Glooscap residents frustrated by financial scandal

Residents of the Glooscap First Nation say they're tired of financial scandals after a woman who worked for the band was accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the reserve.

Robin Connell, a 45-year-old woman from Kentville, was charged with theft over $5,000 as a result of a police investigation that began when the band alerted the Kings District RCMP about irregularities it found during an audit in May.

RCMP said Connell was pilfering from the Glooscap Variety Store, Gas Bar and Gaming Room over the past year.

"Enough is enough. We've gone through it for many many years and a lot of the people up here on the reservation, in this community are just sick and tired of it," said Dennis Johnson, a band member.

"When is it all going to stop? Aren't we going to get honest people in here?"

Chad Rafuse, who used to work at the Glooscap Variety Store, Gas Bar and Gaming Room, said he wasn't surprised to learn of the charges.

"It never surprised me one bit at all," he said.

"I'm really glad that the chief and councillors are stepping up and doing something about it."

The Glooscap First Nation, near Hantsport,was embroiled in a financial scandal nearly three years agowhen the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said Glooscap had paid its chief and three councillors $1.7 million dollars for salaries, expenses and business contracts during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Shortly after people on the reserve learned their band chief and councillors had made more money than Nova Scotia's premier, they elected a new chief.

Ashley Zwicker said she's disappointed the reserve has been hit by another financial blow.

"It makes me feel like there's nothing safe here anymore. Like nobody can be trusted," she said Wednesday.

"It really has a negative impact. People are going to look at us all like, maybe we have some secrets that aren't being told and it's going to suck living here because everyone is going to be questioning and judging us."

Connell will appear in a Kentville provincial court on Oct. 15.