Still, if calling on the army in the middle of the ice storm was met with derision by Mr. Kelly’s own admission, the suggestion of doing it now, to help the city deal with branch and twig cleanup, is beyond ridiculous.
it’s like Fantino never left…
On Saturday there was a “Truth and Reconciliation Rally” in Caledonia Ontario, in which the protesters, or bad guys in OPP parlance, were “repeatedly bumped and obstructed,” walking down the road. The OPP, which did arrest Gary McHale in 2007 for the aggressive action of raising a Canadian flag, did bubkus.
McHale did have a chance to speak to one of the six nations elders, but was drowned out by bussed in protesters.
Natasha at Moose & Squirrel has done great work on this.
And be sure to read Christie Blatchford’s compelling book on the Caledonia Crisis:
*****************************
Update: from Natasha in the comments: o, no — All I’m doing is relaying the info Mark Vandermaas (Voice of Canada) has been kind enough to provide.
Christie Blatchford’s Helpless begins with a story. On June 9, 2006 Kathe and Guenter Golke of Simcoe Ontario went for a drive. The 68 and 66 year old wound up in Caledonia, which had been in the news recently due to what they used to call in the movies an Indian incursion.
The Natives of the 6-Nations reserve East of Brantford had taken over an housing development, known as the Douglas Creek Estates, due to a land claim dispute.
Driving through Caledonia the Golke’s slowed down to have a look at the Estate property. A woman on a motorcycle raced up to them:
“Is there a problem?” and then let fly a torrent of verbal abuse, accusing them of coming to “look at the bad Indians.”
They were soon surrounded by First Nations, attempting to stop their car. They spotted an OPP cruiser and went for help. Twenty or so First Nations followed, then surrounded and attacked their car. They jumped on the hood, grabbed for the steering wheel and attempted to open the car doors, while the Golke’s were parked beside the OPP car, talking to the officer.
It was one of three incidents that day, the one that was less newsworthy. A couple of senior citizens are attacked by a mob is much less interesting to big city editor than a policeman or an MSM cameraman assaulted. But it was the most telling: the First Nations had a complaint, so attacking a couple of innocent senior citizens is OK.
The surprising thing about Helpless: Caledonia’s Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All Of Us is how often you put the book down and seethe in quiet anger. Two governments and three OPP Chiefs, including Conservative MP Julian Fantino and his successor Chris Lewis, utterly and completely failed the people of Caledonia. However, it is original Commissioner Gwen Boniface and Inspector Ron George, director of the OPP Aboriginal Relations Team who takes the most blame for the force’s complete lack of action in Caledonia.
Ron George, it should be noted, is cousin of killed First Nations protester Dudley George. Yet without fear of conflict of interest, he was front and centre in the OPP’s decision making process.
The story of Caledonia is about the people who live there, and the people charged with protecting them not failing to do so, but refusing. Sixth line, on the south side of the Douglas Creek Estates, was populated by country homes, owned by non-natives. Although native occupiers of the Estates often criminally harassed the residents, the OPP refused to respond to calls on the sixth line for over three years.
The residents of sixth line were abandoned by those charged with keeping the law in Ontario, a state of Anarchy that they never asked for or did anything to deserve.
Christie Blatchford’s Helpless: Caledonia’s Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All Of Us is a quick, easy read. One of those books you start, curl up with, and find you’ve read half of it by dinner time. My only complaint is that the book is not broken into enough chapters. A chance to breath, and to let some of the anger that overtakes you breath, would help drive the point of the book home: “the failure of government to govern and to protect all it’s citizen’s equally.”
I was disappointed in my alma mater, the University of Waterloo (UW), after the Christie Blatchford debacle last month. Et tu, Waterloo I mumbled to no one in particular.
However, unlike other Ontario Universities in Premier Dad’s Paradise, UW stepped up with an immediate, and unequivocal apology:
The university considers Friday’s events as an attack on its presence as a place where issues are explored, discussed and at times debated. The freedom to speak and to learn is fundamental to the institution.
Yesterday, the university had Blatchford back:
“flanked by dozens of police,” to give her speech. Agitator Dan Kellar was nowhere to be found, having been banned from the campus….
“God bless Dan Kellar. Driving up book sales wherever he goes,” Blatchford said afterward.
Good on Christeie Blatchford, and good on UW for making sure this event went off safely.
Books, free speech, freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy
doesn’t include Julian Fantino.
This Friday in Vaughan, there is a rally to support Julian Fantino as the Conservative candidate for the riding. A counter protest, by Conservatives Against Fantino will also be held:
Fantino’s nomination is a slap in the face for every resident in Caledonia and Haldimand County; every police officer who served there; and every Conservative Party supporter who believes in fundamental justice and respect for the rule of law. Let’s tell Stephen Harper that Fantino must answer for Caledonia’s victims, not be rewarded for creating them.
I know which rally I would be attending if I wasn’t working (and they weren’t telling people to dress up for the protest?).
Find out more about the counter-protest here.
Meanwhile, Christie Blatchford’s new book on Caledonia Helpless: Caledonia’s Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed Us All will hit bookstores October 26th. Here’s a preview video:
Recent Comments