Dear Alumni & Friends of Quest,
As we know, Quest's campus has been sold to Capilano University.
While I wish Capilano the very best, I am sad (and angry) about what happened to Quest and would like to see Quest's program revived.
Personally, I have never had any involvement with Quest but I have done a lot of digging into its financial history.
My heart goes out to all the students, especially the international students, who have now lost their alma mater.
As I've been wondering what to do next, I got thinking about Newfoundland.
Newfoundland used to be a nation but because of WWI and mismanagement, Newfoundland got in deep debt. In the 1930s, they had to give up their nationhood and go under the wing of the United Kingdom. It took almost 20 years before Newfoundland got back on its feet again as a province of Canada.
This got me thinking ... maybe Quest could come back as Quest Institute at Capilano. This would provide Quest with the benefits of being part of an established university. Capilano would also benefit from Quest's innovative approach to teaching and learning, and a trail-blazing, international alumni of dynamic young people from 40 countries around the world. Sounds like a win win to me. To be clear, I have not spoken with anyone at Cap.
But how on earth could Quest get on its feet again?
Here's my initial thoughts, but first, a bit of background:
On July 29, 2023, just days before Quest’s sale was announced (August 16), CRA revoked Eden Glen Foundation, one of the many charities involved in the sale of Quest’s original land. Upon request, I received CRA’s audit report on August 4, 2023. To my surprise, CRA’s audit report reveals that beneficial ownership of Lot 12 (about 12 acres) is currently held by Stewart Blusson, Quest’s original benefactor.
On August 14, 2023, I spoke with Mr. Blusson. He confirmed that he holds beneficial ownership to Lot 12 and also Parcel A, a large section of land. Together, Parcel A and Lot 12 are worth somewhere around $30 million.
Seems to me that Mr. Blusson could be offered a proposal for how this land could be used to fulfil his original dream, which was to help start in Canada, a university like the one that he attended in the U.S. where he learned the skills he later used to pioneer the diamond industry in northern Canada.
Over the years, based on my digging into Quest’s financial history, it has become clear to me that Quest is a victim of a massive tax scam and a miscarriage of justice. As for Mr. Blusson's philanthropy per se, he hasn't been heard from yet, at least, not officially.
I can see why Mr. Blusson would not have wanted Parcel A and Lot 12 in the hands of Quest during the years that Blake Bromley and others were involved. But that has now changed.
The first step, in my view, is to get proper legal counsel. This is why I support the GoFundMe to cover legal fees, started by Quest alumni in early August. To those who are able to chip in, here's the link:
Here's a document that I hope will help get legal counsel up to speed, once it is retained:
More here: Quest: Victim of a Massive Scam & Miscarriage of Justice
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you. You can comment here or shoot me an e-mail at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Vivian
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