Guy Boutilier, Thickwood home, election eligibility

Councillor Guy Boutilier is at the center of a controversy concerning his election eligibility and whether his Thickwood home was actually his residence when he was running for election. An affidavit has been filed in court documents that suggests Boutilier did not actually live at the Thickwood residence, and this would make him ineligible for the seat on the council that he currently holds. During the municipal election in 2013 the home that Guy Boutilier owns in Thickwood was listed in election documents as his place of residence, but Sarah MacLeod has filed an affidavit in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench that suggests otherwise. MacLeod states “Before the fall of 2013, I had never seen or heard Guy stay over at the Fort McMurray House before, or seen his Acadia SUV parked overnight at the house. I didn’t even know what he looked like until the fall of 2013. Also, I have never seen his wife or family at the Fort McMurray House.”

MacLeod affirms that Guy Boutilier used the Thickwood home for election eligibility only, and that he does not really reside there even though he owns the property. Sarah states that she was renting a room in the Fort MacMurray home, and the master bedroom was rented to another couple. The affidavit alleges that when Boutilier spent the night at the house it was in the basement using a makeshift room. MacLeod stated “When he did sleep over at the Fort McMurray house, I never saw or heard him in the Fort McMurray House during the day. I never saw him use the kitchen or eat at the house. From what I saw, the house was just a place for him to sleep. I never saw or heard Guy staying in the room next to mine from July 2012 until the fall of 2013. “