The False Prophet of Edmonton

In a suburban industrial park, John de Ruiter built a spiritual movement, mashing up Christian theology and New Age mysticism. Today, eight former followers claim he brainwashed them into sex. The case against him will test the boundaries of consent.

- Luc Rinaldi

THE OASIS CENTRE IS A LUXURIANT ABERRATION ON THE industrial edge of northwest Edmonton. Neighboured by windowless warehouses and car dealerships, the $7-million complex comprises a palatial banquet hall built of cream-coloured brick, a 200-car parking lot and a thicketed garden with a stone patio and lily-padded pond. When the property opened in 2007, it became a popular venue for conferences and weddings-newlyweds would pose for photos in front of its sleek wood-and-glass facade. But the Centre's core function was very different: to serve as the headquarters of a mysterious spiritual community called the College of Integrated Philosophy.

In the 2010s, at the peak of the College's popularity, as many as 400 members gathered at the Oasis Centre several times a week. They'd file through the marble-floored foyer, past the 1,300-gallon koi aquarium and into the two-floor auditorium. They'd jockey for front-row seats before John de Ruiter, a striking fiftysomething spiritual teacher, would step on stage and settle into a padded chair at the front of the room. On either side of him, massive projector screens would stream a close-cropped feed of his face: a shock of flowing white hair, a sculpted brow furrowed in thought, crystalline blue eyes gazing at the crowd. Then, one by one, his followers would approach a microphone to seek guidance.