Saskatchewan's arts agency says it will audit five projects undertaken by businesswoman Heather Abbey and her e-commerce company Indig Inc. that received more than $160,000 total in taxpayer's money.



Creative Saskatchewan CEO Greg Magirescu says recent allegations against Abbey that "promises either weren't kept or expectations weren't met"— as well some public comments made by Abbey — have prompted the agency to reopen three previously closed files for grants she had received. The agency will examine two other projects once it receives final reports from Abbey.

"If what was reported does not match what was initially applied for, or if there's misinformation, missing information or any information was falsified, that would result in further action being taken," said Magirescu. The funding agency can ask grant recipients to repay money.

The Saskatoon businesswoman has received more than $160,000 for five grants over the past four years.

CBC News reported on the fallout from a July trade mission to Japan for Indigenous artists, with delegates saying they were disappointed by a poorly organized trip and confused by where grant money was spent.

Further investigation revealed that Abbey had left unpaid bills in Tokyo — including $15,000 in cancellation and no-show fees at a Tokyo hotel — and that only three of 15 participants who went on the trip are based in Saskatchewan, as required by the grant.

Abbey collected nearly $37,000 from Creative Saskatchewan to organize the trip to Japan. She was slated to receive the remaining 40 percent of the money — worth about $24,000 — if she could prove the trip met expectations in her final report.

The funding agency doesn't generally require receipts, but could ask for them from Abbey.

Creative Saskatchewan Greg Magirescu says the Crown agency will review all five grants given to Heather Abbey and her company Indig Inc.. (Tyler Pidlubny/CBC)

Pay back the money

The agency is also waiting for a final report from Abbey to explain how she used roughly $25,000 she collected 18 months ago in order to set up a retail space for Indigenous artists in Saskatoon. Abbey told CBC News in an interview that she hasn't set up the space and doesn't plan to anymore. Her final report is past due.

In an interview with CBC News last week, Abbey said she would repay nearly $60,000 from any project that she failed to deliver.

Creative Saskatchewan says it hasn't received written notification from Abbey that she is shutting down her two most recent projects, or paying back any grant money.

Abbey said none of her actions have been malicious or fraudulent, rather that some business gambles didn't pan out.

"I feel that whether or not I always made things happen … I did things with the best intentions," said Abbey.

Agnes Woodward and her husband, Whirlwind Bull, spent more than $6,000 on flights, hotel, food, transportation and a delegate fee of $400 each to go on a trade mission to Japan. They had no idea Abbey received a substantial provincial grant for the trip. (Submitted by Agnes Woodward)

One of the completed grants that will be put under the microscope gave Abbey more than $55,000 to cover website design, advertising and marketing.

A Saskatoon businessman, Frank Collins, said he believes he did most of the work but was "stiffed" at least $20,000 for website and promotional development, despite the fact Abbey received a substantial grant.

He said Abbey paid the first invoice for $7,000, then strung him along, promising him that she would pay him more after she received grant money. But, Collins said, Abbey cut off communication and never paid him what he was owed.

Abbey said she couldn't comment on that.

Magirescu says that if Abbey can't account for public money, then he'll reassess whether there are problems with the eligibility and assessment process.

"If things like this start to poke holes, or show areas where we might have to improve, then we're responsive to that. We have to be," he said.