Help a Community leader and Family with Legal Costs

On the afternoon of. July 8 2014 Pat Marcellus and her husband Lyle Keewatin Richards were returning home through Kin Canyon in Waskasoo Park in Red Deer Alberta. This is where Pat on her bicycle hit the misaligned asphalt path and concrete bridge pier where the bridge crosses Waskasoo creek. The resulting injuries caused physical and mental suffering and wage loss over the next decade. They took the City to court to try to recover some of those damages.

In his judgment of Feb. '25 COK's bench Justice agreed that the misaligned path and bridge pier were responsible for the accident however two things caused him to dismiss their case. One, the city did regular inspections of the area and even though they didn't fix the hazard their due diligence was enough that they were not responsible for damages. Two, the Alberta Municipalities Act says 'unless there is gross negligence' a municipality can not be held responsible.

As a result they were held responsible for the city's court costs. They were aware all along that there was the possibility of that but their pro-bono lawyer with the corner office was pretty sure they had a very good case given the hazard, the injury, the long term treatment of Pat's injuries, wage loss etc.

After some negotiation they were handed a bill for costs of $26,000. They were told that could have been ALOT worse.

Never the less they are not a wealthy family. Pat's earning capacity was cut by more than half by the accident plus other activities like gardening, canning, and travel were cut as well. Lyle has been on disability since 2009 and as a result had no increase in wages since, and their adult daughter has a serous post covid illness.

Pat and Lyle are both recently retired so their ability to finance $26,000 is very limited.

We are mounting this Go Fund Me with their acknowledgment and consent