Statement from Strathcona County on employee charges

Strathcona County recently learned from the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) that an employee who worked at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre in 2016 and 2017 has been charged with one count each of possession and distribution of child pornography. The employee’s last day at work was July 12, 2017. 

Strathcona County has not received any information from ALERT or any other source to suggest any offences took place against children who attended the camps.

Strathcona County takes the safety and care of all its guests seriously. All Strathcona County leaders working with children or vulnerable populations must meet the highest industry standards for recruitment. All prospective candidates are required to provide both Criminal Records and Vulnerable Sector Checks and their references are checked.

As the matter is in the hands of the ALERT investigators and the courts, Strathcona County is unable to provide additional information at this time.

Set in the centre of Alberta’s energy and agricultural heartland, Strathcona County is a thriving, successful and vibrant community of over 98,000 residents. Strathcona County is made up of the urban area of Sherwood Park and a large adjacent rural area of farms, acreages and smaller hamlets. It is home to 75 per cent of refining in Western Canada. With a focus on economic, governance, social, cultural and environmental sustainability, Strathcona County is committed to balancing the unique needs of its diverse community.

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