Former co-worker testifies to corporal discipline in Friesen jury trial

In 1997, a photo of Louis Brunelle, a former administrator at the Saskatoon private Christian school now known as Legacy Christian Academy (formerly named Valour Academy and Christian Centre Academy), appeared in Maclean's magazine. He is seen holding a wooden paddle that became evidence in the trial against Duff Arthur Friesen, who faces five counts of assault with a weapon from his time at the school between 1997 and 2007. Brunelle testified as the first defense witness, confirming the use of corporal punishment was part of the school's disciplinary policy, with parents' consent. He detailed how students could receive up to three swats on their buttocks while a witness observed. The trial is closely associated with Mile Two Church, now called Encounter Church, and will conclude with closing arguments in the coming days.