Court Finds Separatist Leader did Elder Abuse, owes over $1 million
Originally published March 1 2026
“A Very Expensive Family Discount"
Dr. Dennis Modry has been leading something of a double life.
On one hand, the retired cardiovascular surgeon and Medicine Hat-linked activist has been crisscrossing Alberta as a prominent voice for the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a separatist group advocating for the province to leave Canada. On the other, he's been fighting a legal battle in British Columbia over more than a million dollars he took from his elderly aunt and uncle's bank accounts.
Last month, he lost that battle—decisively.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge ordered Modry to repay $1,283,441.31 to the estate of Mary Laurette Bodnar, his aunt, after finding that he misappropriated funds while acting as her Power of Attorney. The decision, released March 12, offers a detailed portrait of financial decisions that the court found fell well short of a fiduciary's duties.
Holmes V. Modry (Click here to download it for your own reading)
THE PRIVADA PROJECT
According to the judgment, Modry used a significant portion of the money to fund Privada Private Residences, his ambitious Edmonton luxury condominium project. The $144 million development was to feature 45 high-end units on river valley land, with prices expected to range from $1 million to $5 million. The future looked bright!
Various real estate website list the project with these photos;
It did not go well.
All the links on the real estate sites now lead to a new website, which specializes in “PRIVATE POOL IN EVERY ROOM. THAT’S OUR RULE.” and “We're bringing you next level accommodation, at insane rates. Explore tirelessly, or enjoy solitude – we've got something for everyone.” (Privada website 2026)
Foreclosure proceedings began back in June 2017. Modry told the court:
"I lost my home, my project, my equity and my financial retirement nest egg, along with the funds that I had invested in the project on Fred and Laurette's behalf."
Justice Hoffman was not sympathetic to this framing. The funds, the court noted, were not Modry's to lose.
"On the basis of the evidence before me, I find that the respondent breached his duties by failing to account and fully disclose all information relevant to the exercise of the powers entrusted to him," the judge wrote.
The court also took issue with Modry's decision to invest $9,074 of his aunt and uncle's money in cryptocurrency—funds he later claimed were stolen by cybercriminals. "A prudent investor would take steps to make a secure investment with financial institutions and exchanges that are far less susceptible to the risks of cyber-crime," Justice Hoffman observed.
The judgment raises serious questions about whether Fred and Laurette Bodnar could have understood, let alone consented to, these financial decisions. It also raises serious questions with the leadership and administration of APP, Stayfree Alberta, and the entire separatist endeavor.
Fred Bodnar, the court noted, had been diagnosed with dementia with moderate cognitive impairment and was deemed by a geriatric psychiatrist to lack capacity in financial matters. In January 2015, he was hospitalized after assaulting a home support worker with a kitchen knife. Laurette Bodnar suffered from Alzheimer's and was placed in long-term care, where she eventually ceased to recognize her husband.
Despite this, Modry claimed in his affidavit that Fred had "much better understanding and ability to converse and participate in decisions regarding his care and financial matters." The court was unpersuaded, noting the absence of any evidence that Modry discussed the investments with Laurette at all.
"The respondent had an obligation in this application to put his best foot forward by tendering the best evidence he could regarding the conversations he had with Fred and Laurette about their financial investments," Justice Hoffman wrote. "The only evidence tendered is the respondent's evidence regarding Fred's trip to Edmonton in April 2015 in which he says that Fred was apprised of the Privada project and agreed to invest in it."
The court found that this fell short of establishing the "full knowledge and consent" required for an attorney to use a donor's funds for personal benefit.
The B.C. ruling might have sent most people into quiet retreat. Instead, Modry has been increasingly visible on the political stage.
As a co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project, Modry has been holding petition-signing events across the province, including in Lethbridge, Stony Plain, and Calgary. The group aims to trigger a referendum on Alberta independence and has set a target of 177,732 signatures by May 2.
But it's the group's international outreach that has drawn the most attention.
Modry and APP lawyer Jeffrey Rath have held three meetings with Trump administration officials at the U.S. State Department in Washington, according to multiple news reports. The agenda, Modry told news outlets, included discussions about Alberta adopting the U.S. dollar, taking over the Canada Pension Plan, and—most notably—"the development of an independent military."
Modry emerged from these meetings sounding optimistic. "For those of us who are very much in support of Alberta becoming a sovereign country, it's heartening to us at each of the three meetings that we've had with the U.S. administration to be informed that the entire U.S. administration is supportive of Alberta becoming a sovereign country," he told NBC.
The Trump administration quickly distanced itself. A senior State Department official insisted no senior officials were present and that no commitments were made. A White House official added that "administration officials meet with a number of civil society groups. No support or commitments were conveyed."
Modry's claims of support from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have added another layer of complexity.
At a petition-signing event in Stony Plain in January, Modry was audio-recorded telling the crowd that he'd asked Smith if she'd be willing to govern an independent Alberta as "president or prime minister." Her alleged response: "Well, I don't really like president, I prefer prime minister."
Smith's office issued a firm denial. "Modry does not speak on behalf of the premier. The premier has been very clear — she supports a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada," a spokesperson said.
But Smith's past comments have created some ambiguity. At a 2022 Rebel News event, when asked about the "or else" in Alberta's autonomy push, Smith replied: "The 'or else' is Dennis Modry and the Alberta Prosperity Project." She added: "I talked to Dr. Modry as one of my first steps. I said, let's try this together. Let's get as much autonomy as we can."
Whether this represents an endorsement or simply an acknowledgment of political reality depends on whom you ask.
For Medicine Hat residents watching this story unfold, the local angle comes through LaVar Payne, the former Conservative MP who represented the riding from 2008 to 2015. Payne has appeared alongside Modry at APP events and is a visible supporter of the group's aims.
Payne did not respond to requests for comment.
The separatist cause faces an uphill battle with the Alberta public. An Ipsos poll from January found just 28 percent of Albertans would vote yes in an independence referendum. An Angus Reid poll from February found 65 percent would definitely stay in Canada. When the costs and complexities of independence are factored in, committed support drops to around 15 percent.
Holmes v. Modry, 2025 BCSC 430
The APP has not released its signature totals, making it difficult to assess whether the campaign is gaining traction.
Modry has not indicated whether he plans to appeal the B.C. Supreme Court ruling. The judgment orders him to pay $1,283,441.31 to his aunt's estate, plus interest and the cash equivalent of the cryptocurrency he purchased with his relatives' funds.
Meanwhile, his separatist activities continue. The May 2 signature deadline looms. The group's website continues to solicit donations and volunteers.
Phil McCrackin demonstrated on Kingsway in Medicine Hat with a flag. 30 mins. no honks.
Friday, March 27th 2026.
Whether Modry's legal troubles will affect his political credibility remains to be seen. At recent APP events, the court ruling has not been a topic of discussion. The group's messaging has focused instead on what it describes as Ottawa's overreach and Alberta's potential as an independent nation.
For now, Modry appears determined to press forward on both fronts—a man with a mission, a court judgment, and apparently no shortage of ambition.
