01 — Project details
In the summer of 2021, St. Eugene Resort faced an unprecedented public relations challenge when a significant misunderstanding spread rapidly in the media. A statement from a Chief of a nearby reserve was misinterpreted, leading to widespread headlines such as “182 Unmarked Graves Discovered at St. Eugene Resort.” The actual context was that unmarked graves had been found in a 1600s cemetery near the reserve, not at the resort itself. St. Eugene Resort, which had undergone thorough ground-penetrating radar scans during its construction and the installation of its golf course irrigation, had no evidence of such findings. Despite this, the news quickly went viral, causing confusion and concern among the public.
02 — Immediate Actions Taken
As the story broke, I received a notification on my phone from Apple News with an alarming headline. Within minutes, calls started pouring in from major Canadian news outlets, including the Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Global News, and CBC, all seeking clarification and a statement. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, I quickly mobilized to address the misinformation and protect the resort’s reputation.
Coordination with the Local ‘Aq’am Nation: I immediately reached out to the ‘Aq’am Nation to confirm the facts and collaborated on a truthful and unified statement. This ensured that our response was both accurate and respectful of the sensitive nature of the situation.
Engaging Key Spokespersons: Within hours, I coordinated with Sophie Pierre, a former Chief of the Ktunaxa Nation, to address the media. Her authority and connection to the community lent credibility and clarity to our response.
Media Management:
Worked with Global News to conduct an interview with Sophie Pierre, providing the correct narrative and addressing the misunderstanding.
Issued a detailed statement on the resort’s website explaining the facts: the unmarked graves were unrelated to the St. Eugene Mission or Resort and were instead part of an ancient cemetery with poorly marked graves.
Proactively reached out to news outlets to request corrections and remove mentions of St. Eugene Resort from misleading articles. This effort was successful in mitigating long-term reputational damage.
Guest Communication: To reassure guests, we crafted direct communications to explain the truth of the matter and reaffirm our commitment to reconciliation and transparency.
03 — Outcome
Through swift and coordinated action, the crisis was contained within 24 hours. Key achievements included:
Securing prominent media coverage that clarified the situation, including an interview with Global News.
Successfully getting St. Eugene Resort’s name removed from multiple misleading articles.
Maintaining the trust of guests and stakeholders by providing clear, factual information promptly.