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In fact, Pettigrew nearly hissed at resident Daniel McCaffrey when he asked whether violent offenders like Terri-Lynne McClintic (who pleaded guilty for her role in the kidnapping and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford) would be housed in Scarborough.

“This is not the same kind of lodge,” she said angrily, accusing Correctional Services Canada of “appropriating” an Indigenous healing lodge. “We are not taking women who are serving their sentences.”

When the chain-smoking Pettigrew took a smoke break, Sun videographer Ernest Doroszuk and I headed outside to see if we get any clarity on who would reside in the lodge — the elephant in the community centre room Wednesday night.

Photo by Ernest Doroszuk / Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Post

Pettigrew started to respond, telling me that four beds would be paid for by Correctional Services Canada to house women (offenders on parole) but their organization will decide who they will accept.

She added four beds will be available for women on probation and another four for those charged (and on bail ) but not yet convicted.

It was at this point that a woman who would only identify herself as a “concerned committee member” ordered me to get out of Pettigrew’s face and stop bullying her.

She then pulled Pettigrew back into the community centre with Doroszuk and me following trying to get the rest of the response. When she heard I was from the Toronto Sun, she laughed at me.

What happened next was truly surreal.

Another woman wearing a baseball cap on backwards and heavily tattooed, stuck herself between Pettigrew and me, as she tried to push me away.