[LINK] "Sipekne'katik cranberry project anything but fruitful"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC's Bob Murphy profiles the story of the failure of a cranberry bog project on the land of the Nova Scotiam Sipekne'katik First Nation. Apparent corruption and disorganization led to the costly failure of a project aimed to diversify the band's economy.

It was supposed to be a way for a struggling band to make money.

But three quarters of a million dollars later and three years after construction of a cranberry bog began on the Sipekne'katik First Nation, not a single berry has grown there.

Instead, the project is mired in unpaid bills and what forensic investigators call "questionable" payments to a company operated by a man running for chief in next month’s band election.

Michael P. Sack is one of four candidates and a current band councillor.

He is also president and director of Sack's Excavating Ltd., a company that performed work on the bog project before construction was halted in 2011.

According to a financial plan contained in the forensic report, clearing and levelling the first five acres of the site were expected to cost $90,000. Instead, it says, costs have hit $625,000 with another $120,000 claimed in outstanding bills.

The report refers to three band cheques that make up more than half of the money investigators say was paid out. They're dated September 28, 2011 and issued to Sack's Excavating. They total $389,910.55.