy with what happened.

Brad Cathers attended Thursday’s news conference on behalf of the party.

He told the Star he isn’t yet prepared to overlook the serious mistakes that have been made.

“There was still the failure afterwards to properly communicate with the parents,” Cathers said following the news conference.

“Probably the single largest error that occurred was after the conviction occurred, the Department of Education didn’t communicate with parents of other children who were in contact with the offender.

“I do appreciate the department now says they breached the trust of parents,” he continued. “However, that apology should have come from the minister of Education, not department staff.”

Education Minister Jeanie McLean did not attend Thursday’s news conference.

Cathers also said he welcomed the admission by RCMP Supt. Scott Sheppard that a major mistake had occurred with the police investigation of the original complaint in 2019.

“Some of the comments made today are positive, but what people were looking for is the action to follow up on the words,” said Cathers, whose Lake Laberge riding encompasses the school.

“This is a very, very serious situation. The trust has been broken by government and it needs to fix that and rebuild that trust.”

Comments (18)

Up 2 Down 1

Groucho d'North on Oct 1, 2021 at 8:51 am

Looks like the Liberal supporters have been somewhat successful in 'Changing the Channel' away from the Liberal government's disgraceful handling of the predatory EA to unfounded criticism of the opposition MLA who brought this situation to public light. A popular tactic with the Libs, they want the issue to just go away because they have no excuses to defend their inaction (other than how it would have impacted the last election).
Don't fall for the squirrels tossed into the discussion that are intended to distract from the real issues. Let's try to stay on topic. What will this Liberal Cabinet now do to amend their failures?

Up 0 Down 1

YukonMax on Oct 1, 2021 at 7:53 am

Trust must be rebuilt?
You, on the other hand, don't have to trust us.
So I guess YOU have a lot of work to do.

Up 2 Down 2

Observer on Sep 30, 2021 at 11:35 am

That information most certainly puts that issue in proper perspective!! Now let's take it one step further and figure out how many years has he been doing this!!

Up 6 Down 3

Curious George on Sep 30, 2021 at 11:20 am

This has been an issue since January 1st, 2014. Where has Brad been on this file up until this point, filling out his totally inappropriate travel expenses?

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Josey Wales on Sep 30, 2021 at 11:12 am

Wow...kinda like ya got Bidenitus there Patti? Ministry of Morality eh?
Shame on me ya bleat? Shame is a great tool, the crazy Austrian used it well to its advantage.
Nooope, that shame is on ewe Patti.

Classic gaslighting Patti...google it wee lamb. You are baaa baaad baa bad at this intellectual pissing match, far craftier at it than ewe.
Fleeced or meat, or agency... folks as you serve a purpose and are the lubricity with the square wheels of virtue, or the progressive cult so often lobbied for via ewe.
...next time maybe, back in the kitchen nnnkay...pot needs some new spice.

patti do not worship false prophets, you of all should have that figured out.

Up 9 Down 5

Patti Eyre on Sep 29, 2021 at 3:59 pm

Josie is wrong, Canada is still a great country! Yes there are mistakes made but that doesn't make me want to trash it every chance I get like Josie does, shame on you Josie!

Up 13 Down 5

EJ on Sep 28, 2021 at 10:53 pm

Hi Yukoner,

I did check for all of the other MLA's, thanks for asking. You can check it too here: https://yukonassembly.ca/sites/default/files/inline-files/sp-34-3-33-TravelReport2019-20.pdf

Here is what I concluded: All of the rural MLAs from the communities have indeed made claims for travel but this is understandable since they live so far out of Whitehorse. But most did not charge as much as Brad Cathers, despite living much farther away. Those living in Whitehorse simply did not charge for travel and food since they lived in the city and so there was no reason to. Now we come to those who live just outside city boundaries like Cathers. Many, many people live where he does and drive back and forth to work in Whitehorse without their employer (or taxpayers!) covering this commute. Let's compare other MLAs who live just outside of Whitehorse. Scott Kent only claimed $4,400 and John Stricker only claimed $3700. Finally, the last MLA in Brad Cather's riding only charged $800 in her final year!! So how in god's name is it remotely ethical that Brad charged $25K!? Please give the rest of us some kind of political spin that can justify this largesse, because I would love to hear it.

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Just for men - stovepipe black on Sep 28, 2021 at 1:44 pm

If Brad wants to make this political.

Let’s remember who was in Government when this guy was hired. That’s right his party.
Let’s not lose focus of what’s going on, finding all the victims and getting them the help they need.
Let’s start the torch and pitchforks back there and work forward.

Up 14 Down 6

yukoner on Sep 27, 2021 at 2:36 pm

@EJ: while you are at it, you might want to look at other out of Whitehorse MLA's, and, in fact, the premier too, what their per diem charges are. Same rules for all, right?

Up 24 Down 15

Tainted on Sep 27, 2021 at 10:37 am

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the so called Yukon party have given the two disgraced MLA's back their critic responsibilities, after making a big thing of stripping them of the roles in the first place.

Up 28 Down 8

Winston on Sep 25, 2021 at 5:45 pm

When did Brad become aware of the case and how did he become aware of the details? He stayed below surface with only a recent appearance on the matter.

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EJ on Sep 25, 2021 at 12:50 pm

While it's true that we need to hear more about what went on and that there is a lot of rightful blame to go around, Brad Cathers is the LAST person to be lecturing on what's right and wrong. This guy is always voting against LGBTQ rights (why Currie is unable to rein him in, I have no idea) and also charges taxpayers around $25,000 a year for his food and gas travelling to Whitehorse and back from Lake Laberge. Many, many people travel back and forth for work and are not compensated for it. But for some reason, despite his big government pay cheque (and likely outrageous pension by now), he feels the need to charge the rest of us for his commute.

Up 56 Down 8

Hidden Valley Mom on Sep 25, 2021 at 9:54 am

Why wasn't the minister of education in attendance? Is it because the person who should actually be up there is McPhee? And WHERE is the premier? The absolute lack of leadership is pure theatre.

So we have both ministers, who were ministers at the time of the conviction, sloughing accountability to the deputy minister. They ALL need to be held to account. Recall the ministers and fire the deputy. That they would ensure the success of their careers over the duty they are paid to do, at the price the KIDS have paid, is beyond forgivable. Sometimes just saying sorry isn't enough, and accountability at the level of a territorial minister requires more than a meager apology. Time to put your adult pants on and resign.

Up 14 Down 25

Josey Wales on Sep 25, 2021 at 8:18 am

*trigger warning* sheep, their herders, the hyper sensitive, the cultural elite, entitled state actors, malfeasance LEO’s (a few sure, not all) and generally ill informed SJW’s should go back to the CBC site for intellectual safety....nnnnkay?

Gee Brad...trust you say, in unaccountable state actors?
Not certain where you have been Brad, but we’ve been speedily and very crafty like ENGINEERED not to trust each other since this painfully obvious PLANDEMIC.

So Brad I get you are saying what we expect you to say in the PC Crusaders time of wussification of our once respected Canadian society.
Funny thing Brad, we have long fallen off any spore of respect by our very own government as citizens, others international like, just laugh at the absolutely incompetence of PM Blackface and its team of absolute fools.

...that said you could probably solve pie, world peace, the gender debate, get radical muslims and Jews to eat pork, obtain some accountability from the Vatican for their many monsters, teach Orcas to guard seals from predators, teach grizzly bears that meat sucks and caribou are equal...
Before a spore of trust in (key word) non naive free thinking citizens is ever developed.

Brad...I never left your team, your team left me a few years back.
...hence what we have here today.
Epic corruption, epic subjugation, epic erosion of a once free people’s culture and life.

More like the CCP than ever before, and here in this story?
We use our children as pawns in the states quest for PC, power...and clearly just like the SNC scandal...brought to light AFTER an election?

That “discretion” our officers use up here is very dangerous.
Keeping the blinders on cruising past the Center of hopelessness, acting as B.O.L.E. agents, acting as peacemakers at a drum dance, sure seems more like a political wing of the Liberal party to me.
Funny that as I will speculate big, that most members are not on team red.
However they are led by management who often morph into political windbags.

Maybe instead of patronizing us with a mere apology, cull the dead in your ranks, start acting like civil servants without blinders on and enforce the f**king law on LAW BREAKERS whatever wraps their bones matters not.

So trust you say, with state actors...acting Brad?
Good f**king luck with that...platitude.

Up 31 Down 5

Salt on Sep 24, 2021 at 9:23 pm

If there is no accountability from our “public servants” it is blatant proof of the corrupted spirit of our body politic.

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Salt on Sep 24, 2021 at 9:23 pm

If there is no accountability from our “public servants” it is blatant proof of the corrupted spirit of our body politic.

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Peter on Sep 24, 2021 at 6:36 pm

The commanding RCMP officer of Whitehorse detachment should resign, also the Minister of YTG Education resign. Under the leadership of both the police and education, staff should have done a better job. This situation is NOT new for a police force.

Up 43 Down 7

Mike on Sep 24, 2021 at 4:58 pm

Trust has been broken. Are you kidding me? Children have been molested - their lives permanently damaged and anyone minimizing the facts is a enabler of this event including the coincidentally absent The minister of Education. This is gross negligence on so many levels and all of those responsible should be fired immediately. Jeanne McLean never said a word to save from tarnishing the Liberals Election, the school as well this isn't about trust. This is about children and the fact that the Minister protected the facts from the parents and this predator is sickening and unbecoming of any official. The fact the RCMP admitted guilt in the investigation is commendable. The fact the minister decided to hide shows her true colors and the justice system letting this guy out is a disgrace. People should be losing their jobs. I'm sorry doesn't cut it when you are entrusted with the most precious thing in a families life, their children, and when you violate that trust you are as guilty as the offender.
I'm sorry your children were molested and violated by a predator. I'm sorry we never told you for months. I'm sorry are words. Silver better show his colors and start firing people. This is in every paper across Canada. Shame on the Minister and all involved.