Alberta councillor facing criminal charges, has been banned from town hall

A councillor for the Town of Devon, just southwest of Edmonton, was in jail Thursday on multiple charges including making threats and criminal harassment.

Anita Fisher, who has previously served as mayor, has also been reprimanded by four separate council resolutions, all passed unanimously by her colleagues.

Fisher was arrested in September but still holds her elected seat on council while she is in custody and undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

CTV News Edmonton was unable to confirm Thursday who she is accused of threatening.

Devon's current mayor, Jeff Craddock, refused to speak about the accusations against Fisher Thursday, but the town provided a copy of the August sanctions, which limit what Fisher can do as a councillor.

She has been removed from all boards and council events, and is not permitted to enter town hall to "protect the health and safety of the staff."

"This has been a friend of mine for 30-plus years, and I don't want to elaborate on her personal struggles, but my heart goes out to her," the mayor said Thursday.

Multiple sources also tell CTV News Edmonton that Craddock himself has filed a restraining order against Fisher.

"There have been actions from the past that have gone on that I have been involved with," he said, declining to confirm or deny a restraining order.

As of now, Fisher is not allowed to attend meetings in person but has been permitted to conduct business virtually.

Council also voted that she "only communicate through the chief administrative officer." They've also asked staff to "contact municipal affairs to seek assistance to address the concerns around Coun. Fisher."

"We have no individual power to just say, 'We don’t like the way you’re acting, you’re done.' She's an elected official," he explained.

According to the Municipal Government Act, a councillor will be disqualified if they are absent from all regular council meetings held during any period of eight consecutive weeks.

Craddock said that hasn't happened yet. If it does, further steps will be considered.

Councillors can also be disqualified for an offence punishable by imprisonment for five or more years.

"If she hasn’t actually gone through the system and actually been found guilty of anything, it changes nothing," Craddock said.

News of Fisher's arrest came as a surprise to many on the streets of Devon Thursday.

"It shocks the hell out of me…I've known her since we moved to town," said a man named Clarence, who's lived in Devon since 1980.

"I would want to be sure of what it is before anything is said or done…That's the first time I've heard of her [allegedly] doing anything out of line."

Another man, a former Devon resident who now lives in Leduc, pointed out that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. Still, he said, it's not a good look.

"If you're on town council, you gotta set an example for your community and that's no way to go about it, in my opinion," he told CTV News Edmonton.

Fisher's lawyer said his client is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha and David Mitchell