Lethbridge council candidate Bradley Whalen's criminal past reveals itself
Bradley Whalen says he is still running for city council even though his criminal record came to light over the weekend.
Before Whalen moved to Lethbridge, he was convicted of eight separate offences in the early to mid 2000's in Nova Scotia.
According to court documents CTV News received from the Courts of Nova Scotia, Whalen, previously known as Bradley Patrick Alan Sampson, was sentenced for luring a child, theft under $5000, mischief and property damage, two fraud offences, robbery and having his face masked with intent to commit an offence.
After serving 10 months behind bars, he headed west, eventually opened a restaurant and now hopes to win a seat on city council.
Whalen declined an interview with CTV News, but has posted a statement on his campaign website.
Whalen used the statement to explain the circumstances around each offence as well as going into depth about his past experiences including many the hardships he faced as a child and overcoming substance abuse.
When it comes to running for a seat in Alberta, there are no laws that prevent anyone from running because of past criminal offences.
"If they do have a criminal background, they have all the right to run," said Ryan Parker who is running for his eighth term on council.
"So, it's outside of the jurisdiction of any municipality who can or cannot run. It may be frustrating for the community but they have to understand what the guidelines are that are in place."
Galactic Cantina, Lethbridge, Sept. 21, 2021
Parker wouldn't say whether the rules should be changed, but believes in the transparency of candidates.
"It's important that people scrutinize and question each and every one of the candidates that put their name forward," he told CTV News.
"They should do their research and ask the tough questions."
Geoffrey Hale is a political science professor at the University of Lethbridge and feels strongly that there is one question that all voters must ask themselves when researching candidates and before heading to the polls.
"Based on the publicly available information, would you hire this person to carry out a position of responsibility at city hall if you were the city manager?"
Whalen's website says he is running because he wants to help people, including those who have struggled with addiction and homelessness like he has in the past.
The municipal election is set for October 18th.
For more information on the candidates running, you can visit the City of Lethbridge's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.