Located just a kilometer from the United States border this small community is one of the most private locations in Canada. It is also an area that brews controversy.
On Sunday the spiritual leader Winston Blackmore and his congressional packed their temple in order to prayer for their brethren in Texas. There is talk that some of the children seized by the U.S. authorities are Canadian children.
Any parent should be concerned about every child, whether they are Canadian or not,” Blackmore said during a 20-minute conversation.
“A lot of those people are our relatives and our friends and I’m concerned about them. I’m sure sorry that (the raid) happened.”
Blackmore was in L.A. last week for a spot on Larry King Live.
The Canadian children that were seized in Texas will not be coming home to Canada, instead they will be placed with the others in foster care in Texas. The Department of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on the situation this weekend.
All of the children will have individual hearings in the coming weeks. At that time on a case by case basis their final fate of foster care or being returned to their parents will be determined. All of the cases must take place by June 5.
Blackmore doesn’t agree with the actions of Texas authorities saying that he doesn’t believe it’s the Canadian way and that it shouldn’t be happening in Texas either. The Canadian leader though has not been in contact with the members down in Texas for more than six years.
Not all of the 600 or so commune residents in Bountiful are in allegiance with their Texas counterparts.
The Canadian group are also polygamists.
“If there is abuse they should go in and get whoever is doing the abusing,” said the man, who said he was 40 years old and born in Bountiful. “How do they justify taking the 400 children?”
Bountiful has itself been under intense scrutiny from the provincial authorities. B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal wants to persecute members of the sect for polygamy and sex assault. He can’t though because of a review of the Charter challenge of freedom of religion laws is being referred to the B.C. Court of Appeal.
Blackmore is not a fan of Oppal.
“Our attorney general reminds me so much of Warren Jeffs,” said Blackmore. “He went to great pains to get the very best legal opinion he could. He should go join him (Jeffs).”
It will take time to see if the Texas case makes any bearing on this Canadian community.
Update:
The leaders of the Canadian group are hoping that by working with the RCMP their families will not deal with the same fate as the Texas congressional.
Earlier this month on a tip from a mysterious “Sarah” yet to be located the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Texas was raided and 437 children were taken into custody. On Friday it was disclosed that some of those children may be Canadians.
The U.S. consul called B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal on Monday to talk about the possibility of Americans living in Bountiful.
“His concerns were that there are a number of Americans in Bountiful. . . Apparently there are, according to some authorities,” Oppal said.
“We have been led to believe over the years that there’s been significant movement from the United States to Canada and vice versa.”
At this time the Canadian consular officials in Texas are monitoring the situation and have offered support for any of the children who are Canadian.
“To date, no confirmation has been received on the citizenship status of the children,” Cormier-Lassonde said in an e-mail.
Palmer has no information on if any of the children from Bountiful are now in state custody in Texas.
In Bountiful there are two factions of the Mormon sect, one that follows Warren Jeffs and the other that supports Blackmore. The town is divided almost in half between the two different leaders.
Blackmore is concerned that what happened in Texas could happen in his community.
Premier Gordan Campbell has vowed to take care of any of the children who are found to be Canadian.
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