Summerside councillor Barb Gallant charged with taking money from 'Lest We Forget' veterans group
A charge of theft over $5,000 has been laid against Summerside Coun. Barbara Ann Gallant, according to documents filed in court.
The municipal councillor has not yet appeared in front of a judge in the matter, CBC News has learned.
The charge sheet says that between Feb. 13, 2022, and Nov. 27, 2023, police believe Gallant "did steal money, the property of the Lest We Forget Veterans Committee, of a value exceeding $5,000, contrary to sections 322 and 334 (A) (i) of the Criminal Code."
Gallant is now under a legal undertaking to stay away from four specific people.
The Lest We Forget Veterans Committee describes itself on Facebook as "a non-profit organization committed to serving P.E.I. veterans."
In early 2022, it received $400,000 in federal funding "to improve the economic security of women and LGBTQ veterans on P.E.I. [and] develop a Veteran Success Centre to support veterans through entrepreneurship and employability programs, employment support services, translation services, career counselling and mentoring services."
Will remain a councillor
A news release from the City of Summerside on Tuesday morning said any action under its Code of Conduct bylaw would be deferred until the criminal matter against Gallant has concluded, and that it would not be commenting further on the case.
Barb Gallant, shown in a file photo from when she led the Summerside Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, has been involved with veterans' association for many years. (Submitted )
A city official told CBC News that Gallant will remain a councillor — that won't change unless she is found guilty.
Gallant is new to council, elected to office for the first time in November 2022.
A certified esthetician by profession, she has also been very active with veterans' groups over the years. From 2003-06, she was president of the Summerside Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
As well, her Facebook page and a city website say she is executive director of the P.E.I. Veterans' Success Centre and the Lest We Forget Committee. However, officials from the East Prince Women's Information Centre, which is a partner of the Veterans' Success Centre, says she was never executive director of the Veterans Success Centre and didn't have access to its funds.
