Alberta recommended Sam Mraiche-linked company to build recovery centre, lawyer alleges
A former lawyer for the Tsuut’ina Nation alleges that the Alberta government recommended a specific construction company, Melewka Homes Ltd., for a provincial addiction recovery centre project. The company is currently linked to ongoing litigation and procurement controversies.
Why it matters
The allegations raise questions about government transparency and the procurement process for public health infrastructure projects.
A recovery centre under construction in the Métis Nation of Alberta in Smoky Lake, Alta., in April. Megan Albu/The Globe and Mail
The Alberta government recommended a company linked to businessman Sam Mraiche to build a $35-million addiction recovery centre on a First Nation near Calgary, according to the community’s former lawyer.
Tsuut’ina Nation, which broke ground on its recovery centre in 2024, is one of several Indigenous communities building addiction treatment facilities funded by the provincial government.
Terry Braun, the nation’s former lawyer, alleges in a court document that the government of Alberta played a role in Tsuut’ina’s selection of Melewka Homes Ltd. The builder has been linked in court filings to Mr. Mraiche, who is a central figure in a health care procurement controversy in the province and has connections to powerful figures in Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ’s government.
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