https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2OlAXDW7W0&t=1024s&ab_channel=TheFifthEstate
How anger, faith and conspiracy theories fuelled the trucker convoy - The Fifth Estate
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/police-convoy-protesters-communication-1.6405434
https://www.facebook.com/allfiredupeventservices/videos/453917599724619
All Fired Up for Freedom was live.
https://www.kidcarson.com/10-what-happened-to-the-convoy-money-interview-with-the-accountant/
10 - What happened to the CONVOY MONEY? (interview with the accountant)
Chad Eros was an accounting teacher from Saskatchewan who suddenly found himself at the centre of a historical event, and with 13 million dollars in an account he opened.
- What happened to the 1 million dollars that was released by GoFundMe?
- What was happening on the ground the day before the Emergencies Act was invoked?
A VERY interesting peek inside what was happening, vs what the mainstream media was telling the world.
What's REALLY going on?
Enjoy - and if you'd like to help me grow this podcast, please consider supporting on my website. www.kidcarson.com
STAY EMPOWERED!
Kid
https://604now.com/kid-carson-and-kiss-radio-have-parted-ways/
Kid Carson and KiSS Radio Part Ways
Radio host Kid Carson has reportedly left KiSS Radio as of January 7, 2015.
KiSS Radio made the announcement this morning through a vague press release:
To our valued KiSS Listeners; we wanted to inform you of some changes today regarding our morning show. Kid Carson, and KiSS RADiO have parted ways.
We truly value the contributions that Kid Carson has made to the station over the years and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. We also want to thank you, all of our KiSS listeners, for your continued support and we look forward to more fun, we have something really special to tell you about regarding the future of KiSS Mornings.. stay tuned!
Kid Carson has yet to comment on the departure, but did upload a pause button photo to both his Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Carson originally joined KiSS in September 2012 after the leaving the Beat 94.5 (now known as Virgin Radio). The news of parting ways with KiSS comes within weeks after Carson’s co-host Randi Chase also left the station.
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/kid-carson-dropped-from-z95-3-radio-after-pro-convoy-rant
https://www.bitchute.com/video/5BrQsUzfMCaA/
Monday, February 28th, 2022 Live Stream
Three key ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers pull back the curtain on the hopes, tension and infighting that marked the occupation
The movement that became an unprecedented disruption for Canada’s capital faced turbulence and disagreement from the inside, too
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Brigitte Belton was never in any of the headlines and, when the “Freedom Convoy” press conferences were given, she flanked the speakers instead of taking the mic herself.
But in what may come as just one little-known fact of many in the story of the convoy’s origins, there’s no doubt the 52-year-old from Wallaceburg, Ont., was among the first to get the headline-grabbing protest rolling — and that she helped keep it going.
She says it amazes her how the movement she started talking about to the selfie camera in the cab of her truck eventually spread to a surge of sentiment that has seemingly come to define populism in Canada today.
“I have never in my life protested ever,” Belton told the Star. “I never thought there was something so serious that I needed to risk my job. Risk my criminal record.”
After the convoy, Belton was not arrested or charged. She remains defiant and sees the work of the convoy as unfinished.
“Am I going to go back to Ottawa? I can’t say I won’t at this point,” she says.
The whole movement raised and lost more than $10 million twice, pulled together a cacophony of populist sentiment from across the country, and subjected the nation’s capital to blaring truck horns and street occupations for a month before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in its history. Police arrested 230 people and laid 118 charges related to the event.
By the time bank accounts were frozen and police swept in to clear Ottawa streets of the remaining protesters and vehicles, observers all over the country were left wondering how much of it even had to do with its initial, advertised mission — getting rid of vaccine mandates for truckers and everyone else — and how much of it had become a meeting ground for all manner of quasi-organized anti-government agitating.
The convoy was surely about different things to different people. Three of its organizers, who all came to the movement with different backgrounds and goals, agreed to speak to the Star.
They are Belton, who along with Chris Barber is the reason the convoy was a trucker protest to begin with; James Bauder, who stage-managed the routes across Canada and sees the whole thing as part of his “Canada Unity” movement; and Tom Marazzo, a former military man who tried to take a leadership role when things started to get heated.
Together, they painted an image of a movement marked by massive organizational challenges and a load of internal strife. The organizers agreed that they wanted COVID-19 mandates, including the requirement that truckers be vaccinated to cross the border into Canada, gone for good. But beyond that, ideas clashed and tensions flared within the inner apparatus of the convoy about what they were there for and how far they should go to accomplish their aims.
They came together, but never fully coalesced, and while most plan to continue the work of the convoy they have disparate views of what that work is and how to pursue it.
Chapter one: The truckers
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Behind the scenes, Belton quietly embodied some of the movement’s roots while watching as it mushroomed into a populist coalition far beyond her — or anyone’s — single grasp. She represented, at least in its earliest days, everything the convoy was said to stand for.
Belton is a trucker. She’s unvaccinated and unable to do her regular work crossing the U.S. border because of it. Through the pandemic and before it, she has been no fan of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and lays blame for the mandates on him more than any other politician. She remained out of the spotlight while disparate groups with different agendas hitched their trucks, RVs and tractors to the convoy coalition.
Even though she calls the attempts to keep so many disparate groups on the same page “one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Belton said she’s proud of what she views as the convoy’s best parts.
“The best thing that came out from Ottawa was I was no longer alone,” she said. “I’ve been told I’m a horrible person for not taking a vaccine that I didn’t believe in. I saw that I wasn’t alone in that.”
Although Belton was not clearly a spokesperson for the movement, every other organizer who spoke to the Star recognized that she and Barber together formed the core of the committee organizing the actual truckers who came to protest.
(The Star reached out to Barber, who was arrested at the Ottawa protests and released on bail the next day. He faces four charges related to the protests, including counselling mischief and to obstruct police. Barber declined to comment for this story, citing court conditions for his bail, but he suggested the Star reach Belton.)
Here’s the untold story of how the beginning of the convoy came about, from Belton’s perspective.
When she complained about the impending trucker vaccine mandate to the couple of hundred people she usually reached on her TikTok account in January, a sympathetic trucker from Swift Current, Sask., named Chris Barber messaged her and they formed a friendship.
With Belton’s story and Barber’s rising TikTok fame (he made deadpan, self-described “trolling” TikToks about trucking life and his dislike of Trudeau’s government), the pair started sharing the idea of a truck convoy to protest mandates. On Jan. 1, Belton started sharing what looked like a standard-sized poster reading “CONVOY TO END MANDATES” on her own TikTok, with Barber promoting the idea, too. They wanted to target roads along the border with slow rolling trucks, starting Jan. 23.
As that idea gained attention on TikTok, others took notice.
“When we started this, you have to remember, it was Chris and myself,” Belton said. “Then there was Canada Unity that came in, then there was Pat King that came in with his friends. And, you know, I mean before you know it there are a thousand groups within the one group.”
Belton said she left Ottawa before the police enforcement happened to avoid arrest and take care of her dog, who was with her. She said her bank accounts were also not frozen. Belton credits the fact that police didn’t seem interested in her due to the quiet role she played relative to another female organizer: fundraiser and spokesperson Tamara Lich.
“It seems like because of all the stuff that surrounded Tamara, I was kind of put in the background, which was OK,” Belton said. “Because being in the background, I got work done. I got stuff done. And I didn’t have as much notoriety or fame as she did.”
Belton’s main role, she said, was organizing truckers themselves, helping them to get supplies and answering their calls at any time of day.
One of the earliest meetings showcasing what would become the mixed bag of convoy leaders came on Jan. 13, on a livestream hosted by King, a right-wing social media personality interested in conspiracy theories and anti-government protesting.
The meeting opened with a video of a long-haired man in jeans and a T-shirt singing a kind of love song to freedom on the beach, and had a handful of people present — including King, Barber, Belton and James Bauder, who had been involved in the 2019 United We Roll convoy for oil and gas before going on to start his own group.
All talked about the convoy as a nascent but invigorating idea, joking with one another and discussing plans for more than an hour.
It was a show of cohesion that wouldn’t last.
Chapter two: The convoy
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James Bauder would become one of the most recognizable figures in the convoy, not because he was at the centre of press conferences (he is quick to point out that he never was), but because he brought organizational help — things such as maps, schedules and chains of communication — to a motley group.
It was Bauder’s website, Canada Unity, that became the key organizational tool for those wanting to join the convoy, laying out route maps and displaying the phone numbers for convoy contacts from across the country. Bauder called it “Operation Bearhug” and reused organizational tactics of United We Roll and other smaller convoys.
Bauder himself remained relatively quiet throughout the month that trucks and other protesters stayed parked in Ottawa. But he is also the author of one of the infamous documents associated with the protest: the Canada Unity Memorandum of Understanding.
He had attempted to deliver the MOU to Senate officials in December of 2021 during an earlier anti-restrictions convoy and later posted the document to his website — the same website where all the route maps and convoy contacts were posted.
Written in legalese and bizarrely addressed to the Senate and Governor General — but not the government of Canada — the MOU was seen by many as evidence of the convoy’s nefarious intentions. Bauder, who has called COVID-19 restrictions a “crime against humanity” and “treason” on his website and social media, says he believed the pseudolegal document could be used as a direct appeal to Canada’s upper house and head of state.
The document, which asks that those two bodies intervene to end federal COVID-19 mandates and, failing that, trigger a referendum to launch a new election, sounded not just outlandish (the Governor General and Senate do not have this power) but potentially insurrectionist, prompting some to equate the document with a written intention by Canada Unity — and therefore the convoy as a whole — to overthrow the government.
Jody Thomas, Trudeau’s national security adviser, repeated that claim, saying there was “no doubt” protesters wanted to overthrow the government.
In an interview with the Star, Bauder said that the MOU was broadly misinterpreted and that he never wrote about or held intentions to try to overthrow the government. Still, he says, he stands by the document and doesn’t regret releasing it. He talks about the MOU like a kind of jacked-up petition that, had it been signed by the five million Canadians he was aiming for, would have been impossible for the government to ignore. He said the first priority of the document was just to apply pressure to lift the mandates, and believes that it could have been used to compel the Governor General to trigger a referendum on mandates if the government refused to lift them (the document got about 350,000 signatures before he took it down, according to the counter on Bauder’s website).
What Bauder does regret, he says, are some of the alliances he made in the early days of the convoy when he got on phone calls like the one on Jan. 13 with King, Barber and Belton.
“Lessons learned,” he said. “Be careful who you partner with.”
“I have learned so much and been so deceived. With respect to receiving those phone calls, I wish that I could have gone back and said no.”
From the earliest days of the convoy, Bauder’s aims were related but separate from those of the Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers, according to both himself and the other organizers. Even though his website was instrumental in organizing convoy routes, Bauder says he was never a part of the Freedom Convoy 2022, which later formalized itself as a not-for-profit organization with the help of lawyer Keith Wilson.
Instead, Bauder’s project was (and still is) Operation Bearhug, which he sees as an ongoing movement using tactics such as slow-roll convoys, rallies and “mask-free shopping” events in an attempt to rally support against restrictions and for his MOU, which he still believes could be a tool to pressure the government into ending the last of the mandates.
He’s currently working on a version of Operation Bearhug in British Columbia, with a smaller convoy of vehicles camping on a private property in Delta, near Vancouver. They’re planning a variety of protests as well as lawsuits, and dreaming of eventually leveraging the movement into its own political party.
Police in Delta said they haven’t had any issues with the group gathering in B.C. so far.
Here’s where Bauder’s and Belton’s stories diverge.
From Bauder’s point of view, the Ottawa convoy was a part of his Operation Bearhug, with Belton and Barber signing onto his pre-existing plan. He said he felt that way until some truckers got to Ottawa a day earlier than scheduled, began occupying the streets of Ottawa under the encouragement of people like Pat King, who proposed blockades in front of politicians’ residences and said on a livestream: “This is so much fun, we have all of Ottawa gridlocked.”
Bauder said that’s when he decided to “step back” from the core organizing committee, while Belton and Barber say he was always at arm’s length from their efforts.
The money raised and who had control over it was another source of contention. The $10 million raised first through GoFundMe and then through the Christian charity site GiveSendGo was being managed by Tamara Lich under the direction of the Freedom Convoy 2022 team: truckers such as Belton and Barber.
No one who spoke to the Star had any issues with Lich, who was described neutrally as either the fundraiser or the accountant.
Every organizer reached also said that even though they were upset the money raised didn’t go to protesters’ expenses, they’re glad the fundraising platforms ultimately returned the money to donors instead of donating the funds somewhere else.
But Bauder saw the fact that the fundraisers were under control of those other leaders as evidence that his movement had been “co-opted,” perhaps for political purposes. He disliked Lich’s affiliation with the Maverick Party, the western separatist ideas of which he sees as antithetical to his “Canada Unity” movement.
He didn’t like that “Freedom Convoy 2022” seemed to be forming as a separate entity from Operation Bearhug, his brainchild. Freedom Convoy seemed to Bauder to be loosely affiliated with separatist parties, while he saw his whole effort as a “unity” movement.
“It just disgusted me deeply inside to see egos, greed and politics jump in and co-opt our movement,” Bauder said.
As for King, Bauder saw him initially as someone who could publicize what they were doing, but that ultimately his livestreams encouraging protesters to stay on the streets and occupy “did a lot of damage to the movement.”
It is clear that hard feelings remain about King’s style and approach to the movement.
“We’re like, this is interesting stuff we were doing behind the scenes while everybody’s making a fool of themselves with their live feeds and Pat King there, eh,” Bauder said. “I tell you, personally, I think he should stay in jail.”
All the organizers eventually distanced themselves from King, with Lich being one of the people clarifying that the Freedom Convoy fundraiser on GoFundMe had nothing to do with King.
King was arrested as part of the Ottawa protests and remains in jail facing 10 charges, including mischief, counselling mischief and intimidation. The Star has reached out to a lawyer who has spoken for King in some of his court appearances for comment but did not hear back.
Belton denied Bauder’s implication that she and Barber were “co-opting” the movement for political purposes.
“The convoy was not there for political purposes. I said it in interviews, that if people were coming for political purposes, they needed to go home,” Belton said. “We were not there as a political party. We were there to have the mandates dropped.”
And she downplayed Bauder’s role.
“He’s a nice man … but he needs to feel that he is the leader of the pack,” she said. “Which is not the truth.”
Chapter three: The occupation
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None of the organizers the Star spoke to on or off the record denied the reality that the convoy, whatever it started out as, became illegal when it parked on Ottawa’s streets and occupied them.
They did offer some explanations or deferrals of responsibility. Belton said they wanted the trucks to keep moving or park only in front of Parliament. Bauder said he never wanted protesters to stay parked in town at all.
But the person who became responsible for sorting all of this out was a newer addition to the organizational crew. Neither an original “Freedom Convoy 2022” organizer, nor a Canada Unity organizer, retired Canadian Forces captain Tom Marazzo says he came onto the convoy scene as an independent volunteer and ended up taking on “the biggest leadership challenge of my entire life.”
“I wasn’t signing people’s paycheques. Nobody had to listen to anything that I had to say,” Marazzo told the Star shortly after the protest ended.
In the end, sometimes they did and sometimes they didn’t.
Marazzo appeared suddenly on the convoy scene on Feb. 7 as the movement’s new spokesperson, when he gave an impassioned speech about how he’d meet with any elected official from any party, since Trudeau had repeatedly refused a meeting (some critics interpreted this as an expression of support by Marazzo for Bauder’s MOU, which Marazzo says he has never read).
Marazzo’s role with the convoy, as he describes it, was to speak on behalf of the group of organizers, and to try to work at a high level with police and public officials to keep the protest running smoothly. He was recognized by other convoy organizers for his affiliation with the Police on Guard group, a collection of retired and current police and military members who opposed vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions. He says his military experience is why he was asked to take on a leadership role.
It was a balancing act. Marazzo admits there were illegal occupations happening, but also asserts they had a right to keep protesting and wanted to make sure that could happen. Marazzo said he quickly realized how many different organizations had attached themselves to the convoy and the challenge he would have not only to simplify the message, but to try to direct traffic when so many of the people who had shown up had their own pre-existing affiliations.
“I remember being in a meeting with various members of different organizations and I said, ‘Listen, we are not Canada Unity, we’re not Taking Back our Freedoms, we are not part of any of the social media darlings that are going around and saying all these things,’” he said. “’We are here for the Freedom Convoy 2022. We’re here to end the mandates.’”
Marazzo said that, to Bauder’s credit, Canada Unity did seem to go off and do “their own thing,” reducing the noise within the core of central organizers.
Getting everyone on the same page didn’t always work, especially on the roads themselves, where Marazzo said he knew loads of people were parked illegally and the top priority for a while became making sure emergency lanes remained open everywhere.
“There were a lot of people there that, you know, were adamant that they weren’t going to go home until these federal mandates were lifted. They didn’t want to use violence, but they’re like: ‘No, I’m doing this. Maybe I’m illegally parked, fine. I’ll accept that,’” he said. “There was a whole group of truckers that showed up the day before the main convoy arrived and they took positions all around that corner. And so this was a movement of several different people from all across Canada that came together and basically found a parking spot in Ottawa.”
Belton arrived early in Ottawa, on the Friday, as did King. A pickup truck also drove through Ottawa on that day waving a confederate flag which was quickly denounced by Barber, who led the group of trucks that arrived Saturday, at the time.
Marazzo described working with Barber, Belton and Lich, as well as other former service members such as Danny Bulford most closely.
Jason LaFace, an Ontario organizer who spoke with the Star after the convoy and had volunteered with Canada Unity, said that at some point in Ottawa COVID-19 went around. LaFace said he was tested and tested positive.
“When I was in Ottawa, there’s a lot of us who believe that we got sprayed on the first weekend we were there because there was some type of aerosol in the air,” he said, without elaborating.
COVID-19 does spread through aerosols, but it is transmitted from aerosols given off by people when they talk, eat and breathe.
The organizer, who initially worked with Bauder, also said that regardless of its intentions, the MOU became too much of a distraction.
“To be honest with you, I would have never even brought (the MOU) to light. I would have just went down there protested, protested properly,” LaFace said.
Marazzo described one circumstance in which he said he worked with officials from the city of Ottawa on a plan to move trucks away from the downtown. News of that deal was leaked Feb. 13 and it never came to fruition. Marazzo says it might have, if only he had time to explain it fully to protesters before they read about it online and dug their heels in.
A representative for the mayor’s office wouldn’t confirm that Marazzo was the person in meetings with city officials.
As it happened, the occupation continued and police cleared the protests Feb. 18. Marazzo was there, watching, and sarcastically cheering, he said, the officers doing the enforcing, but clearing out of the way himself before he was arrested. He had hoped the police were on the side of the convoy and wouldn’t make them go home in this way.
But when he got home, he was grateful to be there, but furious at his bank for freezing his accounts because of his connection to the protests.
“I don’t really know what is next. I’ll be involved in the convoy until I needed and, if I’m not needed, I’ll go back to my life,” he told the Star shortly after the arrests happened.
On Monday, he announced he would be running for Derek Sloan’s new populist party, the Ontario Party, in the next provincial election.
LaFace said he’s running with the Ontario Party, too, and that he wants to tackle the homelessness crisis.
“I’m going to run for provincial (office) here in Ontario because we need change,” he said. “We should be able to go into government and resolve problems together. You know, and get them done instead of dragging them on for decades.”
Belton expressed no political aspirations, but said she’s still using her voice to argue against mandates, especially since she was not arrested and does not face bail conditions as others do.
Bauder has already moved his attention toward British Columbia, organizing convoys (that won’t be occupations, he says) in Vancouver and Victoria while vaccine passports remain in place.
And as pandemic restrictions lift across the country, the organizers of the convoy are trying to make sense of what the alliances they formed during those weeks of sustained protest now mean.
For Belton, she’s still waiting to be allowed to cross the border and figures that, one way or another, she’ll be protesting until the mandate gets lifted.
“If you’re vaccinated, you can cross both ways,” she said. “I’m still angry. And until it gets fixed, I have no choice. I have to stand up.”
Who is who? A guide to the major players in the trucker convoy protest
What started as a convoy to end vaccine mandates for Canadian truckers travelling across the U.S. border has snowballed into an evolving, fluid protest about COVID-19 and the Trudeau government in general.
Here, CTVNews.ca takes a look at who has stepped forward publicly as the organizers and influential protesters of the Ottawa convoy.
THE ORGANIZERS
JAMES BAUDER: James Bauder is the founder of Canada
Unity, one of the groups responsible for the initial organization of the
convoy to Ottawa.
Ahead of the convoy’s arrival in the capital, Canada Unity directed a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) to the Senate and the Governor General, demanding an end to vaccine mandates and the reinstatement of those who lost jobs over COVID-19 vaccinations, or else “RESIGN their lawful positions of authority Immediately” (sic).
Bauder said in a video posted to social media in January that he hoped the MOU would provide a “referendum” to persuade Elections Canada to trigger an election, which is not within the agency’s constitutional powers.
In the same video, Bauder said the hoped-for election would be legitimate because Canada does not use the Dominion voting machines at the centre of rigged-election conspiracy theories about the 2020 U.S. presidential vote. Dominion Voting is suing Fox News for defamation after the news outlet’s TV personalities suggested widespread vote-switching contributed to Donald Trump’s election loss.
As of Feb. 8, Canada Unity had pulled the MOU from their website, writing in a statement signed by Bauder that it had led to “unintended interpretations,” and a message on the homepage also tells visitors the website has moved. Neither explanation nor a link to a new website were provided.
In December 2020, Bauder posted on Facebook about his skepticism over the origins of COVID-19, perpetuating the disproven belief that the virus was intentionally created in and leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, as a bioweapon and wrongly implied that billionaire George Soros may have been involved. Soros is often the subject of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories spread online.
TAMARA LICH: Tamara Lich is listed alongside BJ Dichter as one of the "official" spokespeople for the convoy in Ottawa and is one of the organizers of the fundraising page that raised more than $10 million for the convoy before it was removed by GoFundMe. Subsequently, Lich said the protesters can receive funds through other means, including the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo where the group had raised more than US$8.1 million by Feb. 10.
Lich, who claims Métis heritage, was initially a member of the Wildrose Party before moving to Manitoba and joining the Maverick Party, which says its goal is to represent the interests of Western Canada. On Feb. 2, a statement was posted on the Maverick Party accepting the resignation of Lich, “as she is committed to remaining in Ottawa until all restrictions are lifted.”
On Feb. 16, Lich posted an emotional video to social media.
“There’s a pretty good chance – well, I think it’s inevitable at this point – that I’ll probably be going somewhere tomorrow where I get three square meals a day.”
On the morning of Feb. 17, Ottawa Police issued a notice advising that demonstrators who were blocking streets or assisting others in blocking streets were committing a criminal offence and could be arrested.
Later that day, Lich told supporters to “hold the line” in the event of her arrest. Lich was taken into police custody on the evening of Feb. 17, and charged the following day with counselling to commit the offence of mischief.
On Feb. 22, a judge denied Lich bail, saying there is a substantial likelihood she will reoffend if released.
Lich had promised during a bail hearing on Feb. 19 to give up her advocacy of the protest and return to Alberta.
In addition to holding her in custody, a judge ordered Lich to not have any contact with convoy organizers Pat King, Benjamin Dichter, Christopher Barber and Daniel Bulford.
BJ DICHTER: Benjamin Dichter, also known as BJ Dichter, is a truck driver and podcaster who describes himself as vice-president of the Ottawa convoy.
Dichter has previously run for office, losing in the 2015 election as a Conservative MP candidate in the riding of Toronto-Danforth. At a People’s Party of Canada event in 2019, Dichter made a speech in which he suggested Canada is suffering from the “stench” of “political Islam" and stated without providing evidence that some then-candidates for the Conservative Party of Canada had ties to "Islamic extremism."
A Feb. 9 statement posted to Dichter’s Twitter said he is now one of four authorized spokespeople for the convoy. Before a press conference scheduled for the same day, Dichter tweeted that The Globe and Mail had been uninvited after publishing an opinion piece criticizing the alt-right’s use of the word “freedom.”
When Confederate flags were seen in the convoy in Ottawa, Dichter said in a Twitter Space livestream with former Rebel Media presenters Keean Bexte and Lauren Southern that he didn’t care about their presence.
“Let’s assume there were guys there who did have a Confederate flag,” he said. “They believe in the confederacy of states rights in a foreign nation? I don’t care.”
At an informal press conference Feb. 7, Dichter has also said that the convoy has had some Conservative MPs reach out “behind the scenes.”
Before he was an “official” spokesperson for the convoys, Dichter went on far-right Fox personality Tucker Carlson’s show on Jan. 27, telling Carlson that driving through Alberta before the pandemic, he thought it looked like a “third-world country” because the trucking industry had been “crushed.”
Dichter also uses his Twitter account to share and spread memes related to the convoy, including one that reads “Justin Trudeau must be stopped … no matter the cost.”
CHRIS BARBER: Chris Barber is a truck driver from Saskatchewan and one of the organizers of the convoy to Ottawa. Barber is active on social media, including TikTok, providing updates on the protest in Ottawa.
In one such update posted to TikTok, Barber refers to snipers' presence near the Parliament Hill protest, suggests that his "sources" tell him riot police are headed to Ottawa, and that the convoy may "go dark" after having their telecommunications blacked out.
"When our phones go dark, that means – I'm going to put my tin-foil hat on – they've deployed the 'no cell phone service' thing," he said in the video.
Snipers are often present at large protests on or near Parliament Hill, and while it is possible for police to trace phones used in downtown Ottawa, it is not possible for the government to black out the cell phones and internet of just those participating in the protest.
Barber calls the COVID-19 vaccine mandates "tyranny at its finest" and compares the policy to the strict government oversight of North Korea, even though some Canadian students in Ontario and New Brunswick have long been required to be immunized against other diseases including tetanus, polio, measles and chickenpox under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (though this is not required in other provinces).
Barber also said in a subsequent TikTok that he has Confederate flags hanging on his wall at home, calling it a "piece of cloth" and telling viewers to "get over it." The Confederate flag was used as a battle flag during the American civil war by those fighting on the side of the Confederates, who supported the continuation of slavery in the U.S.
Barber was taken into custody on Feb. 17 by Ottawa police. The following day he was charged with counselling to commit the offence of mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobey court order, and counselling to commit the offence of obstruct police, according to a statement released by Ottawa Police Service.
An Ontario judge granted bail to Barber and released him on a $100,000 bond, on the condition he leave Ontario by Feb. 23, not publicly endorse the convoy, or have any contact with other major protest organizers.
THE INFLUENCERS
BRIAN PECKFORD: Brian Peckford, the former premier of
Newfoundland and Labrador, is the chairman of the group “Taking Back our
Freedoms,” which claims that COVID-19 restrictions and mandates they
claim are “unlawful.” The group also says it encourages Canadians to reject “forced” COVID-19 vaccinations for children, a practice which is not currently happening in Canada.
Peckford, who claims that mandates are unconstitutional, is frequently cited by convoy supporters as “the last living” signatory of the Constitution Act, 1982. The royal proclamation that brought the act into effect was signed by others who are alive and well, like Queen Elizabeth II and then justice minister Jean Chretien, who later became prime minister. Peckford is the last surviving premier involved in the negotiations of the constitution.
Peckford is pursuing a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for international travel is unconstitutional.
In documents Peckford said he filed with the federal court, the applicants write that the mandate “effectively bans Canadians who have chosen not to receive an experimental medical treatment” from international travel. The COVID-19 vaccines authorized by Health Canada are not experimental and are backed up by large-scale clinical research and real-world data.
ROGER HODKINSON: A pathologist from Alberta and an adviser to the “Taking Back Our Freedoms” group, Dr. Roger Hodkinson writes on his Rumble page that he "came out against the mainstream narrative of COVID-19 in 2020." On Nov. 13. 2020, Hodkinson called in to a meeting of Edmonton city councillors as a member of the public and referred to the pandemic as “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting public” and said COVID-19 is “just another bad flu.”
The misconception that COVID-19 is like the flu has been widely debunked, despite its prevalence in misinformation streams and online conspiracy and anti-vaxx communities. More than 35,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Canada, with more than 5.78 million deaths recorded globally. COVID-19 can also develop long-haul symptoms, which some call “devastating.”
During the call to councillors, Hodkinson claimed he was the former chairman of the Royal College of Physicians Canada Examination Committee in Pathology, which was included in some of the social media posts that circulated afterwards. On Nov. 20, 2020, the Royal College clarified that, although Hodkinson was certified as a pathologist in 1976, he was never a chairman of the organization.
Hodkinson spoke at the convoy in Ottawa on Feb. 4, calling the federal government “idiots” and saying that “COVID was a very fortunate thing to happen to society” because it exposed the restrictions government has been “imposing on us for decades.” He told the crowd there would be no negotiations or “dithering” with the federal government, to which the crowd erupted in cheers.
RANDY HILLIER: Hillier is an independent MPP in Ontario who was removed from the province’s Progressive Conservative Party in 2019. In a statement posted to social media Feb. 9, Hiller called himself a “supporter” of the convoy. Hillier’s statement, released on his official MPP letterhead, referred to the protest as “peaceful,” despite Ottawa Police Services reporting at the time that officers had made 22 arrests, issued more than 1,300 tickets and had 79 ongoing criminal investigations, including alleged arson and hate crime investigations.
On Feb. 5, Hiller spoke to a large crowd at the convoy, comparing the struggle of the protesters to the struggle of soldiers on Vimy Ridge and saying, “This is the hill we die on.”
He has also appeared on Russia Today (RT), a Russian state television outlet, to speak about the convoy, tweeting that Russian media "provides a platform for objective journalism, where Canadian (mainstream media) creates fabrications." According to the Columbia School of Journalism, the Kremlin-funded RT has been accused of spreading misinformation and is considered "an extension of former President Vladimir Putin’s confrontational foreign policy" featuring "fringe-dwelling 'experts.'"
Hillier has used social media to attack politicians and “mainstream media,” including a tweet posted Jan. 24 calling Transport Minister Omar Alghabra a “terrorist.” Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino called the tweet “flagrantly abusive, offensive and Islamophobic” and called on Twitter to remove it. The tweet has not yet been removed or deleted.
In the 2022 Ontario provincial election, Hiller plans on running as the head of a new fringe party, the Ontario First Party.
PAUL ALEXANDER: Dr. Paul Alexander is a board adviser for the “Taking Back Our Freedoms” group, and is a former science adviser to then-U.S. President Donald Trump who urged the administration to adopt a “herd immunity” approach to COVID-19 policies. In a July 4, 2020 email to the House Oversight Committee and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alexander wrote about allowing low risk populations to become exposed to the virus naturally.
“There is no other way, we need to establish herd (immunity), and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups (to) expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD,” he wrote.
Health experts warn that flouting safety measures in order to catch COVID-19 in an attempt to "get it over with" is not a safe way to build up antibodies against the virus, instead recommending following regional health guidelines and getting vaccinated.
Alexander also released a pre-printed, embargoed report on the use of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. The final version of the report did not conclusively support the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, nor did the version that Alexander leaked.
Preprinted reports are often provided in order for researchers to ask colleagues and peers for comments, otherwise known as an informal peer-review process. As the British Medical Journal explains, these works are under embargo "to ensure that health information reaches the public domain in a responsible manner."
At an anti-lockdown rally in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 4, Alexander told parents to “stand up now” and refuse to vaccinate their children until pharmaceutical companies and the government waive their liability protection. Canada, however, currently has a Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) which provides financial support to those who have experienced a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada on or after Dec. 8, 2020. Health Canada has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages five to 11.
On Feb. 5, Alexander tweeted photos of a large crowd at the convoy in Ottawa, writing: “What the media won’t show you!” Media outlets covering the event have reported widely on the number of people attending the convoy in Ottawa and in other cities across Canada.
CONVOY OPERATIONS
TOM QUIGGIN: Tom Quiggin describes himself as
“protective intelligence” for the Ottawa convoy, releasing “intelligence
reports” on Google Docs for protesters. Quiggin once worked as a
security intelligence expert for the Canadian Centre for Intelligence
and Security Studies.
He has been previously interviewed and used by CTV News as an expert source, including in 2009 for a CTV News story about 20 Greenpeace protesters arrested on Parliament Hill, in which he said security there “has been a problem for years.”
"There's no one in charge of security on Parliament Hill and there's no one responsible for security … directly," he told CTV News' Power Play. "There's the RCMP, the House of Commons police, the Senate police and on the perimeter, there's the Ottawa police."
Quiggin was also interviewed on Power Play in 2010 as a security expert on the fire bombing of a bank in Ottawa, suggesting that the fire in the bank was arson.
“If, however, their intent is to create a larger atmosphere of fear and intimidation, if it attempts to change what the policy makers think at the G20 or the G8 conference … then that rises to the level of terrorism," Quiggin told Power Play.
An incident at an apartment building in the “red zone” of the convoy demonstrations in Ottawa is currently being investigated as arson.
CTV News has not used Quiggin as an expert source since 2010, but published a Canadian Press story in 2016 on a report authored by him about what he claimed were “extremist teachings” at mosques and schools. The National Council of Canadian Muslims said the report was "yet another anecdotal attempt to vilify" members of the religious community.
In recent years, Quiggin has become a proponent of anti-globalist conspiracy theories, including one that “The Great Reset” outlined by the World Economic Forum to help the global economy recover from COVID-19 is secretly a plan to bring about economic collapse and establish a socialist world order.
Quiggin is the co-author of a book called “The New Order of Fear,” which is described on Amazon as “a fictional work that explores how globalists wish to remake our world into a Marxian-inspired totalitarian system.” Quiggin advertised the book in a pinned tweet: “Justin Trudeau is found dead in his bed, strangled with a pair of Halal socks, given to him by Cabinet Minister Omar Alghabra.”
DANIEL BULFORD: Cpl. Daniel Bulford is an adviser for the “Taking Back Our Freedom” group and is a former RCMP officer associated with the “Mounties for Freedom” group which, according to its website, supports “the millions of Canadians who believe that all forced COVID mandates and vaccine passports are crimes against humanity.”
Mounties for Freedom has called upon the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and also asked Attorney General David Lametti to open an investigation into the government’s COVID-19 response.
Bulford said he quit his job at the RCMP on Dec. 15, 2021, after refusing the organization's vaccine mandate to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
PAT KING:
Pat King is a far-right protester who has said in videos posted to social media that there may be future plans to target politicians' homes and that "the only way that this is going to be solved is with bullets." He has called for the arrest of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly.
King has gained attention online for a video posted to Twitter in which he decries the "depopulation" of white people, as well as another video posted in 2019 in which he makes racist remarks about Jewish, Muslim, and Chinese people.
While meeting with protesters, Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer approached King and appeared in one of his videos posted to social media.
King is beginning to emerge as a key player in the operations of the convoy. King is often seen in the downtown Ottawa protest “red zone” and in what he calls a “command centre,” but it is unclear where he stands in the hierarchy of the convoy’s organizers.
On Feb. 18, King livestreamed his apparent arrest on Facebook. In the video he can be seen demanding to call his lawyer before being arrested and smoking a cigarette.
He faces charges of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police.
His bail hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22.
BRIAN DENISON: Brian Denison is a former Calgary police officer who resigned on Dec. 18, 2021, after declining to get a mandated COVID-19 vaccine. In his biography on the “Taking Back Our Freedom” website, where he's listed as an adviser, Denison said he “was suspended and charged with discreditable conduct and insubordination” by the Calgary Police Service.
In a Feb. 8 YouTube video directed to police officers across Canada, Denison said “there is an evil in this world” and that police chiefs and government are “providing unlawful orders” to officers at the protests. He says these officers are “just like him” and are “obliged to stand down.”
He also suggests that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly are “criminal” for their actions against the protesters.
Police have often been present and made arrests at previous protests in Ottawa -- both large and small -- including protests in 2020 over the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline through Wet’suwetʼen First Nation territory in British Columbia, land that is unceded.
With files from Christy Somos, Mackenzie Gray, Rachel Aiello, Glen McGregor, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
Correction
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that former prime minister Jean Chretien signed the Constitution Act in 1982.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-is-the-diagolon-extremist-group-and-what-does-it-want-1.5785646
What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want?
When Alberta RCMP released images of the weapons and tactical gear seized from a group that took part in the Coutts, Alta., border blockade, the pictures showed patches displaying a white diagonal line on a black background -- the calling card of the Diagolon far-right extremist group.
Four men associated with the Coutts blockade have been charged with allegedly plotting to kill RCMP police officers, but the Mounties have not yet publicly commented on any possible connections with the group.
Without naming any specific group, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino alluded to ties between protesters in Ottawa and the Coutts arrests while speaking to reporters Wednesday, saying “several of the individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right extreme organization with leaders who are in Ottawa. We’re talking about a group that is organized, agile, knowledgeable and driven by an extremist ideology where might makes right.”
Mendicino appeared to double down on his remarks in Thursday’s House of Commons session, saying “there is an ideologically-motivated operation that we see in the rhetoric here that is meant to incite,” which was one of the major reasons the government chose to invoke the Emergencies Act, he said.
WHAT IS THE DIAGOLON?
Diagolon can be categorized as an “accelerationist” group, according to researchers who study extremism.
Director of the Centre for Bias, Hate and Extremism at Ontario Tech University Barbara Perry defined accelerationism as the “intent on accelerating or fomenting a civil war, overturning what they see as the current corrupt, illegitimate order.”
In an email to CTVNews.ca Thursday, Perry listed violent groups such as The Base, Atomwaffen, and the Boogalo Boys as examples of adherents to that principle.
“For some, this resonates with the traditional RAHOWA, or Racial Holy War. For others, it represents an all-out civil war that would delegitimize and destabilize the current regime,” Perry said in her email. “Many accelerationists celebrated the events of January 6, 2021 in Washington DC as the onset of this civil war (e.g., The Base), hence the calls…for the Freedom Convoy to be our January 6. Some of these groups/individuals are among the most aggressive and volatile elements of the far-right, and as we saw in Coutts, heavily armed.”
WHERE DID DIAGOLON COME FROM?
The Diagolon group is a loose network of people with neo-fascist, militant views which emerged from a group of live streamers called “The Plaid Army,” according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN).
The Plaid Army has been accused of platforming and espousing rampant racism and anti-Semitic content in their streams, and had a couple of mainstays on their shows including Jeremy MacKenzie, who has been identified by CAHN as the de facto leader of Diagolon in Canada.
MacKenzie, who is a Canadian military veteran, previously made headlines for protesting in Halifax against a joint-speaking engagement of Romeo Dallaire and Omar Khadr about child soldiers, and more recently for his January arrest related to four weapons charges after a video was posted on social media which police allege showed MacKenzie pointing a gun at a man’s head.
MacKenzie has been seen on livestreams in Ottawa encouraging the blockades on his Telegram and YouTube channel where he goes by variations of the username “Raging Dissident.”
In one video posted by a user called "Raging Dissident III" which the CAHN says belongs to MacKenzie, the “Diagolon National Anthem,” which appears to be a self-shot video of a Korean War memorial in Halifax and footage of a Canadian flag, wheat fields and the Diagolon flag is set to a version of “Rolling Down to Old Maui” by Stan Rogers and sung by Mannerbund, according to the CAHN, a group they identify as a U.S.-based white supremacist men’s group.
The new lyrics reference that “by blood or sweat” the singers will reclaim their home, and if “there is no fire” to light their way they will start their own.
He is also the source of the concept of Diagolon, according to the CAHN, which started as an online joke referencing a fictional nation state of “sane” people who reject the current government and society, running diagonally across North America from Alaska to Florida.
WHAT ARE THE GROUP’S MOTIVATIONS?
In an email to CTVNews.ca Thursday, the CAHN said Diagolon is an excellent example of how irony poisoning can be used to warp an online joke into a movement.
Irony poisoning is a term used to describe the process of desensitization to extremist, hateful rhetoric by the use of “humour,” and especially on the internet -- memes -- that assist in sliding a person further into the spheres of fascism, white supremacy and violence.
The CAHN said in its email that Diagolon quickly attracted a network of like-minded anti-authority individuals, which they estimate are potentially now in the thousands, with members in Canada, the U.S. and Australia – judging from their Telegram channels.
“If you look at the Telegram channels and chats associated with these people, they all referred to Diagolon consistently,” deputy director of CAHN Elizabeth Simons said in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca Thursday. “They call themselves Diagolonians or Diags or Dags. People outside of Diagolon are called Circulonians because the rest of the rest of North America is what they call Circulon.”
A perusal of Telegram channels of alleged Diagolon members or supporters shows support for the blockades in Ottawa, people posing with weapons and the sharing of violent images, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s head on a spike.
Simons pointed out that violence is a core element to Diagolon, citing MacKenzie’s motto repeated in his chats and streams -- “by gun or rope” -- describing how his enemies can choose to die.
The CAHN stated in its email that the perceived enemies of the group are the media, the mainstream government and politicians and those they perceive as communists.
When asked why Diagolon targets communism, Simons said the fear of “encroaching communism” is rife amongst conspiracy theorist movements as an insult against government policies, but in neo-fascist and militia movements it stands for something else.
“The fear of communism actually comes from Nazism and neo-Nazism where Communist is a placeholder for Jews,” she said. “In neo-Nazi circles…that's why you see anti-Communist symbols and imagery amongst neo-Nazis and racist skinheads and things like that. So this idea of being opposed to communism in place of being opposed to Jews because it's a bit more palatable, goes back a long time.”
For Diagolon, Simons said the term communist has morphed into “anyone that they don't like,” or is their opposition. However, Simons pointed out there is a “massive contingent” of Diagolon members who are anti-Semitic and racist who likely use the term as the historically-derived placeholder for Jewish people.
The major concern, Simons said, is that CAHN is witnessing the Diagolon network branch out and go offline.
“Those pictures of them about shooting together, the pictures of them training together, they get together and share knowledge, they're developing cells,” she said, adding that despite MacKenzie being their de facto leader, cells and Diagolon member networks are autonomous. “Jeremy [MacKenzie] doesn't tell them what to do or how to act…and so after what happened in Alberta, we are worried about other potential cells and networks that could lead to violence.”
N.S. veteran at Ottawa occupation allegedly pointed gun at another man in drunken Cape Breton video
Jeremy MacKenzie is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and has post-traumatic stress disorder, Const. David Peck of Waycobah RCMP said in his application for a warrant to search the High Street residence.
“On January 10, 2022, the RCMP became aware of a video posted on social media which showed two males in possession of firearms,” Peck said in the information to obtain a warrant filed in Port Hawkesbury provincial court.
“The person capturing the video, identified as Jeremy MacKenzie, was in possession of what was believed to be an unpinned high-capacity magazine, a prohibited device. The magazine was inserted into a firearm which MacKenzie was handling in a careless manner. MacKenzie’s actions in the video, and by his own admission to police on January 13, 2022, suggested that MacKenzie was intoxicated at the time the video was captured.”
Looking for holster, phone
Investigators were trying to locate the firearm, holster and high-capacity magazine from the video, and the mobile phone that was used to shoot the clip.
MacKenzie, Jessica Kleinherenbrink and William Haverstock are in the video, said Peck, a Mountie since April of 2008.
MacKenzie was holding what Peck believed to be the phone used to shoot the video.
“Haverstock and MacKenzie were both in possession of firearms while Kleinherenbrink was not; Haverstock and MacKenzie appeared to be friends, or at least close associates.”
The video appeared to have been shot inside a restaurant, Peck said.
'Waving the firearm around in a reckless manner'
“Haverstock was handling the firearm in a responsible manner; MacKenzie appeared intoxicated and was waving the firearm around in a reckless manner; while waving the firearm around, MacKenzie briefly pointed the firearm at Haverstock’s head, causing Haverstock to flinch, momentarily close his eyes, and moved his head away from the muzzle.”
MacKenzie was “quite vocal during the video,” said the constable.
“I just go where the gun tells me to go,” MacKenzie said. “Silent majority … Diagnola!!”
Haverstock later told Peck “that Diagnola is an imaginary country made up by MacKenzie. MacKenzie even had a real flag made up to represent Diagnola. The flag is seen in the video.”
Diagolon likely the correct term
The reference is likely a misspelling of Diagolon, according to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
“MacKenzie is the original creator of the concept of Diagolon, a fictional country running diagonally from Alaska southeast towards Florida,” the independent, non-profit organization that researches hate groups and hate crimes said in a statement earlier this month.
“Stating this new country would encompass all the ‘sane’ regions of North America, what began as a joke has broadened as a symbol for his larger community of supporters. United behind ‘ol’ slashy,’ a black flag with a large white line cutting diagonally through the middle, supporters of his cause also have embraced MacKenzie’s phrase of ‘Gun Or Rope’ when it comes to dealing with their ideological enemies, as well as the government.”
The “cross country Diagolon network recently began organizing into in-person groups – a move they believe helps avoid widespread infiltration by law enforcement and antifascist activists,” the Canadian Anti-Hate Network said. “While many of these meet-ups have been benign, others include days on the shooting ranges and members actively discussing preparing for a coming and inevitable conflict.”
'Started to become physically ill'
The black pistol MacKenzie was holding in the Cape Breton video “was contained within a black gun holster,” the investigator said, noting he often uses a similar type.
“The pistol appeared to have a black high-capacity magazine inserted into it. MacKenzie seemed to be emphasizing the high-capacity magazine by clearly displaying it in the video.”
Neither Haverstock nor MacKenzie talked about the guns, fired them, “or did anything else to indicate whether the firearms were loaded when the video was captured,” Peck said.
“Near the end of the video, MacKenzie took a large drink of what was believed to be liquor and then started to become physically ill,” the constable said. “The video ended at this time.”
Mounties determined the video was shot at Iron Mountain Wilderness Cabins on Whycocomagh Mountain Road, in Whycocomagh. Haverstock and Kleinherenbrink own the business, Peck said.
MacKenzie’s father told the RCMP that his son is living at the family home on High Street in Pictou.
Served in Afghanistan
“MacKenzie had post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in Afghanistan with the Canadian military,” Peck said.
The two firearms in the video were a Glock 17, handled by MacKenzie, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 9, he said.
“Both Haverstock and MacKenzie held a valid possession and acquisition licence for restricted firearms,” Peck said.
MacKenzie had both types of weapons registered to him, said the investigator.
“Haverstock had seven firearms registered to him including two Smith & Wesson M&P 9s.”
Mounties interviewed MacKenzie on Jan. 13.
Wanted to be closer to his kids
They learned he had “arrived in Nova Scotia shortly before Christmas of 2021 to be closer to his children who lived in Dartmouth,” Peck said.
“MacKenzie had been living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan prior to moving to Pictou.”
He had served in the military for over 14 years, said the investigator.
“MacKenzie did not recall any of the events from the video as he was hammered at the time the video was captured,” Peck said, noting he believes MacKenzie meant he was “heavily intoxicated.”
'Good for a laugh'
“MacKenzie thought the contents of the video were good for a laugh; MacKenzie denied having any knowledge of the firearm he had been holding.”
When police asked MacKenzie about the high-capacity magazine, he responded, “Don’t they sell them like that?”
Canadian law stipulates a magazine, which holds ammunition for a firearm, can only hold 10 rounds; that a pin can be inserted to limit the amount of rounds and that all modifications to the magazine must be completed prior to the device’s import into Canada.
“If the high-capacity magazine was limited or pinned to ten rounds, it would not be a prohibited device,” Peck said. “MacKenzie said that he did not know whether the high-capacity magazine seen in the video was pinned or not.”
MacKenzie told police his Glock and Smith & Wesson M&P were locked up at his parents’ home. He wouldn’t confirm the gun he’s holding in the video is his own.
Denied transporting handguns
“MacKenzie denied transporting any firearms to Haverstock’s location,” Peck said.
Haverstock told police he “was a firearms instructor and would not do anything to jeopardize his firearms license.”
He also told Mounties that MacKenzie’s Jan. 9 visit to Iron Mountain Wildnerness Cabins was his first.
'Not welcome back'
“Haverstock had never met MacKenzie prior to Jan. 9, 2022, but did follow MacKenzie on social media because he found MacKenzie humorous; MacKenzie was not welcome back at the cabins due to MacKenzie’s behavior and the video becoming public; the events seen in the video were a result of too much whisky.”
Haverstock told police he owned the firearms seen in the video.
“I believe Haverstock lied to police about owning the firearms because Haverstock does not have a Glock 17 registered to him,” Peck said.
“Haverstock did not own the high-capacity magazine seen in the video and knew nothing about it. Haverstock said that he did not know where the magazine was.”
Robert Ryan, an operations co-ordinator with the Nova Scotia Provincial Firearms Office, told investigators that Glocks “come standard with 10-round magazines, not high-capacity magazines.”
MacKenzie would have needed authorization to transport his restricted firearms in Nova Scotia, Ryan told police.
No record of authorization
“There was no record of MacKenzie having authorization to transport his restricted firearms within Nova Scotia.”
MacKenzie used the black holster to transport the Glock 17 and a high-capacity magazine to Iron Mountain Wilderness Cabins, 180 kilometres from his parents’ home in Pictou, Peck said.
While they don’t name MacKenzie, the RCMP said in a press release that on Jan. 26 they seized five restricted firearms including rifles and handguns, one unrestricted firearm, prohibited magazines, ammunition, body armour, a duty belt with attached holster and magazine pouches and cellular phones from a home on High Street in Pictou.
Charges in the works
A 35-year-old man was arrested without incident, according to the news release. Police don't normally name those charged until they have been formally arraigned in front of a judge.
“He was later released on conditions, which include that he not possess any firearms, weapons, ammunition or explosive substances,” said the RCMP. “He will be facing charges of careless use of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device, possession of a prohibited device knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a firearm at an unauthorized place. He will appear in Port Hawkesbury provincial court on May 30, 2022.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohffBF9yeb0&ab_channel=MaverickMultimedia
TRUTH ABOUT TRUDEAU'S WAR ON TRUCKERS REVEALED: ( SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH JEREMY MACKENZIE )
Pair accused of anti-mask protest at Strang's house released on bail
Jeremy MacKenzie and Morgan May Guptill appeared in Dartmouth provincial court Friday
Two people accused of organizing a protest at the home of Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health have been released from jail after spending a night behind bars.
Jeremy Mitchell MacKenzie, 36, and Morgan May Guptill, 31, appeared in Dartmouth provincial court separately by video link Friday afternoon.
The Crown had initially been opposed to releasing the pair, but was able to negotiate terms with defence lawyer Stan MacDonald, who represents both accused.
Both MacKenzie and Guptill will stay at the MacKenzie family home in Pictou, N.S., until their next court appearance in April.
Released under conditions
The release conditions are the same for each accused:
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They must stay away from Dr. Robert Strang and his family, including the suburban Halifax residence where they're accused of staging a protest last weekend.
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They must stay 25 metres away from any home, school or business of any medical professional, educational professional or politician.
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They are not to counsel anyone else to protest against people in those three categories, and they must not make any posts about them on social media.
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Each accused must guarantee their compliance with a $10,000 surety. They must each commit $5,000 and the MacKenzie family will guarantee the other half.
MacKenzie and Guptill are each charged with several offences, including mischief, criminal harassment and a new charge that was introduced during the pandemic, that of intimidation of a health professional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx0s97U213I&ab_channel=TheUnknownVideographer
Raging Dissident | CBC Fifth Estate | Who and Where is BJ Dichter?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvAKVWEX9z0&t=10226s&ab_channel=RagingDissidentII
RageCast 224: RECKONING
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37nlEZ97gLU&ab_channel=RagingDissidentII
STORY TIME
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Convoy protest organizers James and Sandra Bauder appear in Ottawa court
A judicial pretrial was scheduled for April 20 for both.
Two organizers of the Ottawa “Freedom Convoy” demonstration, who have been promoting anti-vaccine mandate rallies across western Canada since leaving town, made their first appearance in an Ottawa court Tuesday.
James and Sandra Bauder of Calgary were arrested in Ottawa on Feb. 20 as police moved in to clear out the protesters who had blockaded downtown streets for three weeks.
James, 51, and Sandra, 43, were each charged with mischief obstruct property, disobey a lawful court order and obstruct/resist a peace officer.
In a court appearance on Zoom, the Bauders said they would represent themselves.
James Bauder said he wanted to plead not guilty, but was advised he couldn’t do that yet.
A judicial pretrial was scheduled for April 20 for both. James Bauder asked what that was and the Crown prosecutor explained it was a meeting to allow the defence, Crown and judge to discuss details such as how long a trial might last.
James Bauder is the founder of Canada Unity, the organization that promoted the idea that a “memorandum of understanding” would allow the Senate and Governor General to join with Canada Unity to end vaccine passports and “discriminatory regulations and initiatives” and issue a “cease and desist order” to elected members of Parliament.
James Bauder, 51, and Sandra Bauder, 43, were each charged with
mischief obstruct property, disobey a lawful court order and
obstruct/resist a peace officer. Photo by Facebook
Canada Unity later withdrew the “memorandum of understanding” petition and said it supported the democratic process.
Unlike several other organizers of the convoy demonstration, police did not issue a media release about the Bauders’ arrests, nor were they held in custody for bail hearings.
Organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were released on bail and ordered to go home to Medicine Hat, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask., respectively, and to refrain from using social media or supporting the protests.
Convoy leader Steeve Charland was released on bail with similar conditions.
Patrick King and Tyson George Billings were denied bail and remain in custody.
The Bauders were charged and released pending a court appearance on condition they stay away from the Parliament Hill area, not possess weapons and notify police if their address changed, according to information filed in an Ottawa court.
On the court document listing the charges against Sandra Bauder, there is a handwritten note next to her signature that says: “signed subject to my rights under Habeas Corpus and Indigenous Law. I do not recognise the courts outside of indiginous Law on unceded signed under durres.”
The Bauders had arrived in Ottawa in late 2021 to deliver their memo to the Senate and to protest vaccine mandates and other pandemic public health restrictions.
They became more well known when they joined with other organizations and individuals who promoted the convoy of trucks and vehicles that arrived in Ottawa in late January.
Sandra Bauder, 43, and James Bauder, 51, were each charged with
mischief obstruct property, disobey a lawful court order and
obstruct/resist a peace officer. Photo by YouTube
While initially the focus of that protest was on vaccine mandates for truckers, it turned into a wide-ranging affair capturing complaints about all COVID-19 public-health measures, opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other causes under the mantra of “freedom."
Trucks and cars blocked downtown streets and demonstrators listened to speeches, honked horns, held dance parties and shot fireworks, while many businesses and stores closed and some residents reported being harassed for wearing masks.
Both Bauders appeared in livestreams posted on the Canada Unity Facebook page touring the scene downtown.
“Stop with the rumour mill!” James Bauder said in a livestream Feb. 18, even as police had begun move big rigs off Wellington Street. “We’re not going anywhere … Canada Unity, convoy for freedom, started this thing six months ago and we’re not leaving. Full stop.”
He urged people to come to Ottawa to “hold the line.”
A video of police arresting James and Sandra Bauder on Feb. 20 was also posted on the Facebook page, along with a photo of their RV “Unity 1” being towed.
In another livestream after their arrest, James Bauder pleaded with protesters to leave Ottawa and remain peaceful. “We don’t want violence. We don’t want people to get hurt.”
After retrieving their RV from an impound yard, the Bauders headed to B.C., attending rallies along the way, according to photos and videos posted on the Canada Unity page promoting the “Convoy for Freedom Operation BearHugBC.”
Another “Freedom convoy” is planned for July, crisscrossing Canada, including a July 30 stop in Ottawa. Protesters will camp on private land, the Canada Unity page says.
Provinces are now dropping vaccine passports and mandates and public health restrictions such as mask requirements.
The main purpose of the July convoy protests, according to the Canada Unity page, is “protesting all remaining federal and provincial mandates, the federal carbon tax as well as digital ID.”
https://espresso.economist.com/9a9ca45c1a515ab0b82445bedc0563d3
When the “freedom convoy”, a group of lorry drivers angered by a new requirement that they abide by the same covid-19 restrictions on cross-border travel as any other Canadian, began to arrive in Ottawa on January 28th, few imagined it would still be there two weeks later. Non-trucking vaccine sceptics joined. The protest has become an occupation.
James Bauder was in the driver’s seat. It is not his first such demo. He was involved in a convoy called United We Roll in 2019 to rail against the Canadian government’s environmental policies. It also attracted a strong showing from the far right. That should come as little surprise. On social media Mr Bauder has spouted anti-vaxx and QAnon conspiracies, questioned the official account of the Christchurch massacre in New Zealand and encouraged rioters at America’s Capitol to “get back up and win the fight”.
Mr Bauder arrived in Ottawa in advance of the convoy, travelling in a recreational vehicle covered in graffiti. He encouraged his followers to sign a “memorandum of understanding” that became central to the “freedom convoy” (he has since withdrawn it). Starting with an inspirational quotation from Thomas Jefferson (which Jefferson never uttered), it called on the federal government to stop their “human-rights violations” or resign. Mr Bauder and a rabble of protesters descended on the Senate late last year to deliver the pseudo-legal document, to be turned away by a police officer who explained that they only need post it.
Ineptitude does not necessarily stop bad ideas from spreading. Copycat protests have sprung up as far afield as Australia and Europe. Telegram, a messaging app beloved by extremists, is awash with attempts to start more. America’s Department of Homeland Security has even warned that a similar protest south of the border might disrupt President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech on March 1st or, perish the thought, the Super Bowl. For Mr Bauder, that would be a touchdown. Or maybe a false flag.
'We’re not lawyers': Ottawa protest organizer says MOU not meant to endorse toppling the Canadian government
James Baunder says the document was only meant to create awareness about the mandates protesters want removed across the country
are OTTAWA, Ont. — One of the organizers of Freedom Convoy 2022 says protesters aren’t backing down from their demand to have all COVID-19 restrictions lifted across Canada, despite having withdrawn a controversial document that called for a committee of unelected figures to be established to meet that goal.
Since the protest started, one of the stated goals was getting a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) signed by Canadian citizens. But on Tuesday, organizing group Canada Unity issued a statement to withdraw the MOU that demanded Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and the Senate join with the protesters to force federal and provincial governments to lift all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates. The MOU was taken down from the Canada Unity website.
“We represent the voice of many Canadians who desire to have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms upheld. We are everyday Canadians, not lawyers or politicians. We are immediately withdrawing the MOU as we do not want any unintended interpretations to continue,” the statement says. “Our sole desire with the MOU was to have a document where Canadians could peacefully express their displeasure with current (COVID-19) mandates, and express their desire to be free.”
Read more
The founder of Canada Unity, James Bauder, told the National Post that the MOU was never intended to be a legal document. It was just intended to create awareness about the mandates.
“We’re not lawyers,” said Bauder. “It was just meant for us to put exposure on the system against those three main mandates: the vax passport, the fines and the loss of our jobs. All three of those are the main focal point of the MOU.”
The group had been accused by some of using the document to try to legitimize an attempt to seize power from the federal government.
While organizers have repeatedly stated that they want protests to remain peaceful and are not interested in violence, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Tuesday that Canadians would be troubled with anyone who associates themselves with “the extreme statements that have been made by the purported leaders of this convoy that would seek to incite the overthrow of the government through violence.”
“It was just meant for us to put exposure on the system against those three main mandates: the vax passport, the fines and the loss of our jobs. All three of those are the main focal point of the MOU.”
— James Bauder
The statement from Canada Unity said the group supports the constitution and the democratic process and are “committed to following lawful process and upholding freedom of choice.
“Canada Unity does not support or encourage any acts which tarnish democratic values held by Canadians.”
After withdrawing the MOU, Bauder said he is happy that it served its purpose of bringing awareness to the issue of mandates.
“It wasn’t ever constrained to topple the government, ever,” he said. “The narrative has always been lawful, freedom of choice and lawful protesting. We have a right to be here we have a right to have our voices shared.”
Bauder said the protesters’ goal remains the same: to see all COVID-19 mandates lifted across Canada. Until then, there’s no plan to leave Ottawa.
“We are entertaining and working with anybody that can get Justin Trudeau to come sit with us,” he said.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2022
Shakespeare and the Truckers’ ‘Freedom Convoy’
Posted February 18, 2022
By Carolyn Sale
The ‘Freedom Convoy’ that rolled into Ottawa on 22 January 2022 to occupy Canada’s capital was organized at least in part by a group called ‘United We Roll’, whose former activities include opposing the federal carbon tax and defending the construction of new oil and gas pipelines, the Convoy was originally operating according to the terms set out in a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ released by United We Roll’s James Bauder in the name of ‘Canada Unity’. When the media exposed these terms, which in effect constitute an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected federal, provincial, and municipal governments of Canada, the document was ‘withdrawn’. But the Convoy participants on Parliament Hill have been calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be arrested for ‘treason’, and those monitoring the exchanges taking place between Convoy participants and supporters on platforms such as Zello report that what they hear is ‘chilling’ and that the goal remains the overthrow of the government. The activities of the occupiers—‘psychological torture’ meant to ‘instill fear in citizens’, Amanda Jetté Knox has declared on Twitter—have been tempered by the injunction issued by judge Hugh McLean against the blaring of horns, which was renewed on February 16th for another 60 days. (Horn blasts are not, he contends, ‘the expression of any great thought’.) But Ottawa residents continue to be harassed in the streets for wearing masks, and the recent arrests, both in Ontario and Alberta, of Convoy participants hauling guns and ammunition, with four persons in Alberta charged with conspiracy to murder, suggest that what the Convoy participants and supporters are calling ‘peaceful protest’ may in fact be, as others claim, an ‘insurrection’.
No one could possibly keep on top of the amount of material that has been circulating in the media, both via mainstream channels and platforms such as Twitter, to register Canadians’ widespread rejection of the Convoy.
This material ranges from the work of cartoonists to tweets about tiny protests such as that of a five-person group in the Yukon holding up signs that read ‘Honk if vaccines work’, ‘Silent Majority’, and ‘I ♥️ public health’. Some counterprotest activity, arguably the most inventive, has been playing out online. This includes what is being called the Ram Ranch Resistance, which began, as Rolling Stone notes, with counterprotesters disrupting Zello chats amongst Convoy participants and supporters ‘by playing “Ram Ranch,” a 2012 porno-metal classic by Grant MacDonald’. Myriad social commentators are noting what they consider to be the hypocrisy of the police, who swiftly respond to other kinds of protest with violence, but in this situation have not only been filmed on camera explicitly expressing sympathy with occupiers and blockaders but have also been filmed embracing them. At Trinity Bellwood Park in Toronto in the summer of 2019, police shoved and trampled homeless persons and their supporters whose arms were linked in a loving chain while evicting them from the park, and police brutality in dealing with the blockaders at Fairy Creek in British Columbia has been relentless.
For the claim that all of the Convoy activity is part of a lawful fight for ‘freedom’ some historical perspective is in order.
On February 12th freelance journalist Justin Ling, who has been reporting on the occupation and those behind it for The Guardian, tweeted ‘Now is the winter of our malcontents: Welcome to day ∞ of the anti-vaxxers revenge’. Ling was riffing on a line from Richard III, in which the title character generates all kinds of mayhem and arranges for others to commit murder on his behalf, so that he may seize the English crown. But Shakespeare has much more to offer us by way of perspective on what is much more than simply the revenge of ‘anti-vaxxers’.
The second in the tetralogy of plays that culminates in Richard III, Henry VI Part II stages the populist rebellion of 1450 led by Jack Cade, who attempted to seize the throne from Henry VI. Adapting the material that he found in the chronicle histories, Shakespeare represents the Cade rebellion as motivated by the rebels’ desire for their ‘ancient freedom’. This ‘freedom’ is far more expansive than the one that the members of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ claim to be fighting for. Cade and his men want freedom from their servitude to the men who held much more power over their daily lives in late medieval England than the king, the great feudal landlords who held the greater part of land in England, in theory as reward for their ‘homage’ to the king, for whom they would muster men for war. More audaciously, Shakespeare represents Cade and his men as desiring that the realm be ‘held in common’. Poor labourers, Cade’s men want not simply to be freed from their obligations to labour for other men. They want an equitable sharing-out of material goods and pleasure to all. In his imagining of the transformation of England into a pleasure-dome for all, Cade declares (for example) that it will be ‘a felony to drink small beer’ or beer watered down to make it a commodity labourers could afford.
Shakespeare was taking these ideas from an earlier rebellion, the Peasants’ Rebellion of 1381, in which a priest, John Ball, gave an inspirational speech that went into wide circulation. In that speech Ball declared that things would not ‘go on well in England . . . until everything shall be in common’. He called for ‘all distinctions’ to be ‘levelled’ so that no one would any longer be a ‘villein’ (a labourer not free to work for anyone other than the lord of the manor). Such distinctions were simply not rationale, he contended, in a Christian commonwealth. Shakespeare’s choice to conflate the two rebellions relates to the developments in his own lifetime excoriated by Marx in chapters 27 and 28 of Capital: a radical increase in the enclosure of land by those holding the old feudal manors. With enclosing, land that had formerly been held in common (usually for the pasturing of cattle) was turned over to sheep farming, thereby depriving small farmers of their means of subsistence, and ‘the agricultural people’ [were] first forcibly expropriated from the soil, driven from their homes, turned into vagabonds, and then whipped, branded, tortured by laws grotesquely terrible, into the discipline necessary for the wage system’. Anti-enclosure protests in both the 1590s and in the Midlands in 1607 resulted in great violence, both in the fields, where workers attempting to pull down hedges were trampled, and on scaffolds, where leaders were executed under martial law. The political project that Shakespeare attributes to Cade ties his play to the anti-enclosure activity, which was an attempt to maintain at least one form of holding things in common.
Cade, meanwhile, is presented as the tool of one of the great feudal landlords, Richard, Duke of York, who intends to usurp the throne from Henry. York claims that he has ‘seduced’ Cade to create a ‘commotion’ or ‘black storm’ that he hopes will destabilize the rule of Henry VI while testing the appetite of the English ‘commons’ to have a king other than Henry. York is counting on Henry to prove too ‘saintly’ to put down the Cade rebellion. Henry tries to contain the aggressions of the courtiers vying to topple him from the crown with statements such as ‘blessed are the peacemakers on earth’. For York, who is content to ‘blow ten thousand souls to heaven or hell’ if that’s what will put ‘the golden circuit on [his] head’, this kind of statement is nothing more than incitement, as it gives him the confidence that no matter how Cade fares York will subsequently be able to ‘come . . . with [his] strength, | And reap the harvest which that rascal sow’d’.
No one is calling Justin Trudeau a saint, but Margaret Atwood trenchantly summed up the predicament in which he finds himself in a tweet of February 10th: ‘It’s an old playbook. Create chaos, remove validity from gov’t, create a demand for #authoritarian order, step in; OR force gov’t itself to use muscle, then yell Tyrant. Bingo, democracy doesn’t work! Enemies of it win’. But Shakespeare’s play has more to say to us about the predicament that not just Trudeau but all Canadians confront in the face of the current ‘commotion’.
The materials circulating on Twitter include clips from a press conference in which Tom Marazzo, as spokesperson for the Convoy, called for the Governor General to meet with him and other Convoy representatives about their demands. Marazzo’s posture was consistent with the ‘MOU’ released by ‘United We Roll’: the presumption is that those who can marshal physical force and the threat of physical violence can compel figures of authority in a democracy to bend to their will. As Cade says in his most self-aggrandizing statement, ‘My mouth shall be the Parliament of England’. For the most chilling of his statements, Marazzo stole a line from Aaron Sorkin’s West Wing to deride Trudeau as having a ‘’22 calibre mind in a 357 [magnum] world’. The implication is a grim one: that the only thing that matters in regard to political leadership is the capacity to deal in violence, and whoever is packing the highest-powered weapon deserves to prevail. By this logic, Trudeau is no match for the Convoy for reasons that anyone who truly cares about democracy as the rule of law would applaud—Trudeau has shown himself reluctant to call in the military.
Shakespeare’s Cade reflects a mentality like Marazzo’s when he declares to a lord who is hauled into his presence by one of his men, now art thou within point-blank of our jurisdiction regal’. That word, ‘point-blank’, was a fairly new one at the time Shakespeare wrote the play, having come into common parlance only a little earlier in the sixteenth century. It applied to the reach of an arrow from a bow as well as the shot of a gun. The principle that Shakespeare attributes to Cade is the same as Marazzo’s: that political authority properly belongs with those who make use their willingness to threaten and possibly deal in violence the source of their ‘jurisdiction’.
We see even worse evidence of this presumption in a video filmed by one of the Convoy’s key organizers, Pat King, apparently while his truck was in motion down a highway. King claims that he knows what’s coming (and that ‘there’s not a single person out there who’s going to be able to stand up’ to it). He derides counterprotesters as ‘little fucking pukes’ who cry when they get pepper-sprayed or rubber-bulleted’ before declaring that ‘rubber bullets and pepper spray are fuck all’. He can’t wait, he says, ‘til the real bullets start flying’.
Whatever King may or may not know about planned violence, his anticipation of peaceful protesters being hit with real bullets tells us something alarming. There is a very serious hatred on the loose that the Trudeau government is going to have to contain if the social fabric is not to be torn apart by those Canadians who think they are free to terrorize others and to do so under the sign of various flags—not just Canada’s, but the flags of the United States and the US Confederacy, as well as banners reading ‘Trump 2024’.
In Shakespeare’s play, Cade’s men look forward to the violence that they can deal in with the tools of their trade. They declare, for example, that they will make swords out of lathes. In what is arguably the most notorious line in the entire Shakespeare canon, they specify exactly with whom this program of violence will begin: ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers’. (Paul Champ has shown us just how important lawyers are in the non-violent fight against violence.) The (fictional) violence of Cade and his men is directed at anyone they perceive as participating in the system that oppresses them.
The members of the Freedom Convoy find their enemies in anyone who respects public health orders and not just their health and safety but the health and safety of others by wearing a mask. This is very like what we see in the play, where the men take as their victim even a clerk, whom they seize when he is ‘setting boys’ copies’. In other words, the clerk is a teacher in a grammar school (which only boys could attend), and at the time of his capture was offering boys instruction in writing. Literacy was a key means of securing upwards social mobility in both late medieval and early modern England, especially for the sons of farmers and artisans. But Cade and his men, labourers who can only ‘make their mark’ (that is, sign legal documents with an ‘x’), see nothing but a threat in the clerks’ literacy. Cade’s command that his men hang the clerk with his pen and inkhorn about his neck makes a mockery of Cade’s claim that he and his men want to restore an ‘ancient freedom’ and have the realm held in common. Shakespeare underscores the larger implications of the wrong of such violence in a commonwealth that claims to be Christian by giving the clerk the name Emmanuel, which means ‘God amongst us’.
With details such as these, Shakespeare’s play captures the error of (and the potential tragedy for) those who let themselves be used as weapons against the members of the very ‘civil society’ which is their only real protection against those who would otherwise exploit them. Targeting those who exemplify their care for others in the simple act of wearing a mask and casting public health directives as forms of oppression, members of the Convoy are busy producing a senseless and dangerous spectacle that distracts from the forms of freedom that are genuinely in peril in democratic societies, including their own as poorly paid labourers whose frustrations others can harness to turn them into troops in a ‘black storm’.
The concern of Shakespeare’s play is with a feudal society in the midst of the transformation to a capitalist society, and more particularly with the ways in which both kinds of social organization, the latter especially, foreclose the possibility of ‘holding things in common’. In the play we see nameless commoners attempt to bring a petition against the Duke of Suffolk for enclosing commons. The petition, meant for the king, never reaches him because it is ripped to shreds in front of them by Suffolk’s lover, Queen Margaret. The ‘freedom’ that is at stake in the play is tied to the viability of social forms of organization in which the people of a society put care for one another, or community, ahead of any form of private profit or self-aggrandizement.
Every time one of those truck horns blasts what we should hear is the moneyed interests that benefit from creating the social divisions that put at risk our capacity to work together to protect the various forms of the common at stake in democratic societies, including not just our public healthcare systems but the air we breathe and the water we drink. None of us can be free on a planet in which either capitalist corporations or communist states are free to destroy what we hold in common, the environment.
It should be lost on no one that the massive metal vehicles occupying the nation’s capital and exposing Ottawa’s citizens, amongst other things, to toxic diesel fumes, are part of the oil-and-gas infrastructure that transports goods around North America. In the form of these trucks that infrastructure is being used to attempt to topple a democratically elected government—one that brought in the federal carbon tax ‘United We Roll’ opposes.
When the premier of Alberta tweeted a photograph from a counterprotest in Ottawa that showed a lone hammer and sickle flag held up in the crowd and used that flag to denounce the counterprotesters as ‘pro-lockdown counter protestors’ who ‘romanticize’ communism, he was speaking (ironically) to a connection that we all must make: that those occupying Ottawa are being funded by Canadians and Americans who would like us to believe that there is no political alternative to a capitalist economy dependent upon fossil fuels. The ‘lockdown’ that a politician like Jason Kenney really fears is the one in which Canadians commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground in order to address climate emergency. The harassment that we are witnessing in Ottawa and elsewhere is the harassment of those Canadians who choose to put the common good first, whether it’s in the form of adhering to public health mandates that seek to radically diminish the possibility of Canadians getting sick and possibly dying from COVID-19 or in advocating for the protection of Canada’s air, water, forests, and ecosystems as part of the urgent challenge of addressing climate destruction.
Every time I see an artful use of social media to respond to the Ottawa occupation and the related blockades with a small act of virtual protest I am cheered. See, for example, ‘Captaincoby’s’ reworking of Pat King’s video, in which he has spliced in images of himself undermining King with sardonic commentary. The thing that King has really got ‘coming’, Captaincoby suggests, is time in jail. As I finish this post, it appears that Ottawa police may be, with assistance, finally clearing the occupiers from Parliament Hill. But we must recognize that the ‘commotion’ we have been witnessing is a trial balloon in a larger ‘black storm’ that bears with it a very real threat, that of a growing authoritarianism, whether from above or below, that is prepared to treat those who would defend our common well-being with violence.
The two plays that follow Henry VI Part 2 in Shakespeare’s tetralogy show us where the failure to block such violence can lead: to the rise of tyrants like Richard III. Richard III has a short, but very powerful scene between three nameless citizens who share amongst themselves their sense of the threat that Richard poses, but decide simply to leave matters ‘to God’. Canadian counterprotesters have been showing that they will not make any such mistake. They are willing to put their own bodies on the line, whether as cyclists in Vancouver or pedestrians in Edmonton or Ottawa, to block violence. But they shouldn’t have to. We need to find ways, as Shakespeare’s last tragedy, Coriolanus, written in relation to the 1607 violence in the Midlands, suggests, to ‘plant love among’s’ so that no one can imagine that the way to protect ‘freedom’ of any kind is by expressing hatred or threatening violence. The police shouldn’t be dealing in violence with anyone, and members of the opposition party in the House of Commons should not be shouting down a Liberal MP speaking against hate. Our love for one another must be comprehensive, not selective. We must not let a narrow conception of freedom distract us from far more urgent issues, or considerations of what constitutes real freedom. And we must find ways to hold precious things in common, starting with the rule of law.
RCMP billed taxpayers nearly $250K for buffets during Freedom Convoy crackdown
The RCMP billed taxpayers nearly a quarter-million dollars for buffets at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier while officers cracked down on Freedom Convoy protesters in Ottawa this February.
An Access to Information and Privacy request obtained by True North reveals that the total costs for breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets in the luxury hotel’s Canadian Room was $234,995.79.
“The enclosed invoice for the lodgement of RCMP officers, other police services and staff at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier totals $234,995.79 and consists of costs pertaining to meals provided in conference rooms used as shelter/down rooms from February 11th to 25th,” the RCMPs National Division of Financial Management told True North. ”At no time did RCMP members stay in accommodations at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier between January 20, 2022 and March 3, 2022.”
Since officers did not use accommodations at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, the total bill for their stay in Ottawa is likely much higher.
Lodgement was billed under “events” on the invoice, and dinner buffet services cost up to $12,240. Lunch buffets cost up to $11,340 while the hot breakfast buffet was priced at $9,312.
Records indicate that the RCMP’s use of the luxury hotel began over a
week before police moved in on protesters on Feb. 18. Fairmont Chateau
Laurier invoices note the RCMP’s arrival as Feb. 10, with a planned
departure date of Feb. 27.
On Feb. 11, Ontario premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to US President Joe Biden about ending border blockades. Around the same time, a new Integrated Command Centre was created to allow better coordination of law enforcement.
Three days later, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time ever to quash the Freedom Convoy demonstrations. By Feb. 18, a joint force of federal, provincial and municipal police had established a red zone in Ottawa’s downtown core and had begun to arrest protesters.
Reports from the time show that police began to move out from their headquarters at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier early in the morning, pushing protesters back from the hotel toward Wellington street.
The amount billed to the RCMP for buffets suddenly spiked on Feb. 19 and continued at a higher price until the last available invoice on Feb. 23, suggesting a larger number of diners.
Buffet costs spiked from an average of $4,000 to over $10,000 for the remainder of the stay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VKV1IFadrw&ab_channel=TrueNorth
Trudeau admits fake emergency is over
Ontario cop charged for posting video praising truckers
A Durham police officer who posted a video of herself speaking in support of the Freedom Convoy as it headed towards Ottawa is now facing charges under Ontario’s Police Services Act.
Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) had originally announced they were investigating Constable Erin Howard in January after she posted the 1-minute video to a now-deactivated Twitter account.
DRPS spokesperson Chris Bovie confirmed to True North on Tuesday that Howard is now charged under the Police Services Act with two counts each of discreditable conduct, insubordination and breach of confidence.
Howard appeared in full uniform in the video on Jan. 24, the same day the Freedom Convoy’s western fleet headed through Alberta. In it, she called the truckers “true heroes” and said she would be in Ottawa to speak when they arrived.
“I’m just – I really wanted to give a shout-out to all the truckers. I think what you guys are doing is incredible. You’re fighting for rights and freedoms. And right now, it feels like we’re a little bit at war, and those rights and freedoms are at stake. So, you guys are honestly true heroes. What you’re doing is just incredible. I will be in Ottawa when you guys roll in. I’m going to be speaking on behalf of Police on Guard. And we are thrilled – thrilled and honoured – to be able to be there. I can’t wait to meet you guys. Hope to talk to a lot of you in person. Anyway, just wanted to give you guys a shout-out and some support, and keep rolling, and we’ll see you in Ottawa.”
It is not clear whether Howard spoke in Ottawa on behalf of Police on Guard, although the organization issued a statement on Feb. 25 in support of the officer. True North reached out to Police on Guard for comment on Howard’s charges but did not receive a response by publication time.
A DRPS spokesperson said in January that Durham police’s code of conduct “restricts the use of police property and influence to only official duties,” and suggested that the issue with Howard’s video wasn’t necessarily her opinion but rather the fact that she had appeared in uniform.
With her charges, Howard becomes the latest police officer to face punishment or investigation for supporting the convoy protests.
In February, two Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officers were forced onto leave without pay as they awaited the results of ongoing professional standards investigations. EPS Constable Elena Golysheva and Staff Sgt. Rick Abbott both spoke at a rally in Coutts, Alta. on Feb. 12.
Abbott had identified himself as a police officer before speaking, although he did not name his agency. Golysheva had also posted an emotional video of herself in full uniform to social media a few days earlier, pleading with Canadians to recognize what was happening to them.
“My heart has been broken every day when I saw the very freedom that I moved to Canada for has been taken away, and people – Canadians – who lived here or work here were not recognizing that,” Golysheva said, breaking into tears.
Addressing the officers’ suspension, EPS chief Dale McFee said the service could not “support or condone” their actions. “Like, that’s just not something that’s allowed in how we actually do our police work, and we have a discipline process for that,” he said.
Calgary police officer Nick Motycka also spoke out publicly in February, posting a video after watching Ottawa police confiscate fuel from protesters. Calgary Police Service confirmed to True North that the matter was being investigated but said Motycka – who did not appear in the video in uniform – was “currently on an unrelated leave from the service.”
In addition to supporting freedom protests, many police officers have also spoken out against vaccination mandates specifically. Freedom Convoy co-organizer Daniel Bulford – a former RCMP officer with the Prime Minister’s sniper detail – was put on unpaid leave last year for refusing to comply with the policy.
Durham police, unlike the vast majority of Canadian police services, does not require its officers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but allows rapid testing as an alternative.
Howard is scheduled for her first appearance on May 5.
DRPS told True North that while Section 95 of Ontario’s Police Act prohibits the revelation of details about investigations arising from conduct complaints and investigations – including outcomes – Howard’s hearing will be public, and the details of her first appearances will be posted on the service’s website.
DRPS also confirmed that its officers “did provide support to Ottawa Police and the citizens of Ottawa” during the final weekend of the Freedom Convoy protests.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRuS3dxKK9U&ab_channel=FilmStruck
NETWORK, Sidney Lumet, 1976 - I'm Mad As Hell and I'm Not Gonna Take This Anymore!
https://www.facebook.com/dave.steenburg/videos/407135684506427
Dave Steenburg was live.
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- FYI I just talked to Harold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWasiEsmyJs&t=1353s...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWasiEsmyJs&ab_channel=CHPCanada
CHP Talks: Harold Jonker—Trucking for Freedom!
25 Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5efyUt5YDU0&ab_channel=JordanBPeterson
The Catastrophe of Canada | Rex Murphy and Jordan B Peterson
https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/756-how-i-ended-up-supporting-the-convoy/
Further reading:
Ottawa police arrest 170 amid push to clear convoy blockade, Global News(Feb. 19)
Who is who? A guide to the major players in the trucker convoy protest, CTV News
Making sense of the flags and symbols at the Ottawa protest, The Jurist
Support Canadaland at canadaland.com/join
Sponsors: Rotman School of Management, PolicyMe, FreshBooks
Additional music by Audio Network
https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/758-ottawa-cops-rapes-lies-and-a-lawsuit-against-the-press/
Long before Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly stepped down amidst criticism that the force had failed to stop the convoy occupation, there was trouble brewing within the Ottawa Police Service.
Officer misconduct, sexual harassment, abuse, and violent behaviour, has been a pattern within the OPS for years.
Dan Donovan, publisher of Ottawa Life magazine, knows these cases well, and he’s currently being sued by Sloly himself, for publishing an article titled ‘Rapes and lies—the cancerous misconduct at the Ottawa Police Service’.
Donovan sat down with reporter Cherise Seucharan to discuss the case, as well as recently a leaked video of Sloly being questioned about his conduct when he was a staff inspector with the Toronto Police Service.
Featured in this episode: Dan Donovan, Publisher & Managing Editor of Ottawa Life magazine
Further reading:
Ottawa Life Magazine stands by its scathing portrait of Ottawa police: court filings, Gary Dimmock, Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa police officer convicted of assault, then charged with sexual harassment, has resigned, Shaamini Yogaretnam, CBC News
Ottawa man left destitute after faulty police investigation, Hilary Thomson, Ottawa Life
Exposed: Culture of sexism entrenched in Ottawa Police Service, Judy Trinh and Nazim Baksh, CBC News
Ontario police chiefs call for more power to fire or suspend officers without pay, Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star
Support Canadaland at canadaland.com/join
Sponsors: PolicyMe, and Freshbooks.
Additional Music is by Audio Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anK1k0gEgQU&ab_channel=TorontoSun
BREAKING UP WITH TRUDEAU! International Left and Right Agree: PM is a disaster
https://www.cpac.ca/episode?id=435d7590-f13c-4be0-82a1-4b93a509016
Public Safety: Federal Response to Convoy Protests – February 25, 2022
Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and RCMP Commissioner
Brenda Lucki appear before the committee as it begins its study on the
federal government’s response to the occupation of Ottawa and convoy
blockades. Officials from various federal departments including the
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)
also appear.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Cannings, Richard - M.P." <Richard.Cannings@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2022 17:09:49 +0000
Subject: Mandates and Convoy
To: "david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your e-mail.
Let me begin by saying that I understand your frustration about the mandates that were put in place during the past 2 years. All Canadians have had to give up many of the privileges we took for granted in order to try to stem the spread of COVID.
I believe that the various mandates and restrictions enacted by provincial and federal health officers have been essential to saving thousands of lives across Canada, and I maintain my belief that the decisions around imposing and lifting those restrictions should lie with public health officers, not politicians. We have seen the results of political decisions to lift mandates prematurely in provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where death rates are about twice that in British Columbia.
I am also aware that the omicron variant has changed the calculus around vaccination and travel mandates and their effectiveness. That said, while hospitalization and death rates are still high (though decreasing at the moment) I would again defer to public health experts as to when these mandates should be altered or lifted.
It has become apparent that there are plans in place to begin the easing of mandates in the coming weeks. While not every mandate will be eliminated at once, these are positive moves towards our reintegration back into our social lives and activities.
My concerns around the convoy that occupied Ottawa for the first three weeks of February are on various fronts. First of all, their supporters felt that the mandates had taken away freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights. This is simply not true—the first paragraph of the Charter says explicitly that any of these freedoms are limited by reasonable restrictions. We have the right to free speech, but not to use that speech to spread hatred. We have the right of assembly, but not to take a city hostage for three weeks.
Secondly, the leadership of the convoy stated that their main goal was to remove the government of Canada, a government that was democratically elected only a few months ago in an election where vaccine mandates were one of the main issues.
Once the convoy became entrenched in Ottawa it was apparent that enforcement would need special powers to remove it. On February 14th, the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act, which gave local police forces the ability to quickly bring in officers from across the country to help in the operation. It gave them to ability to compel tow truck operators to provide the equipment necessary to move the trucks. And it allowed authorities to temporarily freeze the bank accounts of convoy organizers and participants to investigate concerns about where significant funding for the convoy was originating. I have to add here that allegations that donors to the convoy were having their bank accounts frozen have proven to be completely false.
I also have to state clearly that the Emergencies Act is not the War Measures Act, or anything close to it. There is no declaration of martial law. All rights under the Charter are preserved. There is no use of the armed forces. It has powerful oversight mechanisms built into it, including a special parliamentary committee that is underway now.
The NDP reluctantly supported the government in invoking the Emergencies Act because we felt the impasse in Ottawa had to come to an end, as did the various border blockades that were having serious impacts on our trade with the United States. But we said from the start that we would be watching closely and immediately pull that support if it was clear the Act was no longer needed. After the convoy was removed from Ottawa and border blockades were cleared, it was apparent that there was little further need for those powers. All parties signalled that to the government and the Act was revoked on February 23rd after 10 days of use.
Thank you again for voicing your concerns about mandates and the Emergency Act and please accept my apology for my delay in responding. My offices have been flooded with more than 13,000 emails and phone calls on all sides of the issue.
It is my hope that no matter what side of the issue you stand on, that we come together as a country to work towards a better future.
Thank you again for taking the time to voice your concerns.
Sincerely,
Richard Cannings, MP
South Okanagan-West Kootenay
Parliamentary Assistant to
Richard Cannings, MP
South Okanagan-West Kootenay
Room 914 Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Tel: 613-996-8036
Cel: 613-294-0642
UFCW Local 232
https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=11538768
Crowdfunding Platforms and Extremism Financing
Information
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/convoy-finance-givesendgo-gofundme-1.6371861
GiveSendGo defends decision to raise money for protest convoy
The crowdfunding site says it would let Proud Boys, KKK raise money for legal activities
The site's spokespeople also told MPs that it would host fundraisers for the Proud Boys or the Ku Klux Klan if what they were planning to do with the money was legal.
Jacob Wells and Heather Wilson, siblings and co-founders of the site, told MPs it's important to defend freedom of speech.
"We believe deeply, to the core of our being, that the suppression of speech is much more dangerous than speech itself," said Wells.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff grilled the pair, asking them about the company's decision to host fundraising campaigns for members of the Proud Boys — which has been listed as a terrorist entity in Canada — and other groups that have promoted Islamophobia or white supremacy.
"I just wonder how you can justify giving people like that a platform to raise funds?" she asked. "Would you allow a fundraiser on your platform for the Ku Klux Klan?"
"If the fundraising activity was legal and it was legally authorized to ... happen, we would allow people to fundraise," Wells replied, adding the fundraiser would have to pass the company's checks.
The exchange came as the House of Commons public safety committee resumed hearings on the millions of dollars raised to support the anti-vaccine mandate truck convoy protest, which paralyzed downtown Ottawa and blocked a number of border crossings across Canada.
A
crowd of protesters gathers in downtown Ottawa during the second
weekend of the anti-vaccine mandate convoy's occupation of the
parliamentary precinct on the night of Feb. 5, 2021. (Felix Desroches/CBC News)
It also comes as the government has been raising questions about the amount of money donated to the protest from outside of Canada, and asking whether crowdfunding platforms should be added to Canada's monitoring regime for money laundering and terrorist financing.
Wells told the committee that roughly 60 per cent of the donations to the convoy through GiveSendGo came from Canada and 37 per cent came from the United States.
Two campaigns to support the convoy are still active on GiveSendGo's site. The Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser has raised $9.7 million US from nearly 113,000 donations. A second Adopt a Trucker fundraiser has raised $591,440 US through 8,375 donations.
While two Ontario judges have issued orders to freeze funds raised for the convoy, Wilson said the money isn't in Canada.
"The funds are in a U.S. bank so they're not necessarily frozen," Wilson told the committee. "They cannot get to the recipient on the ground in Canada at this moment."
GiveSendGo organizer blames Ottawa
Wells said the company has been consulting lawyers about ways to transfer the money to its intended recipients. He said that if it can't, it will refund the donations.
The company came under fire from some MPs for agreeing to raise funds for the protest — and for not shutting down the fundraiser when the protest ceased to be peaceful and turned into an occupation.
Wells described the protest as largely peaceful, despite an attempt by fringe participants to marginalize it.
Wilson said the company was "seeing both sides of the narrative" during the protest. If there was a problem with the protest, the Canadian government should have contacted the company, said Wilson, adding it was the government's fault for not reaching out.
"You did not communicate with us at all about what was going on," Wilson told MPs. "We had to hear about it second- and third-hand as we were trying to walk out what we should be doing as best practices ... The government of Canada is making all these moves and never even contacting us and getting any information from us."
Anti-vaccine
mandate protesters are removed by police from a blockade of the
Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Feb. 12, 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Wilson said the company also wasn't told about the Ontario court decision on Feb. 10 to freeze money raised by the fundraiser.
"We heard about it on social media and, you know, I can find out about aliens on social media as well," she said.
The responses by Wells and Wilson to the committee's questions presented a sharp contrast to the actions of rival American crowdfunding site GoFundMe — which agreed initially to host the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser before cancelling it on Feb. 4 after being told by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and then-deputy police chief Steve Bell that the protest was being accompanied by acts of violence and harassment.
It was at that point that the company determined that the fundraiser violated the company's terms of service.
A protester walks through an encampment near Parliament Hill
in Ottawa shortly before being arrested on Feb. 17, 2022. (Evan
Mitsui/CBC)
"This fundraiser as a whole ... was an unprecedented event in terms of the scale in which it evolved, the pace at which it evolved, the centralized nature of it, the complexity of the participants who were involved in the fundraiser," said Juan Benitez, president of GoFundMe.
Benitez said GoFundMe's records show that 88 per cent of the money raised and 86 per cent of the donors came from Canada.
Kim Wilford, general counsel for GoFundMe, said the campaign first attracted the company's attention because donations were coming in so quickly. While it was initially satisfied with the explanations offered by organizers, it began to have concerns about organizers' ability to distribute the money.
She said the company has refunded all donations, transaction fees and tips it received.
Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/convoy-and-questions-fifth-estate-1.6360859
The convoy and the questions: How a protest paralyzed a capital
Host Gillian Findlay talks to the early organizers and asks why police so quickly lost control
Months of planning, some secretive but much of it in the open, drew truck convoys to Canada's capital to protest vaccine mandates, leading to an unprecedented weeks-long occupation of much of Parliament Hill that spawned spinoff protests across the country and around the world.
The Fifth Estate's Gillian Findlay talks to the early organizers about what they thought would happen and asks why police and politicians were both seemingly unaware and unable to maintain control.
Watch the investigation in the video above or stream it with described video on CBC Gem.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Roger Langille <rglangille@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2022 20:30:01 -0800
Subject: freedom convoy
To: david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
my name is Roger Langille
I'm the one the one on the live broadcast and pitched for the freedom
convoy to be formed and for us to go to Ottawa and stay there until all the
restrictions were lifted
the people that are in jail we're not involved in any of this until after I
pitched the plan.
can you please call me
1 778 710 0111 cel
1 604 566 4544 office
Roger Langille
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx6FdvA8C7I&t=247s&ab_channel=IrnieracingReports
Daniel Bulford was attested but never charged | Kelowna Resistance - Saerah Bankert #irnieracingnews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoMyyXRmR8U&ab_channel=VIDSTORM
PRESS CONFERENCE - TAMARA LICH & BRIAN PECKFORD - Ottawa Freedom Convoy 2022 🍁
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdhFuMDLBDM&ab_channel=JordanBPeterson
Canadian Constitutional Crisis | Brian Peckford | The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast S4: E78
Former Nfld. premier Brian Peckford wages a new political — and personal — battle in B.C.
Peckford asks Ottawa to rule whether B.C. is meeting Canada Health Act requirements
Brian Peckford, the former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, now lives on Vancouver Island. Photo by Handout He was premier of Newfoundland from 1979 to 1989. Now, as a B.C. resident, Brian Peckford is still game for a political fight. Today he’s taking on Ottawa and Victoria, saying they need to do more to end the shortage of family doctors.
After he retired from politics, Peckford, moved to B.C. in 1993. He’s lived in Nanaimo, Qualicum Beach and now Parksville. And in each community, the shortage of primary care physicians has been getting worse.
Island Health Region surveys show that about 16 per cent of the 50,000 residents of the Oceanside Local Health Area (Parksville and Qualicum Beach) don’t have a family doctor. That’s better than the B.C. average where about 24 per cent of residents don’t have a regular family doctor.
But the Oceanside area has a surging population of seniors who often have chronic diseases that need continuous medical care.
Peckford’s own doctor, Dr. Hendrik Putter, closed his office a week ago. Ever since he told his 2,000 patients to look for a new doctor, Peckford has been doing just that, to no avail.
To Peckford’s astonishment, Putter arranged for his patients to go to a clinic 74 km away. That’s an illogical proposition, Peckford maintains, since many seniors don’t drive and there is no public transit to the clinic in Courtenay, an hour away. Peckford has also failed to find a doctor willing to take new patients in Nanaimo.
There are about 20 general physicians working in Qualicum and Parksville, but none are taking new patients. Peckford has put his name on waiting lists.
Local news reports in the Qualicum area have suggested a lack of at modern, spacious office space suitable for medical clinics is a major problem in attracting new doctors.
“This is the first time in my 77 years that I’ve been without a family doctor,” Peckford said.
“If I was the premier or the health minister, I’d be coming up with a better battle plan,” he said, noting the Commonwealth Fund has drawn attention to the long waiting times in Canada to see specialists and other studies have also shown Canada’s lower number of doctors compared to other wealthy nations.
In a recent letter to the new federal health minister, Patty Hajdu, Peckford says Ottawa transfers billions in health care payments to the province and he asks if B.C. is meeting its obligations under the Canada Health Act. The Act requires provinces to monitor whether they are meeting the conditions for such federal payments, including access to medical care. He’s asked the federal government to look into whether B.C. is meeting those conditions.
“It seems to me that at the very least, the reasonable accessibility provisions of the Act are being violated as highlighted in my own personal experience on Vancouver Island,” Peckford said in his letter.
“I am only taking this step after I had written the provincial health minister (Adrian Dix) and received an unsatisfactory answer, not from the minister himself but from an employee completely ignoring the main purpose of my letter,” Peckford said, referring to a letter from Thomas Guerrero, ministry executive director of patient and client relations.
Guerrero said Island Health has been trying to recruit a family doctor to Qualicum Beach. He also drew attention to a program designed to recruit and retain physicians. He acknowledged that long term solutions won’t be “of much assistance in addressing your immediate concerns.”
The shortage of family doctors is a major problem across B.C. Health Match B.C., the branch of the Health Employers Association of B.C. that helps recruit physicians from other jurisdictions, has postings for about 900 jobs, believed to be a record high. Of the 900 vacancies, 567 are for family doctors.
A study by B.C. researchers in 2017 showed that the doctor shortage will soon get far worse because 40 per cent of B.C. doctors are at, or near, the age of retirement.
There are 12,960 physicians practicing medicine in B.C. Some 6,616 are family doctors while the rest are specialists, according to the latest annual report of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. The College used to post a list of doctors taking new patients but stopped last year. It now refers individuals to HealthLink B.C. — accessible by calling 811 by telephone. Nurses who answer calls can refer individuals to various Divisions of Family Practice chapters, lists of walk-in clinics and health resources in their area.
The ministry did not comment on Peckford’s demands, but sent a statement from Health Minister Adrian Dix citing spending on new hospitals and additional surgeries. It is also forming primary health care teams, through primary and urgent care centres, with more money for additional doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvDWnta4u14&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Tamara Lich - "I Am Not Afraid"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0O89N9UgxQ&ab_channel=CTVNews
RCMP, banks work to unfreeze convoy donor bank accounts as Emergencies Act revoked: Mendicino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFTlMUnj3vA&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - New Convoys Needed, Tamara Lich "M.I.A."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jif9cuxiHiU&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - Chatting with Cops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI_WQaRnqn4&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - The Government is in My Bank Account
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WAvNUqToYM&t=166s&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - Day Peace Pipe Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFIguib03g&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Grandma Nancy - Pat King is Lying About Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rV1MZFKg0g&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - I'm Quitting Drinking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR_qL7rZd_w&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Pat King - Arrested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXQAzyPEBps&ab_channel=Kryptospotted
Freedom George - Arrested
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:14:39 +0000
Subject: RE: Interesting news about NB Power and Trudeau versus Russia
EH Petey Baby MacKay? Need I say Deja Vu Anyone??
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to write.
Due to the volume of incoming messages, this is an automated response
to let you know that your email has been received and will be reviewed
at the earliest opportunity.
If your inquiry more appropriately falls within the mandate of a
Ministry or other area of government, staff will refer your email for
review and consideration.
Merci d'avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
En raison du volume des messages reçus, cette réponse automatique vous
informe que votre courriel a été reçu et sera examiné dans les
meilleurs délais.
Si votre demande relève plutôt du mandat d'un ministère ou d'un autre
secteur du gouvernement, le personnel vous renverra votre courriel
pour examen et considération.
If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144 or by email
media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:med
S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
P.O Box/C. P. 6000 Fredericton New-Brunswick/Nouveau-
Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
Email/Courriel:
premier@gnb.ca/premier.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Gerald Bourque <kisspartyofnb@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:07:47 -0400
Subject: Re: Interesting news about NB Power and Trudeau versus Russia
EH Petey Baby MacKay? Need I say Deja Vu Anyone??
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
David that is a very good report and pleased to see you are alive and
kicking.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada <mcu@justice.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:12:52 +0000
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for writing to the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please
note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured
that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable David Lametti, ministre de la
Justice et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario <Premier@ontario.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:12:56 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Interesting news about NB Power and Trudeau
versus Russia EH Petey Baby MacKay? Need I say Deja Vu Anyone??
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
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response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
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Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
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Merci encore pour votre courriel.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Office of the Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:12:56 +0000
Subject: Thank you for your email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
This is to acknowledge that your email has been received by the Office
of the Premier.
We appreciate the time you have taken to write.
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vous est inconnu, veuillez informer l'expéditeur par courrier
électronique immédiatement et effacer ce message et en détruire toute
copie. Merci de votre cooperation.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Premier <PREMIER@novascotia.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:13:07 +0000
Subject: Thank you for your email
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email to Premier Houston. This is an automatic
confirmation your message has been received.
As we are currently experiencing higher than normal volumes of
correspondence, there may be delays in the response time for
correspondence identified as requiring a response.
Thank you,
Premier’s Correspondence Team
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:12:47 -0400
Subject: Interesting news about NB Power and Trudeau versus Russia EH
Petey Baby MacKay? Need I say Deja Vu Anyone??
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, kcronkhite
<kcronkhite@nbpower.com>, paul.martin@gnb.ca, "charles.murray"
<charles.murray@gnb.ca>, NBP Regulatory <NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>,
"Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>,
"louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
"david.sollows@gnb.ca" <david.sollows@gnb.ca>,
"Gilles.volpe@
<Gilles.volpe@
<Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.
<dave.lavigne@
<len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@
<jeffery.callaghan@
<rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
"cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>,
"hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>,
"john.furey@mcinnescooper.com" <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com>
NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
<Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
"Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>, "Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com"
<Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>, "Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
<Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
<heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
"rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com
"margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
"leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>, Fishman Kramer
<lizkramer@hotmail.com>, "mletson@lawsoncreamer.com"
<mletson@lawsoncreamer.com>, Katherine McBrearty
<Katherine.McBrearty@nbeub.ca>
<DaMurphy@nbpower.com>, "Waycott, Stephen" <SWaycott@nbpower.com>,
"Porter, George" <George.Porter@nbpower.com>, "Petrie, Jamie"
<JPetrie@nbpower.com>, "Crawford, Brad" <BCrawford@nbpower.com>,
"Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"
<Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>,
"hugh.flemming" <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)"
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>,
"kris.austin" <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
"rob.moore" <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
<roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>,
janice.leahy@gnb.ca, rglangille@gmail.com
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "Sean.Fraser"
<Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, "Katie.Telford"
<Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "Marco.Mendicino"
<Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, premier
<premier@ontario.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, Office of the
Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>,
"jake.stewart" <jake.stewart@parl.gc.ca>, "Richard.Bragdon"
<Richard.Bragdon@parl.gc.ca>, "John.Williamson"
<John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>
https://twitter.com/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Auditor general reproaches N.B. Power for financial barriers to energy efficiency
Report by Auditor General Paul Martin also questions high salaries for utility executives
"Moderate-income households may have difficulty accessing NB Power's energy efficiency programs, due to lack of financing mechanisms," Paul Martin says in a report tabled at the legislature Thursday.
It faults the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development for not requiring N.B. Power to create a loan program when it folded energy efficiency programs into the utility in 2015.
"Low-income households are really being left out if they cannot obtain that funding mechanism to even consider these programs," Martin said while presenting his report to the legislature's public accounts committee.
New Brunswick is one of only two provinces with no financing mechanism in its energy-efficiency programs. Residents must spend the money up front and then get a rebate for part of the amount.
Martin said N.B. Power doesn't need to be the organization providing the loans as long as they're available somehow.
"Being one of only two province not doing it — there must be a way," Martin said. "Almost everybody else is doing it, so why is this an issue?"
Financing mechanisms "are a widely used and a cost-effective tool to make energy efficiency more accessible to moderate and low-income households," says the report, Martin's first since becoming auditor general on Jan. 1.
It quotes N.B. Power replying that it doesn't have the funds to provide loans because of its focus on debt reduction. The utility also pointed out that the federal government announced a major loan program for energy retrofits in its budget last year.
N.B. Power spokesperson Marc Belliveau said in an email the utility's low income energy savings program provides free energy efficient upgrades to eligible homeowners and 466 homes were retrofitted last year.
"N.B. Power is looking at options to expand this program," he said.
The audit says people who don't heat with electricity aren't using the energy-efficiency programs at the same level and that N.B.Power doesn't believe it has to fund them.
New Brunswick's auditor-general Paul Martin says N.B. Power
has the highest average salary among Crown agencies. (Submitted by
Office of the Auditor General)
It also says the department hasn't given N.B.Power any energy efficiency targets and hasn't provided enough oversight of the program.
Martin's report calls for "a plan" to address the issue.
The utility says as part of its response in that it will conduct a "barrier study" by June 2023 looking at other provinces to come up with recommendations "to increase participation" by low- and middle-income households.
"You're asking for a plan and implementation, and you're going to get a study," Liberal MLA René Legacy told Martin.
"We would always like to see our recommendations addressed faster, and as fast as possible," Martin answered.
Highest executive salary
The report also includes a chapter on salaries at provincial Crown agencies that highlights N.B. Power CEO Keith Cronkhite's $560,000 salary as the highest among any head of a provincial Crown agency.
The utility also has the highest average salary among Crown agencies and is the only one to offer a generous "executive retirement supplement" to everyone in the position of vice-president or higher, like the one availabe to deputy ministers.
For employees earning $100,000 a year or more, the utility's salaries also rise at a faster rate than civil servants working for government departments.
N.B. Power President Keith Cronkhite's salary of $560,000 is
the highest of any at a Crown corporation in New Brunswick. (Roger
Cosman/CBC News)
The report recommends the government set out what it means when it says salaries in Part IV of the government, Crown agencies, should be consistent.
"A lack of clear expectations from government increases the risk of government intentions not being carried out," the report says.
"In our view, government should clearly define what it expects of Part IV Crown agencies with regards to non-bargaining salary and benefits practices."
Martin acknowledges N.B. Power and other Crown corporations don't work directly for the government and each organization is allowed to set its own policies.
But the audit says the province provides "some direction" through memoranda of understanding it issues to the Crown agencies every three year.
Executive retirement benefits
While executive salaries at N.B. Power are higher than normal, the utility has less generous health and dental benefits and lower travel expense allowances than other parts of the provincial public sector.
The report also looks at the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission, the Research and Productivity Council, Opportunities New Brunswick, the two regional health authorities and others.
But N.B. Power is the only one to offer the executive retirement benefit to senior officials.
If they work for five years or more, senior executives get a retirement supplement of one per cent of their annual salary for every year worked, up to 10 per cent.
For example, an N.B. Power executive with an average salary of $200,000 per year over 10 years would get an additional $20,000 a year during retirement.
That's on top of the regular provincial pension under the New Brunswick Public Service Pension Plan.
Belliveau pointed out the report acknowledges that the utility sector "is a complex one" and N.B. Power has to offer "a competitive compensation package" to attract qualified executives.
He said the retirement supplement is designed to make up for higher salaries and bonus programs that other utilities offer and that N.B. Power doesn't have.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Trudeau announces sanctions to punish Russia for its 'horrific' attack on Ukraine
Canada aims sanctions at Russian oligarchs, banks
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday a new suite of "severe" sanctions against Russian entities after the country's president, Vladimir Putin, launched a series of unprovoked attacks on neighbouring Ukraine late last night.
The economic measures — which the government says were carefully coordinated with other G7 countries — are meant to hobble Russia's economy as its forces push further into Ukraine.
Trudeau called Russia's act of war "a massive threat to security and peace around the world."
To hit back, Trudeau said Canada will target 62 individuals and entities, including members of the Russian elite and their family members, the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner Group and major Russian banks.
Canada will also direct its financial firepower at members of the Russian Security Council, including the country's defence, finance and justice ministers.
Effective immediately, Canada will stop issuing export permits for Russia-bound products and cancel existing permits.
You can find the full list of individuals and organizations facing sanctions at this link.
WATCH: Trudeau announces more sanctions on Russia as the country launches invasion of Ukraine
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said hundreds of permits covering goods worth more than $700 million will be immediately cancelled — a blow to Russian companies that import valuable Canadian goods like aerospace parts, technology and minerals.
Trudeau announced a series of sanctions earlier this week after it became clear Putin was preparing for some sort of attack on Ukraine — a country that has sought to more closely align itself with Western countries and the European Union in recent years.
'Greatest threat to European stability' since Second World War
Canadians are barred from purchasing Russian sovereign debt and dealing with two state-backed Russian banks.
"These sanctions are wide-reaching. They will impose severe costs on complicit Russian elites, and they will limit President Putin's ability to continue funding this unjustified invasion," Trudeau said.
Trudeau said Putin's incursion is the "greatest threat to European stability since the Second World War." In the face of Russian aggression, the prime minister said, the Western world must strengthen its resolve to defend democratic principles that "generations of Canadians have fought to protect."
"These are deeply disturbing times for the international community and for people everywhere who care about freedom and democracy," Trudeau said. "Canada is unequivocal in our condemnation of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on the sovereign, democratic state of Ukraine."
Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly
listen as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland
speaks during a news conference on Feb. 24, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced Thursday what he called "massive" sanctions against Russia, promising to cripple Russian access to foreign capital and target Putin-aligned oligarchs who have parked money in U.K. shell companies and London real estate.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced his own series of sanctions to tighten the screws on Russia's economy.
Biden is targeting four Russian banks that hold more than $1 trillion in assets, including the country's largest bank, Sberbank. Biden said "every asset" these banks hold in the U.S. will be frozen.
Thursday's measures did not target the Russian president personally but Biden said sanctioning Putin is "on the table."
Trudeau said the West's unity on sanctions should alarm Putin and those enabling his flagrant violation of international law.
Together, the G7 countries represent nearly half of the world's economy. Russia — once an economic powerhouse, now hobbled by kleptocracy and corruption — accounts for just 2 per cent of global wealth.
"We will respond forcefully to make sure Russia fails," Trudeau said.
WATCH: Bob Rae tells CBC's Power & Politics that Putin underestimates resistance to Russia's attack
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said targeting oligarchs — the Russian business leaders who plundered a post-Soviet Russia of its wealth and resources — is the best way to put pressure on Putin. The Russian leader is close to these businessmen and many claim the oligarchs help Putin hide his considerable wealth offshore.
Freeland said these oligarchs — many of whom who live in major Western cities like London, Paris and New York — have "aided and abetted" Putin's atrocities while "enjoying all the pleasures of Western democracies."
"You're not going to be able to keep on doing that," Freeland said, directing her words at Russia's oligarchs. "You're not going to be able to be a high-roller, enjoying all the fantastic things that Western democracy has created while continuing to support Putin's evil and barbaric policies."
At least one foreign affairs expert said it's not enough for the government to simply freeze Russian assets in Canada — that a better move would be to seize the funds and use them to to help the people of Ukraine.
'Hit Putin where it hurts'
"That will really get Putin's attention. We need to hit him below the water line," said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
"We're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign holdings — including some $250 billion of Putin's own money — that's sitting in bank accounts around the world. Obviously, some of those holdings are in Canada.
"Canada can play a key leadership role in saying, 'We're really going to hit Putin where it hurts."
To counter what she called an "illegal" and "unconscionable" attack on Ukraine, Defence Minister Anita Anand said the government has put 3,400 military personnel from all branches of the Canadian Armed Forces on standby. These troops could be deployed to the European continent to participate in the NATO Response Force, she said.
WATCH: Freeland says sanctions on Russia's oligarchs will have a 'real impact'
Anand said Canada is considering an expansion of its existing military mission, Operation Reassurance, which has put CAF troops in central and eastern Europe to carry out "assurance and deterrence measures" in NATO countries that border Russia.
Canada already has sent roughly $10 million in lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine, equipment that will help the military there fight back against Putin's troops. Canada also has provided financial assistance and loans in excess of $700 million to help stabilize a country now facing economic ruin.
"We cannot allow Putin to redraw maps and rewrite history to suit his own purposes," Anand said. "We must, and we will, stand up against these efforts to sow discord, deceit and violence."
Pretexts and 'false flags'
As part of the diplomatic pushback, Joly summoned Russia's ambassador to Canada, Oleg V. Stepanov, to a meeting at the Pearson Building in Ottawa on Thursday.
Joly's spokesperson told CBC News that the minister condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Russia's "egregious attack" on Ukraine in the closed-doors meeting.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Joly said Russia has "lied" about its plans for Ukraine, pointing out that Moscow denied just days ago claims from U.S. sources that troops were poised to invade Ukraine.
She said Putin "fabricated" justifications for an invasion, citing his puzzling claim that the invasion is an attempt to "denazify" a country being led by President Volodymyr Zelensky — who is Jewish.
"Russia is solely responsible for this crisis. They have chose deception, intimidation and a manufactured crisis based on lies and false flag operations," Joly said.
"The Russian regime is challenging the world order that has kept us safe since the Second World War."
Canadians advised to 'shelter in place'
As Ukraine readies itself for a larger war, Trudeau said Canada is concerned about the safety of Canadian citizens and permanent residents still in the country. He said the government has arranged safe passage at the land borders with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova and is "urgently issuing travel documents" for all who need them.
But the most recent travel advice for Canadians in Ukraine warns that the government's ability to provide consular services in Ukraine could become "severely limited" and that Canadians should not rely on government help to leave the country.
"If you are in Ukraine, you should shelter in place unless it is safe for you to leave the country," the updated guidance said.
Those who choose to remain should "monitor trustworthy news sources to stay informed on the evolving situation" and follow instructions from local authorities, it said.
Police
and security personnel inspect the remains of a shell on a street in
Kyiv on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military
operation in Ukraine early Thursday, with explosions heard across the
country soon after. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)
Immigration officials are also prioritizing applications for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada.
Canada's response will be hindered by its limited diplomatic presence in Ukraine. The relocated Canadian embassy in Lviv has closed and its staff have fled Ukraine for neighbouring Poland.
Canada moved its embassy earlier this month from the capital, Kyiv, to Lviv in the western part of the country in anticipation of a Russian invasion.
Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, called the attack "a grotesque war crime."
"Putin is the cause of all this. We cannot let him win," Rae said on Twitter. "C'mon people, stop pretending. War has started."
Rae went on to call Russia's invasion "brutal thuggery" and an "unprovoked" and "evil" action from a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations.
U.S.
army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Poland to
reassure NATO allies, are seen at an airbase near Arlamow on Wednesday. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)
In a later interview with CBC Radio's The Current, Rae said Western countries will levy sanctions that will serve as a "direct assault on the power structure" in Russia — measures designed to make Putin and his allies pay a personal price.
Asked if sanctions alone will be enough to stop Putin, Rae said crippling sanctions forced South Africa to repeal its apartheid system and a "strong, universally applied" regime might have the same effect on Russia.
Rae said the West must present a united front in the face of Putin's aggression. "The attack in Ukraine is an attack on democracy. Putin clearly wants to make the world safe for autocracy. That's what this is all about."
Anxiety in Ukrainian-Canadian community
Eugene Lupynis, a Ukrainian-Canadian living in Vancouver and a member of Metro Vancouver's Ukrainian Community Society Of Ivan Franko, said news of the invasion has filled him with dread.
"We've been watching this build not just for weeks but for years," he said. "When Russia invaded Crimea and Eastern Ukraine back in 2014, there was always a feeling something would happen, but we were praying it wouldn't."
Lupynis' immediate family moved to B.C. in the 1950s but he has many relatives living in western Ukraine. He said the invasion "boggles the mind" and that everyone needs to be afraid of what Putin might do next.
"The West has always underestimated what Putin could, and would, do — he's rewriting history in his own pen and trying to get the world to believe it," he said.
The Alberta Provincial Council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress issued a statement saying more than 330,000 people in Alberta claim Ukrainian ancestry. It called on Albertans to support Ukraine "militarily, politically, economically and financially."
The premiers react
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the invasion "devastating" and urged the West to put an embargo on Russian oil and gas.
"Weakness invites aggression," he said.
"The democratic world must be united in standing with Ukraine. That should begin with a hard global embargo of all Russian oil and gas exports."
While Trudeau did not announce any direct action against Russian oil exports Thursday, the prime minister said Canada and its allies are working on "alternatives" to Russian fossil fuel sources for Europe.
"We want to make sure Putin no longer draw sustenance for his economy from selling those products around the world," Trudeau said.
WATCH | Joly on the intended impact of sanctions
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson tweeted that her province has joined the federal government in calling on Russia to end its invasion.
"It's hard to imagine how difficult watching the news must be for so many Manitobans who have loved ones in Ukraine," she wrote.
Quebec Premier François Legault said his province will do its part by welcoming Ukrainian refugees in the weeks to come and offering humanitarian aid.
Putin says goal is a 'demilitarization' of Ukraine
Putin warned other countries Wednesday that any attempt to interfere with Russian military action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."
He said the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a claim the U.S. had predicted he would falsely make to justify an invasion.
In a televised address, Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia's demand for security guarantees from the West and that Ukraine be prevented from joining NATO. He said Russia's goal is not to occupy Ukraine.
As Putin spoke, big explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other areas of Ukraine.
A full-blown Russian invasion could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine's democratically elected government. And the consequences of the conflict and resulting sanctions levied on Russia could reverberate throughout the world, affecting energy supplies in Europe, jolting global financial markets and threatening the post-Cold War balance on the continent.
Putin said the Russian military operation aims to ensure a "demilitarization" of Ukraine. He urged Ukrainian servicemen to "immediately put down arms and go home."
Putin announced the military operation after the Kremlin said separatists in Eastern Ukraine asked Russia for military assistance to help fend off Ukrainian "aggression." The announcement immediately fuelled fears that Moscow was offering up a pretext for war, just as the West had warned.
A short time later, the Ukrainian president rejected Moscow's claims that his country poses a threat to Russia and said a Russian invasion would cost tens of thousands of lives.
"The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace," President Zelensky said in an emotional overnight address, speaking in Russian in a direct appeal to Russian citizens. "But if we come under attack, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves.
"When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs."
Zelensky said he asked to arrange a call with Putin late Wednesday, but the Kremlin did not respond.
In an apparent reference to Putin's move to authorize the deployment of the Russian military to "maintain peace" in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky warned that "this step could mark the start of a big war on the European continent."
"Any provocation, any spark could trigger a blaze that will destroy everything," he said.
WATCH | Retired Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire discusses Russia's invasion on CBC's Power & Politics
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Murray Brewster and the Canadian Press
On 10/28/21, David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2021 13:54:55 -0300
> Subject: YO Higgy I wonder if your lawyer buddy Mr Letson told his
> political partner Mel about this email yet
> To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, abruce.lji@gmail.com,
> jake@porthawkesburyreporter.
>
> http://voteseanfraser.ca/
> (902) 695-3505
> Send Message
> info@voteseanfraser.ca
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2021 01:25:32 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: YO Higgy I wonder if your lawyer buddy Mr
> Letson or anyone else recalls this email
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
>
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> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2021 21:21:37 -0400
> Subject: YO Higgy I wonder if your lawyer buddy Mr Letson or anyone
> else recalls this email
> To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
> <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin" <kris.austin@gnb.ca>,
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> jeveritt@unb.ca, "jp.lewis" <jp.lewis@unb.ca>, ddesserud
> <ddesserud@upei.ca>, "Kim.Poffenroth" <Kim.Poffenroth@gnb.ca>,
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> <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "Mark.Blakely"
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> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>,
> mletson@lawsoncreamer.com, "Holland, Mike (LEG)"
> <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
> "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"
> <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2021 20:21:13 +0000
> Subject: RE: Matter 497 - NB Power Application for a variance of a
> decision / Instance 497 - Demande d'Énergie NB pour une modification
> d'une décision
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Hello,
>
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> Due to the volume of incoming messages, this is an automated response
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>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:19:42 -0300
> Subject: Fwd: Matter 497 - NB Power Application for a variance of a
> decision / Instance 497 - Demande d'Énergie NB pour une modification
> d'une décision
> To: "Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"
> <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
> "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "hugh.flemming"
> <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)" <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>,
> "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
> <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
> <kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
> "rob.moore" <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Roger.L.Melanson"
> <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: NBP Regulatory <NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>
> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2021 19:06:51 +0000
> Subject: RE: Matter 497 - NB Power Application for a variance of a
> decision / Instance 497 - Demande d'Énergie NB pour une modification
> d'une décision
> To: "Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>
> Cc: "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> <louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> <David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.
> <david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.volpe@
> <Gilles.volpe@
> <Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.
> <dave.lavigne@
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> <jeffery.callaghan@
> <rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
> "cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>
> "hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>,
> "john.furey@mcinnescooper.com" <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com>
> NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
> <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
> "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>, "Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com"
> <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>, "Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
> <Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
> <heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
> "rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
> "sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com
> "margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
> "jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
> "dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>
> "pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
> "ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
> "sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
> "pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
> "leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>, Fishman Kramer
> <lizkramer@hotmail.com>, "mletson@lawsoncreamer.com"
> <mletson@lawsoncreamer.com>, Katherine McBrearty
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> <DaMurphy@nbpower.com>, "Waycott, Stephen" <SWaycott@nbpower.com>,
> "Porter, George" <George.Porter@nbpower.com>, "Petrie, Jamie"
> <JPetrie@nbpower.com>, "Crawford, Brad" <BCrawford@nbpower.com>
>
> Good afternoon,
>
> This email is being resent due to an erroneous reference to
> Confidential Redacted documents that was included in the previous
> message.
>
> Attached please find correspondence and referenced material in
> relation to the above captioned matter.
>
> This email contains the following documents:
>
> 1. Filing Letter
> 2. Matter 497 - 2021 Rate Design Proposal for Under-Represented
> Customers / Instance 497 - 2021 Conception Tarifaire - Proposition
> concernant les clients sous-représentés
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
> [A close up of a logo Description automatically generated]
> Jessica Gagnon
> Analyst, Corporate Regulatory Affairs | Analyste, affaires
> réglementaires d'entreprise
>
> T: 506.458.4209
> C: 506.282.2381
> nbpower.com | energienb.com
>
>
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> Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) s'adresse
> uniquement à son destinataire, qu'il soit une personne ou un
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> reconnaissants de votre collaboration
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
> Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2021 18:58:16 +0000
> Subject: RE: Matter 497 - NB Power Application for a variance of a
> decision / Instance 497 - Demande d'Énergie NB pour une modification
> d'une décision
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Thank you for your email to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.
>
> This is to acknowledge receipt of the document(s) you have filed with
> the Board.
>
>
> La Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du
> Nouveau-Brunswick vous remercie pour votre courriel.
>
> Nous accusons réception du/des document(s) que vous avez déposé(s)
> auprès de la Commission.
>
> Sarah Thebeau
> Administrative Assistant / Assistante administrative
> (506) 658-2504 (Reception)
> (506) 658-2711 (Direct)
>
>
>
> Confidentiality Notice
>
> This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of
> the individual for whom, or entity for which, it is intended. It may
> contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from
> disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded
> to it under applicable law. Disclosure to anyone other than the
> intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its
> possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is
> intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited.
> If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
> immediately, at our expense, by telephone at (506) 658-2504. Also, if
> you received this email in error, delete it and any attachments from
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>
> Avis de confidentialité
>
> Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif
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> Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
> constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
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> nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
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> effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système
> informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Amos [mailto:david.raymond.amos333@
> Sent: Friday, June 4, 2021 3:56 PM
> To: Furey, John <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com>
> <NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>; Mike.Comeau <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>;
> hugh.flemming <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>; premier <premier@gnb.ca>;
> blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>; Holland, Mike (LEG)
> <mike.holland@gnb.ca>; Mitchell, Kathleen
> <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>; louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> david.sollows@gnb.ca; david.russell@gnb.ca;
> Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.
> dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.
> <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>; Callaghan, Jeffery
> <jeffery.callaghan@
> gerald@kissnb.com; cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com;
> hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com; lcozzarini@nbpower.com;
> srussell@nbpower.com; SWaycott@nbpower.com; bcrawford@nbpower.com;
> George.Porter@nbpower.com; NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>; Dickie,
> Michael <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>; Lawton, John
> <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>; Young, Dave <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>;
> Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com; Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com
> heather.black@gnb.ca; rdk@indecon.com; rrichard@nb.aibn.com;
> sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com; margot.cragg@umnb.ca;
> jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com; dan.dionne@perth-andover.com;
> pierreroy@edmundston.ca; ray.robinson@sjenergy.com;
> sstoll@airdberlis.com; pzarnett@bdrenergy.com;
> leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca; Katherine McBrearty
> <Katherine.McBrearty@nbeub.ca>
> Cc: kcronkhite@nbpower.com; Petrie, Jamie <JPetrie@nbpower.com>;
> wharrison@nbpower.com
> Subject: Re: Matter 497 - NB Power Application for a variance of a
> decision / Instance 497 - Demande d'Énergie NB pour une modification
> d'une décision
>
> Mr Furey
>
> Mr Petrie informed me out of the gate that you and your old boss
> Madame Harrison were no longer employed by NB Power So now I must ask
> the latest CEO Keith Cronkhite and the new NB Pwaer have they hired
> Harrison back to stand in Mr Petrie's stead while you continue to act
> against my interests and concerns under a private contract???
>
> Veritas Vincit
> David Raymond Amos
>
>
> On 6/4/21, Furey, John <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com> wrote:
>> Dear Ms. Mitchell,
>>
>> In accordance with the Board Order dated May 12, 2021, please find
>> attached
>> the Submissions of NB Power in this matter.
>>
>> As required by the Board Order, all parties to Matter 357 are being
>> served.
>> Ms. Liz Kramer is also being served through the email address utilized by
>> the Board to distribute instructions for the hearing.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> John
>>
>> [McInnes Cooper]
>> John Furey
>> Counsel
>> McInnes Cooper
>>
>> tel +1 (506) 458 1628 | fax +1 (506) 458 9903 | mobile +1 (506) 282 0380
>>
>> Barker House, Suite 600
>> 570 Queen Street
>> PO Box 610 Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A6
>>
>> asst Nanette Phillips | +1 (506) 458 1629
>>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2021 15:21:20 -0300
> Subject: Methinks Mr Petrie should not deny that I tried to talk to
> him before responding to his Motion from NB Power in relation to the
> Board's Decision of August 4, 2020 just before you had the writ dopped
> the last election N'esy Pas Higgy?
> To: NBP Regulatory <NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "Mike.Comeau"
> <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "hugh.flemming" <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, premier
> <premier@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "Holland, Mike
> (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>
> Cc: "Mitchell, Kathleen" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>,
> "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> "david.sollows@gnb.ca" <david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "david.russell@gnb.ca"
> <david.russell@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.volpe@
> <Gilles.volpe@
> <Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.
> <dave.lavigne@
> <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@
> <jeffery.callaghan@
> <rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
> "cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>
> "hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>, "Russell,
> Stephen" <SRussell@nbpower.com>, "Harrison, Wanda"
> <WHarrison@nbpower.com>, "Waycott, Stephen" <SWaycott@nbpower.com>,
> "Crawford, Brad" <BCrawford@nbpower.com>, "Porter, George"
> <George.Porter@nbpower.com>, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie,
> Michael" <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John"
> <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>, "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>,
> "Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com" <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>,
> "Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
> "heather.black@gnb.ca" <heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com"
> <rdk@indecon.com>, "rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
> "sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com
> "margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
> "jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
> "dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>
> "pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
> "ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
> "sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
> "pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
> "leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>, "Furey, John"
> <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:20:33 +0000
> Subject: RE: Filing of Motion from NB Power in relation to the Board's
> Decision of August 4, 2020 Methinks Mr Petrie should have done his
> homework N'esy Pas Higgy?
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write.
>
> Due to the volume of incoming messages, this is an automated response
> to let you know that your email has been received and will be reviewed
> at the earliest opportunity.
>
> If your inquiry more appropriately falls within the mandate of a
> Ministry or other area of government, staff will refer your email for
> review and consideration.
>
> Merci d'avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
>
> En raison du volume des messages reçus, cette réponse automatique vous
> informe que votre courriel a été reçu et sera examiné dans les
> meilleurs délais.
>
> Si votre demande relève plutôt du mandat d'un ministère ou d'un autre
> secteur du gouvernement, le personnel vous renverra votre courriel
> pour examen et considération.
>
> If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
> (506) 453-2144 or by email
> media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:med
>
> S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
> Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
>
>
> General Information
> For general information and answers to common questions on novel
> coronavirus please visit:
> GNB/COVID-19<https://na01.
> or
> Canada.ca/coronavirus<https://
> information line 1-833-784-4397.
>
>
> Safety Issues
> For safety issues regarding place of employment/employer please call
> WorkSafe NB 1-800-999-9775.
>
> Compassionate requests
> Please call the Canadian Red Cross 1-800-863-6582.
>
> Non-health questions
> Please call 1-844-462-8387. The email address is
> helpaide@gnb.ca<mailto:helpaid
> For questions related to travel restrictions during COVID-19
> Please call 1-833-948-2800.
>
>
> MENTAL HEALTH
> CHIMO Helpline 1-800-667-5005
> Hope for Wellness Helpline 1-855-242-3310
>
> Canadian Border Services Agency
> CBSA has instituted a COVID-19 hotline regarding border crossing
> concerns/questions at
> 1-800-461-9999.
>
> Employment Insurance Hotline
> Please call 1-833-381-2725.
>
>
> Renseignements généraux
> Pour obtenir des renseignements généraux et des réponses aux questions
> les plus fréquentes sur la COVID-19, veuillez consulter le site
> GNB/COVID-19<https://na01.
> ou
> Canada.ca/coronavirus<https://
> ou composer le 1-833-784-4397.
>
> questions de sécurité
> Pour les questions de sécurité concernant les lieux de travail ou les
> employeurs, communiquez avec Travail sécuritaire NB au 1-800-999-9775.
>
> DEMANDES POUR RAISONS DE COMPASSION
> Veuillez téléphoner à la Croix-Rouge canadienne au 1-800-863-6582.
>
> Questions non liées à la santé
> Veuillez composer le 1-844-462-8387 ou envoyer un courriel à l’adresse
> helpaide@gnb.ca<mailto:helpaid
>
> Questions liées aux restrictions de voyage pendant la pandémie de COVID-19
> :
> Composez le 1-833-948-2800.
>
> SANTÉ MENTALE
> Ligne d'aide CHIMO : 1-800-667-5005
> Ligne d’écoute d’espoir : 1-855-242-3310
>
> Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
> L’Agence a mis en place une ligne d’information sur la COVID-19 pour
> les questions concernant la traversée de la frontière, le
> 1-800-461-9999.
>
> LIGNE D’INFORMATION SUR l'assurance-emploi
> Composez le 1-833-381-2725.
>
>
> Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
> P.O Box/C. P. 6000 Fredericton New-Brunswick/Nouveau-
> Canada
> Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
> Email/Courriel:
> premier@gnb.ca/premier.
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Russell, David (DTI/MTI)" <David.Russell@gnb.ca>
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:20:34 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: Filing of Motion from NB Power in relation
> to the Board's Decision of August 4, 2020 Methinks Mr Petrie should
> have done his homework N'esy Pas Higgy?
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> I will be out of the office until Monday, May 3rd, 2021. I will reply
> to your message at that time.
>
> Regards,
>
> David Russell
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: Gerald Bourque <kisspartyofnb@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2021 16:23:40 -0300
> Subject: Re: Filing of Motion from NB Power in relation to the Board's
> Decision of August 4, 2020 Methinks Mr Petrie should have done his
> homework N'esy Pas Higgy?
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Cc: NBP Regulatory <NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "Mike.Comeau"
> <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "hugh.flemming" <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, premier
> <premier@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "Holland, Mike
> (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "Mitchell, Kathleen"
> <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>, "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> <louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.
> <david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "david.russell@gnb.ca" <david.russell@gnb.ca>,
> "Gilles.volpe@
> <Gilles.volpe@
> <Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.
> <dave.lavigne@
> <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@
> <jeffery.callaghan@
> <rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
> "cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>
> "hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>, "Russell,
> Stephen" <SRussell@nbpower.com>, "Harrison, Wanda"
> <WHarrison@nbpower.com>, "Waycott, Stephen" <SWaycott@nbpower.com>,
> "Crawford, Brad" <BCrawford@nbpower.com>, "Porter, George"
> <George.Porter@nbpower.com>, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie,
> Michael" <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John"
> <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>, "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>,
> "Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com" <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>,
> "Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.
> "heather.black@gnb.ca" <heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com"
> <rdk@indecon.com>, "rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
> "sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com
> "margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
> "jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
> "dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>
> "pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
> "ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
> "sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
> "pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
> "leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>, "Furey, John"
> <john.furey@mcinnescooper.com>
>
> Received, thank you.
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2021 02:45:28 +0000
> Subject: RE: Heres hoping Capt.Trevor Greene forwards this email to
> his "Forever Brother" Maj. Kevin Schamuhn ASAP AND SHAMES YOU ALL
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Hello,
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write.
>
> Due to the volume of incoming messages, this is an automated response
> to let you know that your email has been received and will be reviewed
> at the earliest opportunity.
>
> If your inquiry more appropriately falls within the mandate of a
> Ministry or other area of government, staff will refer your email for
> review and consideration.
>
> Merci d'avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
>
> En raison du volume des messages reçus, cette réponse automatique vous
> informe que votre courriel a été reçu et sera examiné dans les
> meilleurs délais.
>
> Si votre demande relève plutôt du mandat d'un ministère ou d'un autre
> secteur du gouvernement, le personnel vous renverra votre courriel
> pour examen et considération.
>
>
> If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
> (506) 453-2144 or by email
> media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:med
>
> S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
> Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
>
>
> General Information
> For general information and answers to common questions on novel
> coronavirus please visit:
> GNB/COVID-19<https://na01.
> or
> Canada.ca/coronavirus<https://
> information line 1-833-784-4397.
>
>
> Safety Issues
> For safety issues regarding place of employment/employer please call
> WorkSafe NB 1-800-999-9775.
>
> Compassionate requests
> Please call the Canadian Red Cross 1-800-863-6582.
>
> Non-health questions
> Please call 1-844-462-8387. The email address is
> helpaide@gnb.ca<mailto:helpaid
> For questions related to travel restrictions during COVID-19
> Please call 1-833-948-2800.
>
>
> MENTAL HEALTH
> CHIMO Helpline 1-800-667-5005
> Hope for Wellness Helpline 1-855-242-3310
>
> Canadian Border Services Agency
> CBSA has instituted a COVID-19 hotline regarding border crossing
> concerns/questions at
> 1-800-461-9999.
>
> Employment Insurance Hotline
> Please call 1-833-381-2725.
>
> Renseignements généraux
> Pour obtenir des renseignements généraux et des réponses aux questions
> les plus fréquentes sur la COVID-19, veuillez consulter le site
> GNB/COVID-19<https://na01.
> ou
> Canada.ca/coronavirus<https://
> ou composer le 1-833-784-4397.
>
> questions de sécurité
> Pour les questions de sécurité concernant les lieux de travail ou les
> employeurs, communiquez avec Travail sécuritaire NB au 1-800-999-9775.
>
> DEMANDES POUR RAISONS DE COMPASSION
> Veuillez téléphoner à la Croix-Rouge canadienne au 1-800-863-6582.
>
> Questions non liées à la santé
> Veuillez composer le 1-844-462-8387 ou envoyer un courriel à l’adresse
> helpaide@gnb.ca<mailto:helpaid
>
> Questions liées aux restrictions de voyage pendant la pandémie de COVID-19
> :
> Composez le 1-833-948-2800.
>
> SANTÉ MENTALE
> Ligne d'aide CHIMO : 1-800-667-5005
> Ligne d’écoute d’espoir : 1-855-242-3310
>
> Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
> L’Agence a mis en place une ligne d’information sur la COVID-19 pour
> les questions concernant la traversée de la frontière, le
> 1-800-461-9999.
>
> LIGNE D’INFORMATION SUR l'assurance-emploi
> Composez le 1-833-381-2725.
>
> Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
> P.O Box/C. P. 6000 Fredericton New-Brunswick/Nouveau-
> Canada
> Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
> Email/Courriel:
> premier@gnb.ca/premier.
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario
> <Premier@ontario.ca>
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2021 02:44:12 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: Heres hoping Capt.Trevor Greene forwards
> this email to his "Forever Brother" Maj. Kevin Schamuhn ASAP AND
> SHAMES YOU ALL
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly
> valued.
>
> You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
> reviewed and taken into consideration.
>
> There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
> need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
> correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
> response may take several business days.
>
> Thanks again for your email.
> ______
>
> Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
> nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
>
> Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
> considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
>
> Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
> responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
> la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
> ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
>
> Merci encore pour votre courriel.
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "O'Toole, Erin - M.P." <Erin.OToole@parl.gc.ca>
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2021 02:44:22 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: Heres hoping Capt.Trevor Greene forwards
> this email to his "Forever Brother" Maj. Kevin Schamuhn ASAP AND
> SHAMES YOU ALL
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> On behalf of the Hon. Erin O’Toole, thank you for contacting the
> Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition.
>
> Mr. O’Toole greatly values feedback and input from Canadians. We read
> and review every incoming e-mail. Please note that this account
> receives a high volume of e-mails. We reply to e-mails as quickly as
> possible.
>
> If you are a constituent of Mr. O’Toole’s in Durham with an urgent
> matter please contact his constituency office at:
>
> Office of Erin O’Toole, M.P.
> 54 King Street East, Suite 103
> Bowmanville, ON L1C 1N3
> Tel: (905) 697-1699 or Toll-Free (866) 436-1141
>
> Once again, thank you for writing.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Au nom de l’hon. Erin O’Toole, merci de communiquer avec le Bureau du
> chef de l’Opposition officielle.
>
> M. O’Toole apprécie beaucoup le point de vue et les commentaires des
> Canadiens et des Canadiennes. Nous lisons tous les courriels que nous
> recevons. Veuillez noter que ce compte reçoit beaucoup de courriels.
> Nous y répondons le plus rapidement possible.
>
> Si vous êtes un électeur ou une électrice de M. O’Toole dans la
> circonscription de Durham et que vous avez une question urgente,
> veuillez communiquer avec son bureau de circonscription, au :
>
> Bureau d’Erin O’Toole, député
> 54, rue King Est, bureau 103
> Bowmanville (Ontario) L1C 1N3
> Tél. : (905) 697-1699 ou sans frais : (866) 436-1141
>
> Encore une fois merci d’avoir pris le temps d’écrire.
>
> Veuillez agréer nos salutations distinguées,
>
> Bureau du chef de l’Opposition officielle
>
>
>
>
> https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/
>
> The Man Who Saved My Life In Afghanistan Is Forever My Brother
>
> By Capt. Trevor Greene, Contributor
> Best-Selling Author and Journalist
> 05/05/2016 11:35am EDT
>
>
> https://www.cbc.ca/news/
>
> Commander of Special Forces to be replaced early after apologizing for
> handling of sexual assault case
>
> Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe said he has learned from experience and vows to 'do
> better'
> Ashley Burke · CBC News · Posted: Apr 30, 2021 11:41 AM ET
>
>
> https://www.
>
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?
>
> Feminist Trudeau unaware of #MeToo allegations against fmr Chief of
> Defence? Seems unlikely
> 5,722 views
> •Apr 29, 2021
>
> Rebel News
> 1.45M subscribers
> ►https://rebelne.ws/3eHFxMC | Full episode of The Ezra Levant Show
> (SUBSCRIBERS ONLY)
> Ezra Levant is joined by Veterans For The Conservative Party founder
> T. Lee Humphrey to discuss Prime Minister Trudeau's claims that he was
> unaware of the nature of allegations against former Chief of Defence
> Jonathan Vance.
> FULL REPORT: https://rebelne.ws/3nzWcWQ
>
>
>
> Call (403) 614-9411
> tleeh@shaw.ca
>
> Lee Humphrey
> President and Owner
> Company Name
> JAMES International Security Consulting
> Dates Employed Jun 2008 – Present
> Employment Duration 12 yrs 11 mos
> Location Calgary, Canada Area
> Providing security services to international and domestic clients
> including risk management, crisis management, development of security
> plans for international clients, developing emergency and medical
> evacuation plans, providing Executvie Protection training and
> services, and regularily appearing as a security expert guest on two
> nationally syndocated radio programs. I was also a guest speaker at
> the 4th Annual Security for Energy Infrastructure Summit in Abu Dhabi
> UAE in Oct 2009.
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2021 04:10:48 -0300
> Subject: Methinks Matt Gaetz and Justin Fairfax should ask the FBI or
> Chrissy Baby Cuomo and his big brother and his pal Terry McAuliffe if
> they recall their buddy Elliot Spitzer's troubles or his letter to me
> years before found on page 13 of my old file entitled "Integrity Yea Right"
> To: aidan@mediaite.com, news-tips <news-tips@nytimes.com>,
> "Nathalie.Drouin" <Nathalie.Drouin@justice.gc.ca
> Dawn.McArdle@mail.house.gov, Matt.Gaetz@mail.house.gov,
> ltgov@ltgov.virginia.gov, bgordon@anchorsgordon.com,
> patrick.parsons@mail.house.gov
> art.mcdonald@forces.gc.ca, "Greta.Bossenmaier"
> <Greta.Bossenmaier@hq.nato.int
> <Boston.Mail@ic.fbi.gov>
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, washington field
> <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, "Mark.Blakely"
> <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
> <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>
>
> https://www.scribd.com/doc/
>
> https://www.businessinsider.
>
> Virginia's Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax says Gov. McAuliffe treated him
> like George Floyd, Emmett Till, after sexual assault allegations
> surfaced
> Cheryl Teh
> 2 hours ago
>
>
> https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/
>
> Former Matt Gaetz aide says FBI contacted him after sex-trafficking probe
> news
> Published Mon, Apr 5 20211:10 PM EDTUpdated Mon, Apr 5 20214:15 PM EDT
> Kevin Breuninger @KevinWilliamB Dan Mangan @_DanMangan
>
>
> https://www.foxnews.com/
>
> Gaetz's alleged extorter confirms he wanted $25M, denies shakedown
> Bob Kent admits he needed money as part of effort to locate FBI agent
> Robert Levinson
> Ronn Blitzer
> By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News
>
>
> https://www.mediaite.com/tv/
>
> WATCH: Chris Cuomo Questions Former Air Force Intel Officer Gaetz
> Accused of Being Part of Extortion Scheme
> By Josh Feldman Apr 5th, 2021, 9:59 pm
>
> https://nypost.com/2021/03/31/
>
> Meet Ginger Luckey, Matt Gaetz’s fiancée amid sex trafficking probe
> By Gabrielle Fonrouge
> March 31, 2021
>
>
> https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/
>
> Katie Hill talks friendship with Matt Gaetz, wants him ‘held responsible’
> By Emily Jacobs
> April 6, 2021 | 10:55am
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)"
> <fin.minfinance-financemin.
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2021 02:53:04 +0000
> Subject: RE: I trust that his minion Mark Koneda of US Naval Intel and
> his FBI pals know why I had no respect for their Biden's old buddy
> Rep. Alcee Hastings for rather obvious reasons
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
> correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
> comments.
> Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we apologize in advance for
> any delay in responding to your enquiry. In the meantime, information
> on Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan is available on the
> Government of Canada website at
> www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http
> calling 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) or 1-833-784-4397.
>
> Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
> Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
> En raison de la fluidité de la crise de la COVID-19, il est possible
> que nous retardions à vous répondre et nous nous en excusons.
> Entre-temps, les informations au sujet du Plan d'intervention
> économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 sont disponibles dans
> le site Web du gouvernement du Canada au
> www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http
> composant le
> 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) ou le 1-833-784-4397.
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario
> <Premier@ontario.ca>
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2021 02:52:55 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: I trust that his minion Mark Koneda of US
> Naval Intel and his FBI pals know why I had no respect for their
> Biden's old buddy Rep. Alcee Hastings for rather obvious reasons
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly
> valued.
>
> You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
> reviewed and taken into consideration.
>
> There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
> need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
> correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
> response may take several business days.
>
> Thanks again for your email.
> ______
>
> Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
> nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
>
> Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
> considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
>
> Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
> responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
> la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
> ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
>
> Merci encore pour votre courriel.
>
> https://www.mediaite.com/tv/
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2021 02:53:45 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: I trust that his minion Mark Koneda of US
> Naval Intel and his FBI pals know why I had no respect for their
> Biden's old buddy Rep. Alcee Hastings for rather obvious reasons
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
>
> Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
> that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
> understanding.
>
> If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
> visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://
>
> If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
> (506) 453-2144.
>
> Thank you.
>
>
> Bonjour,
>
> Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
>
> Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
> quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
> Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension.
>
> Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
> veuillez visiter
> www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://
>
> S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
> Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
>
> Merci.
>
>
> Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
> P.O Box/C. P. 6000
> Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-
> E3B 5H1
> Canada
> Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
> Email/Courriel:
> premier@gnb.ca/
>
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 23:52:37 -0300
> Subject: I trust that his minion Mark Koneda of US Naval Intel and his
> FBI pals know why I had no respect for their Biden's old buddy Rep.
> Alcee Hastings for rather obvious reasons
> To: Dawn.McArdle@mail.house.gov, Matt.Gaetz@mail.house.gov,
> bgordon@anchorsgordon.com, patrick.parsons@mail.house.gov
> nia_ig.fct@navy.mil, art.mcdonald@forces.gc.ca, "Greta.Bossenmaier"
> <Greta.Bossenmaier@hq.nato.int
> <Boston.Mail@ic.fbi.gov>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>,
> "steve.murphy" <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>, "rob.moore"
> <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
> "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, washington field
> <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, "Ian.Shugart"
> <Ian.Shugart@pco-bcp.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, premier
> <premier@ontario.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, premier
> <premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier
> <premier@gov.pe.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>, PREMIER
> <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, premier <premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier
> <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, Office
> of the Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, "Brenda.Lucki"
> <Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "barbara.massey"
> <barbara.massey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
> <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, "fin.minfinance-financemin.
> <fin.minfinance-financemin.
>
> https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/
>
> Rep. Alcee Hastings dies, narrowing Democratic House majority to just 7
> Published Tue, Apr 6 202110:44 AM EDTUpdated Tue, Apr 6 20214:01 PM EDT
> Christian Nunley
> @cnunley7
> Share
> Key Points
>
> Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., died Tuesday at age 84 after a
> two-year bout with pancreatic cancer.
> Democrats now hold a narrower margin in the House, with a 218-211
> split, while six vacant seats remain.
>
>
> Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., listens to students speak about their
> experiences with gun violence during the The Gun Violence Prevention
> Task Force panel Wednesday afternoon May 23, 2018.
> Sarah Silbiger | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
>
> Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., died Tuesday after a more than two-year
> bout with pancreatic cancer, NBC News confirmed.
>
> Hastings, who served in the House for nearly three decades, was 84.
> Throughout his career, he held several key committee assignments and
> leadership positions, most recently as vice chairman of the rules
> committee. He had also been Florida’s first Black federal trial judge,
> appointed to the bench in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter.
>
> “As an attorney, civil rights activist and judge, and over his nearly
> thirty years in Congress, he fought tirelessly to create opportunities
> to lift up working families, communities of color, children and
> immigrants,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a statement.
>
> President Joe Biden reacted to Hastings’ death on Tuesday afternoon.
> “Across his long career of public service, Alcee always stood up to
> fight for equality, and always showed up for the working people he
> represented,” he said in a statement. “Jill and I are saddened to
> learn of his passing.”
>
> Democrats now hold a narrower advantage in the House, 218-211, giving
> the party a smaller margin of error in passing legislation. Six seats
> are vacant, four of which were previously held by Democrats and two by
> Republicans.
>
> Three of the four Democratic House seats were vacated by appointments
> to positions in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet. Deb Haaland, of New
> Mexico, was appointed secretary of the Department of Interior; Marcia
> Fudge, of Ohio, was named head of the Department of Housing and Urban
> Development, and Cedric Richmond, of Louisiana, became senior advisor
> to the president and director of the White House Office of Public
> Engagement.
>
> One of the two vacant GOP seats is no longer up for contest. Julia
> Letlow of Louisiana was elected in late March but has yet to be sworn
> in. Julia will replace her late husband, Luke Letlow, who was elected
> to the seat but died before being sworn in due to Covid-19
> complications.
>
> In 1983, when Hastings was a federal judge, he was acquitted in
> criminal court on a charge of conspiring to solicit a bribe in
> exchange for leniency in a sentencing.
>
> Alcee Hastings testifying at his impeachment trial in 1989.
> Michael Jenkins | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
>
> Nevertheless, the House impeached Hastings in 1988 amid accusations
> that he perjured himself during that criminal trial. The Senate voted
> to convict him, removing him from the bench, but did not vote to
> disqualify him from holding future office.
>
> Hastings appealed the impeachment conviction in 1992. A federal judge
> overturned the conviction, on the grounds that a 12-member Senate
> committee, rather than the full Senate, conducted the impeachment
> trial. This was the first time a Senate conviction was overturned by a
> federal judge.
>
> The next year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal courts do not have
> the authority to review the procedures of a Senate impeachment trial.
> Hastings’ legislative career, which began with his election in 1992
> and continued until his death, was unaffected by the decision.
>
>
> On 4/6/21, David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 16:12:24 -0300
> Subject: Fwd: This important Thats why I just called and tweeted both
> of your congressional offices
> To: bgordon@anchorsgordon.com
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
> https://www.gop.gov/member/
>
> Matt Gaetz
> FLORIDA's 1st DISTRICT
> Contact Information
>
> 1721 Longworth HOB
> Washington, DC 20515
> Phone 202-225-4136
> gaetz.house.gov
> Committee Assignments
>
> Armed Services
>
> Judiciary
>
> Matt Gaetz, a member of the 116th Congress, is currently serving his
> second term. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and
> the Judiciary Committee. His work in Congress focuses on national
> security, tax reform, regulatory reform, and adherence to
> constitutional principles. Matt is devoted to the values upon which
> our country was founded, earning the nickname of “constitutional
> conservative champion.” Matt is an active member on the Climate
> Solutions, Reformers, Animal Protection, and Robotics Caucuses.
>
> Prior to serving in Congress, Matt worked as an attorney in Northwest
> Florida with the Keefe, Anchors & Gordon law firm, where he advocated
> for a more open and transparent government. In 2010, Matt was elected
> to serve in the Florida House of Representatives to represent portions
> of Okaloosa and Santa Rosa county. He was chairman of the Finance and
> Tax Committee, where he authored and passed $1 billion in tax cuts,
> all while balancing the state budget and repealing or replacing over
> 4,000 regulations. Matt also served as chairman of the Criminal
> Justice Subcommittee, where he authored and passed some of America’s
> toughest penalties against violent sexual predators.
>
> From Florida to D.C., Matt has lived up to his reputation as an
> outspoken conservative firebrand. Matt has been a prominent voice for
> uncovering corruption within the Department of Justice and the Federal
> Bureau of Investigation. Matt is passionate about making sure
> government is accountable, transparent, honest.
>
> Matt is proud to be a part of the historic passage of the Tax Cuts and
> Jobs Act, which provided tax relief for workers, families, job
> creators, and helped revitalize our nation’s economy.
>
> Matt’s first bill that successfully passed through the House was H.R.
> 2370, the Escambia County Land Conveyance Act, giving leaseholders in
> Santa Rosa Island the option to acquire fee simple titles to their
> property. The bill also stipulates that the non-federal areas
> dedicated for conservation, preservation, public access, and parking
> will all be preserved permanently.
>
> Since Northwest Florida is home to strategic military installations
> such as Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Pensacola NAS, Matt has made it
> a priority to ensure the military has extraordinary capabilities to
> protect America. During the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act
> (NDAA), Matt secured numerous provisions, including an amendment for
> SPACE-A travel benefits for veterans with service-related
> disabilities, and a $41.9 million increase in funding to military test
> ranges, including the Gulf Test Range.
>
> Matt graduated from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida,
> with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary sciences. After
> finishing his undergraduate studies, Matt moved to Williamsburg,
> Virginia, to attend William & Mary Law School, where he received his
> Juris Doctorate.
>
> Matt was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and is the son of Don and
> Vickey Gaetz. Matt is a lifetime member of the National Rifle
> Association, which has given him an A+ rating throughout his time in
> the legislature, and First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach. When
> Matt is not fighting for his constituents, he enjoys spending time
> with his family and his dog Scarlett.
>
>
> https://anchorsgordon.com/ben-
>
> A native of Fort Walton Beach, Ben Gordon is a founding partner in
> AnchorsGordon.
>
> With over 20 years of experience focused on legal issues impacting
> businesses and individuals, Ben works to avoid liability triggers as
> general counsel as well as to resolve disputes through litigation. Ben
> counsels new and existing businesses on creating a strong foundation
> for a successful enterprise, including with respect to operating
> agreements, contracts, and employment issues. In particular, Ben
> frequently advises clients and litigates issues related to trade
> secrets, non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements.
> Ben’s litigation practice primarily focuses on real estate litigation,
> commercial litigation, corporate and partnership litigation, and
> condominium/homeowner’s association litigation. Ben works closely with
> real estate developers, commercial property owners, bars and
> restaurants, retail businesses, and the hospitality industry, as well
> as local Northwest Florida manufacturers, technology companies, and
> government contractors.
>
> Ben’s practice is strongly influenced by his legal experiences within
> and beyond Northwest Florida. After graduating from law school, Ben
> served as a law clerk for the Honorable C. Roger Vinson, Chief Judge
> for the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in
> Pensacola. Ben entered private practice as an attorney with King &
> Spalding LLP in Washington, D.C., where he focused on complex business
> litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country. While
> Ben continues to spend significant time in D.C., his home is Northwest
> Florida where he serves local businesses and clients, with his unique
> understanding of how the local dynamics of this community interrelate
> with the legal and business realities outside the region.
>
> Ben and his family have a long history of service to our area, serving
> as teachers, volunteers, and active leaders in our legal and business
> communities. Ben’s father, the late Honorable Ben Gordon, Jr., served
> Northwest Florida as a County Judge and Circuit Judge for more than
> twenty years. Ben continues to serve his community in many roles,
> including having been appointed by Florida’s governor to serve on the
> Judicial Nomination Commission for the First Judicial Circuit and
> serving as the chairman of the First Judicial Circuit’s Grievance
> Committee B.
>
> Ben and his wife Amanda have two children, with whom they love to
> travel as often as possible and with whom they are regularly boating
> when home in our emerald waters.
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 15:52:53 -0300
> Subject: This important Thats why I just called and tweeted both of
> your congressional offices
> To: Dawn.McArdle@mail.house.gov, Matt.Gaetz@mail.house.gov,
> patrick.parsons@mail.house.gov
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 14:48:36 -0300
> Subject: Fwd: [Non-DoD Source] Fwd: Methinks the evil lawyer Howie
> Cooper made a deal with the VERY NASTY FBI dudes in Beantown N'esy Pas
> Howie Anglin?
> To: nia_ig.fct@navy.mil, washington field
> <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, "Ian.Shugart"
> <Ian.Shugart@pco-bcp.gc.ca>
> Cc: "Brenda.Lucki" <Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "Jonathan.Vance"
> <Jonathan.Vance@forces.gc.ca>, "Greta.Bossenmaier"
> <Greta.Bossenmaier@hq.nato.int
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: NIA_IG <nia_ig.fct@navy.mil>
> Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2021 11:03:08 +0000
> Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] Fwd: Methinks the evil lawyer Howie
> Cooper made a deal with the VERY NASTY FBI dudes in Beantown N'esy Pas
> Howie Anglin?
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
>
> Dear David Amos,
> The Naval Intelligence Activity (NIA) Office of the Inspector General
> (IG) reviewed your email and attached .WAV file provided to the NIA
> Hotline on 2 April 2021. I found no connection to the United States
> Navy or United States Naval Intelligence.
>
> Naval Inspectors General exist to improve the efficiency and
> effectiveness of US Navy Programs, and strive to eliminate and prevent
> waste, fraud, and abuse with their respective departments. Naval IGs
> are restricted to assessing matters falling within the purview of
> their respective commanders.
>
> Citing the lack of an apparent connection to the US Navy or Naval
> Intelligence, I am unable to provide further assistance, or provide
> direct referral to any other agency or activity.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Mark Koneda
> Investigator
> Naval Intelligence Activity
> Office of the Inspector General
> NIA_IG@navy.mil
> (301)669-3030 (unclass)
> TSVOIP 560-3030
>
> INSPECTOR GENERAL SENSITIVE INFORMATION - FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY The
> information contained in this email and any accompanying attachments
> may contain Inspector General sensitive or pre-decisional information,
> which is protected from mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of
> Information Act (FOIA, 5 USC Section 552). It should not be released
> to unauthorized persons. If you are not the intended recipient of this
> information, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of
> any action in reliance on this information is prohibited. If you
> received this email in error, please notify this office by email or by
> calling (301) 669-3030.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> Sent: Friday, April 2, 2021 12:50 PM
> To: NIA_IG <nia_ig.fct@navy.mil>
> Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
> Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Fwd: Methinks the evil lawyer Howie Cooper
> made a deal with the VERY NASTY FBI dudes in Beantown N'esy Pas Howie
> Anglin?
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Art.McDonald@forces.gc.ca
> Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2021 13:49:10 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks the evil lawyer Howie Cooper made a
> deal with the VERY NASTY FBI dudes in Beantown N'esy Pas Howie Anglin?
> To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
>
> The Acting Chief of the Defence Staff is LGen Wayne Eyre, he may be
> reached at wayne.eyre@forces.gc.ca.
>
> Le Chef d'état-major de la Défense par intérim est le LGen Wayne Eyre.
> Il peut être rejoint au wayne.eyre@forces.gc.ca.
>
> Art McD
> He/Him // Il/Lui
> Admiral/amiral Art McDonald
>
> Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS)
> Canadian Armed Forces
> art.mcdonald@forces.gc.ca<
> 613-992-5054
>
> Chef d’état-major de la Defense (CÉMD)
> Forces armées canadiennes
> art.mcdonald@forces.gc.ca<
> 613-992-5054
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> > > > From: "McKnight, Gisele" McKnight.Gisele@kingscorecord.
>> > > > To: lcampenella@ledger.com
>> > > > Cc:motomaniac_02186@hotmail.
>> > > Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 2:53 PM
>> > > > Subject: David Amos
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > > Hello Lisa,
>> > > > > David Amos asked me to contact you. I met him last June after he
>> > became
>> > > an
>> > > > > independent (not representing any political party) candidate in
>> > > > > our
>> > > > federal
>> > > > > election that was held June 28.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > He was a candidate in our constituency of Fundy (now called
>> > > Fundy-Royal).
>> > > > I
>> > > > > wrote a profile story about him, as I did all other candidates.
>> > > > > That
>> > > story
>> > > > > appeared in the Kings County Record June 22. A second story,
>> > > > > written
>> > by
>> > > > one
>> > > > > of my reporters, appeared on the same date, which was a report on
>> the
>> > > > > candidates' debate held June 18.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > As I recall David Amos came last of four candidates in the
>> > > > > election.
>> > The
>> > > > > winner got 14,997 votes, while Amos got 358.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I have attached the two stories that appeared, as well as a photo
>> > taken
>> > > by
>> > > > > reporter Erin Hatfield during the debate. I couldn't find the
>> > > > > photo
>> > that
>> > > > > ran, but this one is very similar.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Gisele McKnight
>> > > > > editor A1-debate A1-amos,David for MP 24.doc debate
> 2.JPG
>> > > > > Kings County Record
>> > > > > Sussex, New Brunswick
>> > > > > Canada
>> > > > > 506-433-1070
>> > > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
> Raising a Little Hell- Lively Debate Provokes Crowd
>
> By Erin Hatfield
>
> "If you don't like what you got, why don't you change it? If your
> world is all screwed up, rearrange it."
>
> The 1979 Trooper song Raise a Little Hell blared on the speakers at
> the 8th Hussars Sports Center Friday evening as people filed in to
> watch the Fundy candidates debate the issues. It was an accurate, if
> unofficial, theme song for the debate.
>
> The crowd of over 200 spectators was dwarfed by the huge arena, but as
> they chose their seats, it was clear the battle lines were drawn.
> Supporters of Conservative candidate Rob Moore naturally took the blue
> chairs on the right of the rink floor while John Herron's Liberalswent
> left. There were splashes of orange, supporters of NDP Pat Hanratty,
> mixed throughout. Perhaps the loudest applause came from a row towards
> the back, where supporters of independent candidate David Amos sat.
>
> The debate was moderated by Leo Melanson of CJCW Radio and was
> organized by the Sussex Valley Jaycees. Candidates wereasked a barrage
> of questions bypanelists Gisele McKnight of the Kings County Record
> and Lisa Spencer of CJCW.
>
> Staying true to party platforms for the most part, candidates
> responded to questions about the gun registry, same sex marriage, the
> exodus of young people from the Maritimes and regulated gas prices.
> Herron and Moore were clear competitors,constantly challenging each
> other on their answers and criticizing eachothers’ party leaders.
> Hanratty flew under the radar, giving short, concise responses to the
> questions while Amos provided some food for thought and a bit of comic
> relief with quirky answers. "I was raised with a gun," Amos said in
> response to the question of thenational gun registry. "Nobody's
> getting mine and I'm not paying 10 cents for it."
>
> Herron, a Progressive Conservative MP turned Liberal, veered from his
> party'splatform with regard to gun control. "It was ill advised but
> well intentioned," Herron said. "No matter what side of the house I am
> on, I'm voting against it." Pat Hanratty agreed there were better
> places for the gun registry dollars to be spent.Recreational hunters
> shouldn't have been penalized by this gun registry," he said.
>
> The gun registry issues provoked the tempers of Herron and Moore. At
> one point Herron got out of his seat and threw a piece of paper in
> front of Moore. "Read that," Herron said to Moore, referring to the
> voting record of Conservative Party leader Steven Harper. According to
> Herron, Harper voted in favour of the registry on the first and second
> readings of the bill in 1995. "He voted against it when it counted, at
> final count," Moore said. "We needa government with courage to
> register sex offenders rather than register the property of law
> abiding citizens."
>
> The crowd was vocal throughout the evening, with white haired men and
> women heckling from the Conservative side. "Shut up John," one woman
> yelled. "How can you talk about selling out?" a man yelled whenHerron
> spoke about his fear that the Conservatives are selling farmers out.
>
> Although the Liberal side was less vocal, Kings East MLA Leroy
> Armstrong weighed in at one point. "You’re out of touch," Armstrong
> yelled to Moore from the crowd when the debate turned to the cost of
> post-secondary education. Later in the evening Amos challenged
> Armstrong to a public debate of their own. "Talk is cheap. Any time,
> anyplace," Armstrong responded.
>
> As the crowd made its way out of the building following the debate,
> candidates worked the room. They shook hands with well-wishers and
> fielded questions from spectators-all part of the decision-making
> process for the June 28 vote.
>
> Cutline – David Amos, independent candidate in Fundy, with some of his
> favourite possessions—motorcycles.
>
> McKnight/KCR
>
> The Unconventional Candidate
>
> David Amos Isn’t Campaigning For Your Vote, But….
>
> By Gisele McKnight
>
> FUNDY—He has a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket, a chain on his
> wallet, a beard at least a foot long, 60 motorcycles and a cell phone
> that rings to the tune of "Yankee Doodle."
>
> Meet the latest addition to the Fundy ballot—David Amos.
>
> The independent candidate lives in Milton, Massachusetts with his wife
> and two children, but his place of residence does not stop him from
> running for office in Canada.
>
> One has only to be at least 18, a Canadian citizen and not be in jail
> to meet Elections Canada requirements.
>
> When it came time to launch his political crusade, Amos chose his
> favourite place to do so—Fundy.
>
> Amos, 52, is running for political office because of his
> dissatisfaction with politicians.
>
> "I’ve become aware of much corruption involving our two countries," he
> said. "The only way to fix corruption is in the political forum."
>
> The journey that eventually led Amos to politics began in Sussex in
> 1987. He woke up one morning disillusioned with life and decided he
> needed to change his life.
>
> "I lost my faith in mankind," he said. "People go through that
> sometimes in midlife."
>
> So Amos, who’d lived in Sussex since 1973, closed his Four Corners
> motorcycle shop, paid his bills and hit the road with Annie, his 1952
> Panhead motorcycle.
>
> "Annie and I rode around for awhile (three years, to be exact)
> experiencing the milk of human kindness," he said. "This is how you
> renew your faith in mankind – you help anyone you can, you never ask
> for anything, but you take what they offer."
>
> For those three years, they offered food, a place to sleep, odd jobs
> and conversation all over North America.
>
> Since he and Annie stopped wandering, he has married, fathered a son
> and a daughter and become a house-husband – Mr. Mom, as he calls
> himself.
>
> He also describes himself in far more colourful terms—a motorcyclist
> rather than a biker, a "fun-loving, free-thinking, pig-headed
> individual," a "pissed-off Maritimer" rather than an activist, a proud
> Canadian and a "wild colonial boy."
>
> Ironically, the man who is running for office has never voted in his life.
>
> "But I have no right to criticize unless I offer my name," he said.
> "It’s alright to bitch in the kitchen, but can you walk the walk?"
>
> Amos has no intention of actively campaigning.
>
> "I didn’t appreciate it when they (politicians) pounded on my door
> interrupting my dinner," he said. "If people are interested, they can
> call me. I’m not going to drive my opinions down their throats."
>
> And he has no campaign budget, nor does he want one.
>
> "I won’t take any donations," he said. "Just try to give me some. It’s
> not about money. It goes against what I’m fighting about."
>
> What he’s fighting for is the discussion of issues – tainted blood,
> the exploitation of the Maritimes’ gas and oil reserves and NAFTA, to
> name a few.
>
> "The political issues in the Maritimes involve the three Fs – fishing,
> farming and forestry, but they forget foreign issues," he said. "I’m
> death on NAFTA, the back room deals and free trade. I say chuck it
> (NAFTA) out the window.
>
> NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement which allows an
> easier flow of goods between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
>
> Amos disagrees with the idea that a vote for him is a wasted vote.
>
> "There are no wasted votes," he said. "I want people like me,
> especially young people, to pay attention and exercise their right.
> Don’t necessarily vote for me, but vote."
>
> Although…if you’re going to vote anyway, Amos would be happy to have
> your X by his name.
>
> "I want people to go into that voting booth, see my name, laugh and
> say, ‘what the hell.’"
>
>
>
> ---------- Orignal message ----------
> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:49:00 -0300
> Subject: Methinks the evil lawyer Howie Cooper made a deal with the
> VERY NASTY FBI dudes in Beantown N'esy Pas Howie Anglin?
> To: hcooper@toddweld.com, washington field
> <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, stateofcorruptionnh1
> <stateofcorruptionnh1@gmail.
> <Boston.Mail@ic.fbi.gov>, mdcohen212 <mdcohen212@gmail.com>,
> art.mcdonald@forces.gc.ca, richard.jolette@forces.gc.ca,
> JONATHAN.VANCE@forces.gc.ca, Tammy.Harris@forces.gc.ca,
> Jill.Chisholm@justice.gc.ca, Cedric.Aspirault@forces.gc.ca,
> Derek.Sloan@parl.gc.ca, Hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca,
> Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, barbara.massey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
> clare.barry@justice.gc.ca, michael.mcnair@pmo-cpm.gc.ca,
> David.Akin@globalnews.ca, dale.drummond@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, "blaine.higgs"
> <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@
> hon.melanie.joly@canada.ca, Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.
> "andrea.anderson-mason" <andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>
> Ramesh.Sangha@parl.gc.ca, Marwan.Tabbara@parl.gc.ca,
> Yasmin.Ratansi@parl.gc.ca, Ian.Shugart@pco-bcp.gc.ca, "Bill.Blair"
> <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, chad@williamson.law,
> steve.phillips@gov.ab.ca, Karen.Thorsrud@gov.ab.ca,
> ministryofjustice@gov.ab.ca, Kaycee.Madu@gov.ab.ca,
> edmontonprosecutions@gov.ab.ca
> howard.anglin@gmail.com, centralpeace.notley@assembly.
> cypress.medicinehat@assembly.
> lacombe.ponoka@assembly.ab.ca, brooks.medicinehat@assembly.
> bonnyville.coldlake.stpaul@
> theangryalbertan@protonmail.
> lboothby@postmedia.com, acps.calgaryprosecutions@gov.
> <premier@gov.ab.ca>, sheilagunnreid <sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>,
> keean.bexte@rebelnews.com, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, sfine
> <sfine@globeandmail.com>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, news-tips
> <news-tips@nytimes.com>, mcu@justice.gc.ca,
> ombudsman-communications@
> <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>
> Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
> etiernan@wickedlocal.com, nesimpson@patriotledger.com,
> jdifazio@patriotledger.com, Nathalie Sturgeon
> <sturgeon.nathalie@
> <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>
>
> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>
> Prosecutors say Joyce’s lawyer lied, should be pulled from trial
>
> By Neal Simpson
> The Patriot Ledger
> Posted Jan 18, 2018 at 12:59 PM
>
> BOSTON - Federal prosecutors have accused an attorney for former state
> Sen. Brian Joyce of lying to state ethics officials and are asking a
> judge to have him pulled from Joyce’s defense team if the former
> legislator’s corruption case goes to trial.
>
> In a motion filed earlier this month, prosecutors said lawyer Howard
> Cooper had made “several material and false representations” to the
> state Ethics Commission on behalf of Joyce, a Milton Democrat who is
> accused of using the influence of his office to collect a series of
> bribes, kickbacks and gifts, including hundreds of pounds of free
> coffee and a Jeep.
>
> Prosecutors say Cooper helped Joyce cover up at least two of his
> schemes and could provide important testimony at trial.
>
> Cooper, a founding partner at Todd & Weld in Boston, was not
> identified by name in the 113-count indictment against Joyce, but
> prosecutors said in their motion filed earlier this month that he was
> the unnamed attorney described in the indictment as sending misleading
> emails and letters to the Ethics Commission on Joyce’s behalf. Cooper
> did not respond to request for comment Wednesday.
>
> In one of those letters, sent in October 2016, prosecutors say Cooper
> falsely told the Ethics Commission that Joyce had directed his
> retirement account to purchase common stock in an energy-insurance
> holding company doing business in Massachusetts.
>
> In fact, prosecutors say, the retirement account was a sham created to
> evade IRS penalties and hide Joyce’s direct investment in the company,
> which stood to benefit from alternative-energy legislation that Joyce
> was championing on Beacon Hill.
>
> Prosecutors say Cooper also sent two misleading emails to the Ethics
> Commission about Joyce’s relationship with a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee
> who made payments to Joyce and sent him free coffee at the same time
> that the senator was pushing legislation that would help the
> franchisee’s business.
>
> Prosecutors said Joyce received hundreds of pounds of free coffee from
> the franchisee – giving much of it away to constituents or fellow
> state senators – but later tried to claim he paid for the coffee
> deliveries or had received them in exchange for legal services
> provided by his law firm.
>
> In 2015, prosecutors say Cooper emailed the Ethics Commission and told
> them Joyce had purchased the coffee he gave out to fellow senators the
> previous Christmas. In reality, prosecutors say Joyce only paid for
> the coffee only after The Boston Globe reported on the Christmas gifts
> a month later.
>
> Then in 2016, prosecutors say Cooper told the commission in an email
> that an earlier delivery of coffee in 2013 had been made in exchange
> for Joyce’s legal work on related to a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise. But
> prosecutors say Joyce only invented that arrangement in 2015, two
> years after the coffee had already been delivered.
>
> Joyce was released last month on $250,000 bond secured by property he
> owns in Canton. He is due back in court Feb. 23.
>
> Neal Simpson may be reached at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on
> Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger.
>
> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>
> Accountant charged with helping ex-Sen. Brian Joyce defraud IRS
> Image: Former Massachusetts State Sen. Brian Joyce is surrounded by
> reporters as he leaves the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Worcester, Mass
> By Erin Tiernan
> The Patriot Ledger
> Posted Jan 29, 2018 at 2:50 PM
>
> Federal prosecutors say John H. Nardozzi helped the former Milton
> Democrat avoid paying almost $800,000 in taxes over a four-year
> period.
>
> WORCESTER — A longtime accountant for former state Sen. Brian Joyce
> has been charged with helping the embattled Milton Democrat prepare
> and file false income tax returns, federal officials said.
>
> John. H. Nardozzi of Waltham is accused of aiding Joyce and his family
> in defrauding the government out of almost $800,000 in taxes over a
> four-year period, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday.
>
> Joyce was charged in a separate federal indictment in December that
> alleges he laundered more than $1 million in kickbacks and bribes
> through his law practice and another private business.
>
> Nardozzi will appear in federal court in Worcester on Monday
> afternoon, charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS and
> eight counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax
> returns, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
>
> Prosecutors allege Nardozzi conspired with Joyce to defraud the IRS by
> deducting millions of dollars in personal expenses as legitimate
> business expenses, inflating self-employment income for Joyce and his
> wife by more than $2 million in order to maximize retirement plan
> contributions, falsifying withdrawals from a retirement account and
> falsifying dividends on Joyce’s personal tax returns.
>
> In total, Nardozzi is accused of misclassifying $2,268,520 to reduce
> Joyce’s tax burden, according to prosecutors. Joyce’s law firm should
> have paid out $850,748 in taxes during that period, of which Joyce
> paid just $56,766.
>
> “For tax years 2011 through and including 2014, defendant Nardozzi and
> Joyce knowingly and willfully caused [Brian Joyce’s law firm] to avoid
> paying approximately $793,982 in federal corporate income taxes,” the
> indictment states.
>
> Joyce, who moved to Westport with his family last year following an
> FBI-raid on his law office, faces more than 100 charges ranging from
> racketeering and extortion to money laundering and could place Joyce
> behind bars for up to 20 years.
>
> Then-Acting U.S. Attorney William Weinreb hinted in December at a
> press conference announcing Joyce’s indictment that more arrests were
> likely as the investigation into Joyce’s alleged corruption continued.
>
> “He used his office as a criminal enterprise to make deals with his
> business cronies and in exchange he took bribes, kickbacks ... and
> took steps to conceal his corrupt acts,” Weinreb said at the time
>
> Nardozzi’s indictment indicates that prosecutors believe the certified
> public accountant played a part in that cover up.
>
> Joyce and his wife bought $471,250 in common stock from a Delaware
> energy insurance broker in 2014, $395,125 of which they paid for
> though a series of early withdrawals from their retirement accounts.
> In the Joyce indictment, prosecutors said the retirement account was a
> sham created to evade IRS penalties and hide Joyce’s direct investment
> in the company, which stood to benefit from alternative-energy
> legislation that Joyce pushing on Beacon Hill.
>
> Prosecutors allege Nardozzi, an accountant of 37 years, falsely
> reported it as a tax-exempt retirement account rollover with the
> intent to help the Joyce’s avoid paying taxes to the IRS.
>
> “By reporting the early withdrawal of funds from the Joyce’s
> retirement accounts as a tax-exempt rollover on Joyce’s 2014 personal
> tax return... defendant Nardozzi and Joyce caused Joyce and Joyce’s
> spouse to avoid paying approximately $208,100 in additional income
> taxes and early withdrawal penalties,” the indictment states.
>
> Nardozzi was not named in the original 113-count indictment against
> Joyce. Joyce pleaded not guilty to the charges on Dec. 8 and is
> currently free on a $250,000 bond.
>
> Prosecutors have also fingered Joyce’s laweyr, Howard Cooper as taking
> a role in Joyce’s corruption coverup. A motion filed earlier this
> month asked a federal judge to remove Cooper from Joyce’s defense
> team, accusing him of making “several material and false
> representations” to the state Ethics Commission on behalf of Joyce.
> Cooper has not been indicted, but prosecutors said Cooper helped Joyce
> cover up at least two of his schemes, including the stock purchase,
> and could provide important testimony at trial.
>
> Erin Tiernan may be reached at etiernan@wickedlocal.com. Neal Simpson
> contributed to this report.
>
>
>
>
>
> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>
>
> Prosecutors in Joyce case earn rebuke from legal community
>
> By Neal Simpson
> The Patriot Ledger
> Posted Apr 4, 2018 at 4:47 PM
>
> BOSTON — Federal prosecutors seeking to disqualify an attorney for
> former state Sen. Brian Joyce from his upcoming corruption trial have
> earned a rebuke from dozens of lawyers and several legal organizations
> who accuse them of trying to to broaden their ability to have
> defendants’ lawyers removed.
>
> Prosecutors had argued that attorney Howard M. Cooper, founding
> partner at Todd & Weld in Boston, should be stripped from Joyce’s
> defense team at trial because Cooper has unwittingly helped Joyce
> cover up some of his corrupt activities by submitting false statements
> to the state Ethics Commission, making Cooper a potential witness to
> Joyce’s crimes. But in an amicus brief submitted earlier this week, a
> collection of lawyers and legal organizations argue that such thinking
> would erode defendants’ Sixth Amendment right to their chosen counsel
> and interfere with attorneys’ ability to represent their clients while
> criminal charges are pending.
>
> “Granting the present motion would threaten ethical and effective
> advocacy by counsel in numerous other cases,” the brief reads. “It
> would encourage the government to seek to disqualify counsel more
> frequently in any of the array of circumstances in which defense
> counsel may advocate on a client’s behalf and might present what the
> government may later claim to be inaccurate information.”
>
> The battle over the future of Joyce’s legal representation comes as
> the former Milton Democrat faces a 113-count indictment accusing him
> of turning his Beacon Hill office into a money-making venture where he
> traded legislation and political influence for more than $1 million in
> kickbacks, hundreds of pounds of free coffee and a 2014 Jeep. He was
> arrested on the charges this past December and released on $250,000
> bond.
>
> A little more than a month after Joyce’s arrest, federal prosecutors
> indicated that they would seek to disqualify Cooper from representing
> Joyce at trial and could call him to testify about several statements
> he made to the ethics commission on Joyce’s behalf. Some of those
> statements had addressed the commission’s questions about whether the
> senator had received free Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in exchange for
> pushing favorable legislation, whether he’d filed legislation without
> disclosing that it would benefit a client, and whether he’d appeared
> before a state commission while concealing his financial investment in
> the company.
>
> Prosecutors have not suggested that Cooper was aware that the
> statements were false, but said that Joyce had nonetheless “entangled
> Attorney Cooper in the cover-up.” In a motion filed in late February,
> prosecutors argued that Joyce had used Cooper’s statements to further
> his crimes, making communications between the two exempt from
> attorney-client privilege.
>
> In response, Joyce accused prosecutors of trying to disqualify his
> attorney by making him into a witness even through they hadn’t shown
> any need for Cooper’s testimony. Joyce said he would even stipulate
> that he himself had prepared and reviewed the statements that
> prosecutors say were false.
>
> Joyce, who is a lawyer, also argued Cooper had only submitted the
> statements to defend Joyce against allegations of wrongdoing and had
> not been involved in setting up the corrupt deals Joyce is accused of
> making. Joyce hired Cooper and his firm, Todd & Weld, in March 2015
> after Boston Globe reporters began asking Joyce’s office questions.
>
> Joyce said disqualifying Cooper would violated his Sixth Amendment
> right to choose his legal counsel and force him to find a new attorney
> following the loss of his job, the end of his practice and “the
> exhaustion of his resources.”
>
> “Now the government takes aim at the one attorney who has represented
> him throughout, in whom he reposes the greatest trust and confidence,
> and ask the Court to require him to start over with new counsel he
> does not want and cannot afford,” attorneys for Joyce and Cooper said
> in a motion filed on their behalf. “This would be a cruel, unfair and
> clearly unconstitutional blow.”
>
> The Boston legal community apparently agrees. In a motion filed
> Monday, a group including the Massachusetts Bar Association, the
> Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American
> Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and 71 individual attorneys
> argued that the prosecutors’ request had “far-reaching and troubling
> Sixth Amendment implications,” potentially opening the door for
> prosecutors to have defense attorneys removed from a case by claiming
> that they had previously presented inaccurate information on their
> client’s behalf. The Boston Bar Association is seeking to file a
> separate amicus brief.
>
> “We believe the government’s motion threatens the constitutionally
> protected right of a lawyer to present a client’s defense to courts
> and to government agencies,” Jon Albano, president-elect of the Boston
> Bar Association, said in a statement. “A lawyer should not be
> disqualified for presenting a client’s side of a case when there is no
> evidence that the lawyer knew the client was not telling the truth.”
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:19:51 -0400
> Subject: Methinks one of Trump's many lawyers should call the FBI
> dudes in DC and Beantown ASAP They are far too chicken to talk to me
> or you N'esy Pas Mikey Gill?
> To: sheri.dillon@morganlewis.com, washington field
> <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, hcooper <hcooper@toddweld.com>,
> stateofcorruptionnh1 <stateofcorruptionnh1@gmail.
> <Boston.Mail@ic.fbi.gov>, mdcohen212 <mdcohen212@gmail.com>,
> "hon.ralph.goodale" <hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca>,
> Pierre.Parent@parl.gc.ca, "Gib.vanErt" <Gib.vanErt@scc-csc.ca>
> Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
> jonathan.albano@morganlewis.
> <Dale.Morgan@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
>
> Sheri A. Dillon
> 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
> Washington, DC 20004-2541
> United States
> Phone +1.202.739.5749
> sheri.dillon@morganlewis.com
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: Premier of Ontario | Première ministre de l’Ontario
> <Premier@ontario.ca>
> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:21:16 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: The LIEbranos latest Constitutional and
> Legal Adviser Michael Fenrick denied receiving this email but several
> computers did not
> To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
> Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly
> valued.
>
> You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
> reviewed and taken into consideration.
>
> There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
> need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
> correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
> response may take several business days.
>
> Thanks again for your email.
> ______
>
> Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
> nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
>
> Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
> considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
>
> Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
> responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
> la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
> ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
>
> Merci encore pour votre courriel.
>
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2018 09:21:12 -0400
> Subject: Fwd: The LIEbranos latest Constitutional and Legal Adviser
> Michael Fenrick denied receiving this email but several computers did
> not
> To: jagmeet.singh@ndp.ca, sfeinman <sfeinman@fahrllc.com>, premier
> <premier@ontario.ca>, PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, premier
> <premier@gov.ab.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>, premier
> <premier@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier
> <premier@gov.nt.ca>, premier <premier@gov.bc.ca>, "premier.ministre"
> <premier.ministre@cex.gouv.qc.
> Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
> <doug@fordnation.ca>, "francis.scarpaleggia"
> <francis.scarpaleggia@parl.gc.
>
> ---------- Original message ----------
> From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)" <Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2018 12:51:40 +0000
> Subject: RE: The LIEbranos latest Constitutional and Legal Adviser
> Michael Fenrick denied receiving this email but several computers did
> not
> To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
> Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be
> assured that your email will be reviewed.
>
> If this is a media request, please forward your email to
> media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:med
>
> ******************************
>
> Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du
> Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.
>
> Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à
> media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:med
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Justice Website <JUSTWEB@novascotia.ca>
> Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2017 14:21:11 +0000
> Subject: Emails to Department of Justice and Province of Nova Scotia
> To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com" <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>
> Mr. Amos,
> We acknowledge receipt of your recent emails to the Deputy Minister of
> Justice and lawyers within the Legal Services Division of the
> Department of Justice respecting a possible claim against the Province
> of Nova Scotia. Service of any documents respecting a legal claim
> against the Province of Nova Scotia may be served on the Attorney
> General at 1690 Hollis Street, Halifax, NS. Please note that we will
> not be responding to further emails on this matter.
>
> Department of Justice
>
> On 8/3/17, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Good Day Sir
>>
>> After I heard you speak on CBC I called your office again and managed
>> to speak to one of your staff for the first time
>>
>> Please find attached the documents I promised to send to the lady who
>> answered the phone this morning. Please notice that not after the Sgt
>> at Arms took the documents destined to your office his pal Tanker
>> Malley barred me in writing with an "English" only document.
>>
>> These are the hearings and the dockets in Federal Court that I
>> suggested that you study closely.
>>
>> This is the docket in Federal Court
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> These are digital recordings of the last three hearings
>>
>> Dec 14th https://no-click.mil/?https://
>>
>> January 11th, 2016
>> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>>
>> April 3rd, 2017
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>>
>>
>> This is the docket in the Federal Court of Appeal
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>>
>> The only hearing thus far
>>
>> May 24th, 2017
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?https://
>>
>>
>> This Judge understnds the meaning of the word Integrity
>>
>> Date: 20151223
>>
>> Docket: T-1557-15
>>
>> Fredericton, New Brunswick, December 23, 2015
>>
>> PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Bell
>>
>> BETWEEN:
>>
>> DAVID RAYMOND AMOS
>>
>> Plaintiff
>>
>> and
>>
>> HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
>>
>> Defendant
>>
>> ORDER
>>
>> (Delivered orally from the Bench in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on
>> December 14, 2015)
>>
>> The Plaintiff seeks an appeal de novo, by way of motion pursuant to
>> the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106), from an Order made on November
>> 12, 2015, in which Prothonotary Morneau struck the Statement of Claim
>> in its entirety.
>>
>> At the outset of the hearing, the Plaintiff brought to my attention a
>> letter dated September 10, 2004, which he sent to me, in my then
>> capacity as Past President of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian
>> Bar Association, and the then President of the Branch, Kathleen Quigg,
>> (now a Justice of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal). In that letter
>> he stated:
>>
>> As for your past President, Mr. Bell, may I suggest that you check the
>> work of Frank McKenna before I sue your entire law firm including you.
>> You are your brother’s keeper.
>>
>> Frank McKenna is the former Premier of New Brunswick and a former
>> colleague of mine at the law firm of McInnes Cooper. In addition to
>> expressing an intention to sue me, the Plaintiff refers to a number of
>> people in his Motion Record who he appears to contend may be witnesses
>> or potential parties to be added. Those individuals who are known to
>> me personally, include, but are not limited to the former Prime
>> Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper; former
>> Attorney General of Canada and now a Justice of the Manitoba Court of
>> Queen’s Bench, Vic Toews; former member of Parliament Rob Moore;
>> former Director of Policing Services, the late Grant Garneau; former
>> Chief of the Fredericton Police Force, Barry McKnight; former Staff
>> Sergeant Danny Copp; my former colleagues on the New Brunswick Court
>> of Appeal, Justices Bradley V. Green and Kathleen Quigg, and, retired
>> Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang of the Royal Canadian Mounted
>> Police.
>>
>> In the circumstances, given the threat in 2004 to sue me in my
>> personal capacity and my past and present relationship with many
>> potential witnesses and/or potential parties to the litigation, I am
>> of the view there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias should I
>> hear this motion. See Justice de Grandpré’s dissenting judgment in
>> Committee for Justice and Liberty et al v National Energy Board et al,
>> [1978] 1 SCR 369 at p 394 for the applicable test regarding
>> allegations of bias. In the circumstances, although neither party has
>> requested I recuse myself, I consider it appropriate that I do so.
>>
>>
>> AS A RESULT OF MY RECUSAL, THIS COURT ORDERS that the Administrator of
>> the Court schedule another date for the hearing of the motion. There
>> is no order as to costs.
>>
>> “B. Richard Bell”
>> Judge
>>
>>
>> Below after the CBC article about your concerns (I made one comment
>> already) you will find the text of just two of many emails I had sent
>> to your office over the years since I first visited it in 2006.
>>
>> I noticed that on July 30, 2009, he was appointed to the the Court
>> Martial Appeal Court of Canada Perhaps you should scroll to the
>> bottom of this email ASAP and read the entire Paragraph 83 of my
>> lawsuit now before the Federal Court of Canada?
>>
>> "FYI This is the text of the lawsuit that should interest Trudeau the
>> most
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> 83 The Plaintiff states that now that Canada is involved in more war
>> in Iraq again it did not serve Canadian interests and reputation to
>> allow Barry Winters to publish the following words three times over
>> five years after he began his bragging:
>>
>> January 13, 2015
>> This Is Just AS Relevant Now As When I wrote It During The Debate
>>
>> December 8, 2014
>> Why Canada Stood Tall!
>>
>> Friday, October 3, 2014
>> Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And
>> Stupid Justin Trudeau?
>>
>>
>> Vertias Vincit
>> David Raymond Amos
>> 902 800 0369
>>
>> P.S. Whereas this CBC article is about your opinion of the actions of
>> the latest Minister Of Health trust that Mr Boudreau and the CBC have
>> had my files for many years and the last thing they are is ethical.
>> Ask his friends Mr Murphy and the RCMP if you don't believe me.
>>
>> Subject:
>> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:02:35 -0400
>> From: "Murphy, Michael B. \(DH/MS\)" MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca
>> To: motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com
>>
>> January 30, 2007
>>
>> WITHOUT PREJUDICE
>>
>> Mr. David Amos
>>
>> Dear Mr. Amos:
>>
>> This will acknowledge receipt of a copy of your e-mail of December 29,
>> 2006 to Corporal Warren McBeath of the RCMP.
>>
>> Because of the nature of the allegations made in your message, I have
>> taken the measure of forwarding a copy to Assistant Commissioner Steve
>> Graham of the RCMP “J” Division in Fredericton.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Honourable Michael B. Murphy
>> Minister of Health
>>
>> CM/cb
>>
>>
>> Warren McBeath warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca wrote:
>>
>> Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:34:53 -0500
>> From: "Warren McBeath" warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>> To: kilgoursite@ca.inter.net, MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca,
>> nada.sarkis@gnb.ca, wally.stiles@gnb.ca, dwatch@web.net,
>> motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com
>> CC: ottawa@chuckstrahl.com, riding@chuckstrahl.com,John.
>> Oda.B@parl.gc.ca,"Bev BUSSON" bev.busson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>> "Paul Dube" PAUL.DUBE@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>> Subject: Re: Remember me Kilgour? Landslide Annie McLellan has
>> forgotten me but the crooks within the RCMP have not
>>
>> Dear Mr. Amos,
>>
>> Thank you for your follow up e-mail to me today. I was on days off
>> over the holidays and returned to work this evening. Rest assured I
>> was not ignoring or procrastinating to respond to your concerns.
>>
>> As your attachment sent today refers from Premier Graham, our position
>> is clear on your dead calf issue: Our forensic labs do not process
>> testing on animals in cases such as yours, they are referred to the
>> Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown who can provide these
>> services. If you do not choose to utilize their expertise in this
>> instance, then that is your decision and nothing more can be done.
>>
>> As for your other concerns regarding the US Government, false
>> imprisonment and Federal Court Dates in the US, etc... it is clear
>> that Federal authorities are aware of your concerns both in Canada
>> the US. These issues do not fall into the purvue of Detachment
>> and policing in Petitcodiac, NB.
>>
>> It was indeed an interesting and informative conversation we had on
>> December 23rd, and I wish you well in all of your future endeavors.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Warren McBeath, Cpl.
>> GRC Caledonia RCMP
>> Traffic Services NCO
>> Ph: (506) 387-2222
>> Fax: (506) 387-4622
>> E-mail warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>>
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>>
>> FEDERAL EXPRES February 7, 2006
>> Senator Arlen Specter
>> United States Senate
>> Committee on the Judiciary
>> 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
>> Washington, DC 20510
>>
>> Dear Mr. Specter:
>>
>> I have been asked to forward the enclosed tapes to you from a man
>> named, David Amos, a Canadian citizen, in connection with the matters
>> raised in the attached letter. Mr. Amos has represented to me that
>> these are illegal FBI wire tap tapes. I believe Mr. Amos has been in
>> contact
>> with you about this previously.
>>
>> Very truly yours,
>> Barry A. Bachrach
>> Direct telephone: (508) 926-3403
>> Direct facsimile: (508) 929-3003
>> Email: bbachrach@bowditch.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> Integrity commissioner calls for tougher conflict-of-interest law
>> N.B. legislation should apply to apparent conflicts, not just actual
>> ones, Alexandre Deschênes says
>> By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Jun 12, 2017 6:30 AM AT
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes's first act as commissioner was to deal with
>> Victor Boudreau's 20 per cent investment in Shediac Campground Ltd., a
>> proposed 700-site facility that has generated local opposition.
>> (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
>>
>> New Brunswick's integrity commissioner says the conflict-of-interest
>> law for politicians should be toughened to clarify cases such as
>> cabinet minister Victor Boudreau's former investment in a proposed
>> campground near Parlee Beach.
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes said earlier this year that Boudreau's stake in
>> the project did not put him in a conflict of interest but that the
>> appearance of a conflict was "inevitable."
>>
>> Unlike other conflict-of-interest laws, "our act does not apply to an
>> apparent conflict of interest," he said in an interview with CBC News.
>> "It's not in there."
>>
>> Previous commissioners suggested law
>>
>> Boudreau recused himself from Parlee Beach issues anyway, even though
>> he didn't technically have to. The law said ministers aren't in a
>> conflict if decisions that affect their private interests also apply
>> to the general public.
>>
>> Boudreau recuses himself from Parlee Beach controversy
>> Victor Boudreau case shows 'huge loophole' in conflict law, ethics
>> group says
>>
>> "Mr. Boudreau could have gone on and said, 'I'm the minister of health
>> and I'm going to make decisions that apply to the general public and
>> the act allows it,'" Deschênes said.
>>
>> "If you'd had the words 'apparent conflict of interest' [in the law]
>> it would have been clear."
>>
>> Deschênes pointed out two of his predecessors as conflict-of-interest
>> commissioner, Pat Ryan and Stuart Stratton, recommended expanding the
>> act to include the appearance of conflicts.
>>
>> "It started out way back," he said. "We're looking at almost a decade
>> here where the suggestion has been made that apparent conflict of
>> interest ought to be included in the act. It's not been done.
>>
>> "But as a commissioner, I will be following what they've been doing
>> and I will be recommending it when I file a report."
>>
>> Updated conflict act
>>
>> The Gallant Liberals passed amendments to update the Members Conflict
>> of Interest Act during the spring session of the legislature, but they
>> did not include a ban on perceived conflicts.
>>
>> Progressive Conservative MLA Brian MacDonald has also called for the
>> Liberals to fix what he calls "a gap in the law."
>>
>> 'Gap in the law': PC critic suggests review of conflict law
>> Premier backs Victor Boudreau's involvement in Parlee Beach issue
>>
>> Deschênes was appointed the province's integrity commissioner last
>> year. The new role incorporates the role of conflict-of-interest
>> watchdog and registrar of lobbyists, and in September it will also
>> include the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
>>
>> Victor
>>
>> Cabinet minister Victor Boudreau recused himself from the Parlee Beach
>> issues anyway, even though the law said ministers aren't in a conflict
>> if decisions that affect their private interests also apply to the
>> general public. (CBC)
>>
>> Deschênes's first act as commissioner was to deal with Boudreau's 20
>> per cent investment in Shediac Campground Ltd., a proposed 700-site
>> facility that has generated local opposition.
>>
>> As health minister, Boudreau oversees the public health offices, and
>> his department was part of a working group looking at how to deal with
>> fecal contamination at Parlee Beach. One option the group looked at
>> was a moratorium on new development near the beach.
>>
>> That would have affected the proposed campground.
>>
>> 'I told him, and he made it public, that the appearance of
>> conflict in this case was absolutely inevitable. He couldn't get
>> around it. It was there.'
>>
>> - Alexandre Deschênes
>>
>> The law bans ministers from making decisions that affect their
>> "private interest," but it makes an exception if the decision applies
>> to the broader public, even if the minister would still benefit.
>>
>> Deschênes said in his letter to Boudreau in March that "one could
>> argue" a decision on a moratorium would affect the broader public.
>>
>> "Under the act, he might have been entitled to continue to have
>> discussions that applied to the general population, even though he was
>> part of [the project] at that point," Deschênes said in an interview
>> last week.
>>
>> "I told him, and he made it public, that the appearance of conflict in
>> this case was absolutely inevitable. He couldn't get around it. It was
>> there."
>> An MP's perceived conflict matters
>>
>> The federal conflict of interest code for MPs also includes an
>> exception for decisions that affect the general public, but it
>> includes an explicit reference to perceived conflicts.
>>
>> Boudreau put his investment in a blind trust in 2014, which meant he
>> had no role in the running of the business. But the value of his stake
>> would have been affected by a moratorium on future development.
>>
>> Parlee beach
>>
>> In May, Victor Boudreau announced he was giving up his investment in
>> the campground on Parlee Beach altogether.
>>
>> He said in March he learned of the potential moratorium Feb. 28 and
>> met with Deschênes March 2, the first date they could arrange it.
>>
>> "That perception is the issue," Boudreau said at the time. "And if the
>> perception is the issue, and the perception is what's going to be
>> prevent us from getting to the bottom of it, then I'm prepared to
>> recuse myself from all activities relating to this committee."
>>
>> Last month he announced that he was giving up his investment in the
>> campground altogether.
>>
>> Deschênes said he believes most ministers and MLAs would do the same
>> thing if he told them there was an apparent, but not actual, conflict.
>>
>> "In most cases I think they will listen and they will do what has to
>> be done to put an end to an apparent conflict of interest, although
>> technically they could continue to do what they want to do."
>>
>>
>>
>> 6 Comments
>>
>> David Raymond Amos
>>
>> I sure hope the new integrity commissioner finally does his job and
>> answers me in writing
>>
>>
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C.,
>> Office of the Integrity Commissioner
>> Edgecombe House, 736 King Street
>> Fredericton, N.B. CANADA E3B 5H1
>> tel.: 506-457-7890
>> fax: 506-444-5224
>> e-mail:coi@gnb.ca
>>
>> Hon. Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C.
>> Integrity Commissioner
>>
>> Hon. Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., who resides in Bathurst, N.B., is a
>> native of Kedgwick, N.B., and is married to Huguette (Savoie)
>> Deschênes. They have two sons.
>>
>> He studied at Saint-Joseph University (now Université de Moncton) from
>> 1960 to 1962, University of Ottawa from 1962-1965 (B.A.), and
>> University of New Brunswick (LL.B., 1968). He was admitted to the Law
>> Society of New Brunswick in 1968. He was legal counsel to the
>> Department of Justice in Fredericton from 1968 to 1971. He was in
>> private practice from 1972 to 1982 and specialized in civil litigation
>> as a partner in the law firm of Michaud, Leblanc, Robichaud, and
>> Deschênes. While residing in Shediac, N.B., he served on town council
>> and became the first president of the South East Economic Commission.
>> He is a past president of the Richelieu Club in Shediac.
>>
>> In 1982, he was appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of New
>> Brunswick and of the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick in 2000.
>>
>> On July 30, 2009, he was appointed to the Court Martial Appeal Court of
>> Canada.
>>
>> While on the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, he was appointed
>> President of the provincial Judicial Council and in 2012 Chairperson
>> of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of New
>> Brunswick for the 2015 federal election.
>>
>> He was appointed Conflict of Interest Commissioner in December 2016
>> and became New Brunswick’s first Integrity Commissioner on December
>> 16, 2016 with responsibilities for conflict of interest issues related
>> to Members of the Legislative Assembly. As of April 1, 2017 he
>> supervises lobbyists of public office holders under the Lobbyists’
>> Registration Act.
>>
>> As of September 1, 2017, he will be assuming the functions presently
>> held by the Access to Information and Privacy Commissioner.
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>> Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 16:22:25 -0400
>> Subject: Thank you for your signature Frenchy
>> To: Andre Murray <andremurraynow@gmail.com>, "marie-claude.blais"
>> <marie-claude.blais@gnb.ca>, sallybrooks25 <sallybrooks25@yahoo.ca>,
>> evelyngreene <evelyngreene@live.ca>, law <law@stevenfoulds.ca>,
>> "danny.copp" <danny.copp@fredericton.ca>, nbpc <nbpc@gnb.ca>, nbombud
>> <nbombud@gnb.ca>, coi <coi@gnb.ca>, "Wayne.Lang"
>> <Wayne.Lang@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
>> Cc: "dan. bussieres" <dan.bussieres@gnb.ca>, oldmaison
>> <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, andre <andre@jafaust.com>
>>
>> From: "Bussières, Dan (LEG)" <Dan.Bussieres@gnb.ca>
>> Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:47:49 -0400
>> Subject: RE: I just called all three of your offices
>> To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>>
>> Oui je vois
>>
>>
>>
>> On 12/6/12, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I don't take orders well ask the corrupt ex cop Bussieres why that is
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2016 13:46:11 -0400
>> Subject: Attn premier Brian Gallant and Kirk MacDonald I just called
>> your friends in the Law Society of New Brunswick for the last time
>> From now on we argue before the courts
>> To: george.filliter@gmail.com, lcmarcou@mccain.ca,
>> cmichaud@coxandpalmer.com, tross@judicom.ca, coi@gnb.ca,
>> m.pelletier@nb.aibn.com, "Kim.Poffenroth" <Kim.Poffenroth@gnb.ca>,
>> nbpc <nbpc@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.Blinn" <Gilles.Blinn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>,
>> "bruce.northrup" <bruce.northrup@gnb.ca>, "brian.keirstead"
>> <brian.keirstead@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
>> "Davidc.Coon" <Davidc.Coon@gmail.com>, "David.Coon"
>> <David.Coon@gnb.ca>, "david.eidt" <david.eidt@gnb.ca>, "jan.jensen"
>> <jan.jensen@justice.gc.ca>, "bill.pentney"
>> <bill.pentney@justice.gc.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, postur
>> <postur@for.is>, postur <postur@irr.is>, birgittaj
>> <birgittaj@althingi.is>
>> Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
>> <kirk.macdonald@gnb.ca>, briangallant10 <briangallant10@gmail.com>,
>> "Jacques.Poitras" <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>
>>
>> Methinks if Kik MacDonald were truly wise he would make another speech
>> before Xmass but this time he should tell the awful truth instead of
>> just making fun of our trubles with LIEBRANOS N'esy Pas Davey Baby
>> Coon?
>>
>> Trust that watching this politite nonsense is truly offensive to any
>> Maritmer with two clues between their ears.
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> Conflict of Interest Commissioner
>> Edgecombe House, 736 King Street
>> Fredericton, N.B. CANADA E3B 5H1
>> tel.: 506-457-7890
>> fax: 506-444-5224
>> e-mail:coi@gnb.ca
>>
>> Michèle Pelletier
>> Arseneault & Pelletier
>> 568A Ave. des Pionniers
>> Balmoral, New Brunswick E8E 1E3
>> Phone: 506-826-1819
>> Fax: 506-826-1817
>> Email: m.pelletier@nb.aibn.com
>>
>> KIM POFFENROTH
>> Assistant Deputy Attorney General
>> Legislative Services (Branch)
>> Office of the Attorney General
>> Phone : (506) 453-2855
>> Fax : (506) 457-7342
>> Email : Kim.POFFENROTH@gnb.ca
>>
>>
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> The Gallant government has introduced legislation to merge several
>> legislative watchdog positions into a single job and has chosen a
>> retired judge to take on the newly expanded role.
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes, a retired New Brunswick Court of Appeal justice,
>> is to be the first integrity commissioner in New Brunswick.
>>
>> Retired New Brunswick Court of Appeal justice Alexandre Deschênes will
>> become the province's first integrity commissioner, an appointment
>> supported by the opposition Progressive Conservatives and Green Party
>> Leader David Coon.
>>
>> Premier Brian Gallant introduced a bill Wednesday to create the position.
>>
>> For now, Deschênes fills the vacant position of conflict-of-interest
>> commissioner and will also oversee legislation governing the privacy
>> of personal health records.
>>
>> Next July, Deschênes will add responsibility for the lobbyist registry
>> to his duties.
>>
>> The Liberals say they will proclaim legislation to set up the registry
>> by next July. The law was passed by the previous PC government in 2014
>> but not enacted.
>>
>> Conflict of interest commissioner, MLAs have conflicting views on
>> transparency
>> Commissioner wants mandatory privacy breach reporting
>> N.B. legislature will study cutting independent watchdogs
>>
>> And next September, after Anne Bertrand, the information and privacy
>> commissioner, finishes her seven-year term, that job will become part
>> of Deschênes's job as integrity commissioner.
>>
>> An independent study, done as part of the government's program
>> review, recommended the merging of the legislative officer positions.
>>
>> All parties in the legislature agreed on two other appointments
>> Wednesday: lawyer Michèle Pelletier as consumer advocate for insurance
>> and assistant deputy attorney general Kim Poffenroth as chief
>> electoral officer.J
>>
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> At its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, June 25th, 2016, the Law
>> Society of New Brunswick elected its new Executive for the 2016-2017
>> term:
>>
>> New Executive
>>
>> George P. Filliter, Q.C.
>> President
>> 68 Avonlea Court
>> Fredericton, NB E3C 1N8
>> Tel: (506) 454-7678
>> Fax: (506) 454-6983
>> george.filliter@gmail.com
>>
>> Luc Marcoux, Q.C.
>> Vice-President
>> McCain Foods Limited
>> 8800 Main Street
>> Florenceville-Bristol, NB E7L 1B2
>> Tel: (506) 375-5353
>> Fax: (506) 375-5058
>> lcmarcou@mccain.ca
>>
>> Christian E. Michaud, Q.C.
>> Treasurer
>> Cox & Palmer
>> Blue Cross Center
>> 644 Main Street, Suite 500
>> Moncton, NB E1C 1E2
>> Tel: (506) 863-1131
>> Fax: (506) 856-8150
>> cmichaud@coxandpalmer.com
>>
>>
>> Law Society of New Brunswick
>> 68 Avonlea Court
>> Fredericton, New Brunswick
>> E3C 1N8
>> (506) 458-8540
>> (506) 451-1421
>>
>> general@lawsociety-barreau.nb.
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>> October 24, 2016
>>
>> Eleven New Brunswick lawyers were appointed Queen’s Counsel by the
>> Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, the Honourable Jocelyne Roy
>> Vienneau, on Monday, October 24, 2016, at the Legislative Assembly in
>> Fredericton.
>>
>> Christa Bourque, Q.C., of Moncton
>> Krista Lynn Colford, Q.C., of Fredericton
>> The Honourable Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C., of Bathurst
>> Edward L. Derrah, Q.C., of Fredericton
>> Shannon Doran, Q.C., of Fredericton
>> Nathalie L. Godbout, Q.C., of Saint John
>> Stephen J. Hutchison, Q.C., of Saint John
>> The Honourable Dominic A. J. LeBlanc, Q.C., of Shediac
>> Luc Marcoux, Q.C., of Florenceville-Bristol
>> D. Andrew Rouse, Q.C., of Fredericton
>> John R. Williamson, Q.C., of Fredericton
>>
>> The distinction of Queen’s Counsel is conferred upon experienced
>> lawyers in recognition of their commitment to the principles of the
>> legal profession and contributions to their communities. Eligible
>> lawyers include those who have been members of the Law Society of New
>> Brunswick and have been engaged in the active practice of law in the
>> province for at least 15 years with extensive experience before the
>> courts or have demonstrated exceptional service to the profession.
>>
>> In the fall of this year, a committee consisting of the Chief Justice
>> of New Brunswick, J. Ernest Drapeau, the Attorney General of New
>> Brunswick and the President of the Law Society of New Brunswick, will
>> consider candidates for the next Queen’s Counsel appointments.
>>
>> The distinction of Queen’s Counsel is conferred upon experienced
>> lawyers in recognition of their commitment to the principles of the
>> legal profession and contributions to their communities. The criteria
>> for these appointments are:
>>
>> A regular member of the Law Society of New Brunswick who:
>>
>> a) has been engaged in the active practice of law in the Province of
>> New Brunswick for at least fifteen years, with extensive experience
>> before the courts;
>>
>> b) in the opinion of the Committee, merits the appointment by reason
>> of exceptional service to the legal profession.
>>
>> It should be noted that past practice indicates that Queen’s Counsel
>> appointments typically have more than seventeen years at the Bar.
>>
>> The Law Society encourages members to forward a letter and a resume in
>> order to be considered as a candidate for a Queen’s Counsel
>> appointment. Persons may either apply personally or may nominate a
>> member of the Law Society. All applicants will be treated equally by
>> the Committee whether they are nominated, or whether they apply
>> personally.
>>
>> In your letter, you may wish to identify two individuals, either
>> within or outside the Law Society who might provide additional
>> information to assist the Committee in considering this matter. If
>> letters of reference are provided, they may be identified for this
>> purpose.
>>
>> Your application or nomination should be received by Chief Justice J.
>> Ernest Drapeau no later than Friday, June 24, 2016, at 4:00 p.m.
>>
>> It may be sent via email to tross@judicom.ca or sent/delivered to:
>>
>> Committee on Queen’s Counsel Appointments
>> c/o The Hon. Chief Justice J. Ernest Drapeau
>> Court of Appeal of New Brunswick
>> Justice Building
>> 427 Queen Street, Room 311
>> Fredericton, NB E3B 1B7
>>
>>
>> https://no-click.mil/?http://
>>
>>
>> Judge-moving bill aims to help Dominic LeBlanc, Tory MLA charges
>> Kirk MacDonald says Liberals drafted bill to help put Jolène Richard
>> and André Richard on court
>>
>> By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Nov 24, 2016 6:03 PM AT
>>
>> A Progressive Conservative MLA has taken the unusual step of naming
>> names — including that of a sitting provincial court judge — in his
>> attack on a proposed law on how Court of Queen's Bench judges are
>> transferred.
>>
>> Kirk MacDonald told the legislature last week that he believes the
>> government bill was drafted to help the spouse and the brother-in-law
>> of federal Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc, a close ally of Premier Brian
>> Gallant.
>> nb-andre-richard-jolene-
>>
>> A Progressive Conservative MLA believes the Liberal government's
>> judge-moving bill was drafted to help have André Richard and Jolène
>> Richard appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench. (CBC)
>>
>> "I will give you two names. I will give you Jolène Richard and André
>> Richard, two people I believe are looking for judicial appointments
>> here in New Brunswick," MacDonald said during second-reading debate on
>> the bill.
>>
>> In fact, Jolène Richard is already a provincial court judge. André
>> Richard is her brother and a senior l
>
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/trucker-convoys-4-million-fundraising-142322714.html
GoFundMe withholding $4.7 million from trucker convoy until plan presented
"We require that fundraisers be transparent about the flow of funds and have a clear plan for how those funds will be spent. In this case, we are in touch with the organizer to verify that information," Rachel Hollis, a spokeswoman for the crowdfunding platform, said in an email.
"Funds will be safely held until the organizer is able to provide the documentation to our team about how funds will be properly distributed."
As of Tuesday afternoon, funds were raised from 61,100 donors, according to the GoFundMe page of the "Freedom Convoy."
Tamara Lich, who is also secretary of the fledgling Western separatist Maverick Party, launched the campaign on Jan. 14. It states that the money will go toward fuel as well as food and lodgings for big-riggers taking part.
"Our current government is implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries and livelihoods," the convoy's GoFundMe page states.
"We are a peaceful country that has helped protect nations across the globe from tyrannical governments who oppressed their people, and now it seems it is happening here."
As of Jan. 15, the federal government required Canadian truckers to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a 14-day quarantine when they cross the border from the United States.
Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan has also announced that vaccination will become mandatory for workers in all federally regulated industries, though no timeline has been laid out.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which has denounced the convoy protest, says more than 85 per cent of the 120,000 Canadian truck drivers who regularly traverse the border are vaccinated, but that up to 16,000 may be sidelined due to the new restriction, exacerbating supply chain problems.
The big-riggers are bound for a protest set for Saturday in Ottawa, where drivers from across the country are planning to converge.
In a joint release Tuesday, the federal government and alliance president Stephen Laskowski acknowledged "unprecedented challenges" to a sector that ships the vast majority of food and consumer products, but stressed vaccination as the route to economic health.
“Vaccines, medications, personal protective equipment, food, and supplies continue to arrive where they need to be thanks to the efforts of our dedicated commercial truck drivers," said Laskowski, O'Regan, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough.
“The government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance both agree that vaccination, used in combination with preventive public health measures, is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for Canadians, and to protect public health."
Last Saturday the U.S. barred unvaccinated Canadian drivers from entering the country, mirroring Canada's border filter for American truckers.
In a Twitter thread Monday showing pictures of depleted grocery store shelves, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he was "on the phone with U.S. governors" that morning who share his concerns. He said he is was working on a joint letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end the dual vaccine mandates.
The convoy was greeted in Saskatchewan on Monday night by supporters — Conservative members of Parliament Andrew Scheer and Warren Steinley were among them — and by more backers Tuesday morning before it left for Manitoba.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole warned last week that "we're going to see prices skyrocket for groceries, for everything," and that the Liberal government's vaccine mandate would spark "division and pink slips."
Trudeau said Monday that Conservative politicians were “fearmongering” about the supply chain.
“The best way to continue to prevent supply chain disruptions is to ensure that everyone gets vaccinated,” Trudeau said in French. He noted the Canadian Trucking Alliance backs vaccination — though the association argued persistently against the mandate in the lead-up to its implementation earlier this month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2022.
Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
Ottawa: Protest battle lines harden on both sides amid concerns chance for peaceful end has passed
![Truckers and supporters talk with police liaison officers as they continue to protest COVID-19 mandates, February 4, 2022. Late this week, the convoy organizers welcomed a disgruntled RCMP corporal to their ranks.]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"60","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATuSbw.img?h=600&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=626&y=263"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"47","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATuSbw.img?h=468&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=626&y=263"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"47","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATuSbw.img?h=468&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=626&y=263"}})
© Provided by National Post
Truckers and supporters talk with police liaison officers as they
continue to protest COVID-19 mandates, February 4, 2022. Late this week,
the convoy organizers welcomed a disgruntled RCMP corporal to their
ranks.
“The moderates went back to work on Monday,” Bateson said. “They went home and sent their kids back to school. The more extreme folks stayed.
“And different people will be coming to town this weekend.”
She worries counter-protests against the occupation, planned for Saturday, will be a dangerous mix.
“It is a recipe that has led to people getting injured or even killed in other, somewhat similar, situations.”
Patrick McCurdy, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa who studies protest camps, toured the main downtown occupation sites Thursday night.
“What struck me was how much more embedded the protest was,” he said. They have built food stands and fire pits, set up large barbecues and stockpiled wood and propane tanks.
And there are trucks, pickups, and cars, of course, but most no longer in a moving convoy. Several drivers have removed their vehicle’s wheels and put them up on blocks.
One bears the sign “I am holding the line.”
“As a tactic, part of the point of a protest camp is to dig yourself in. To find ways to hold ground. Parked trucks do this — but taking the wheels off is next level,” McCurdy said.
“Tents have become this symbol of resistance and occupation,” he said of past research, mostly on left-wing protests. The convoy protesters have erected tents that can provide shelter from the elements but also private meeting places.
“This is an important thing about protests and protest camps in particular,” said McCurdy.
“Whether it is successful or not, what’s important is protest is also about identity creation and reinforcement and so protest camps where you live communally with people, you’re able to imagine an alternative world.”
Pat King, a far-right personality who has become an unofficial leadership figure at the protest, in a Friday livestream issued his own warning about the weekend.
He told supporters he is expecting “another million people” and more trucks to arrive and said there would be a fireworks display.
He accused Ottawa police of encouraging a counter-protest with dangerous elements of antifa (anti-fascist activists) who will try to spark violence.
“You’re putting a lot of peaceful protesters at risk,” King said. “It’s your duty to protect the public,” he said of police.
![Police officers stand in front of trucks as truckers and supporters continue to protest COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa, February 4, 2022.]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"60","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATv4wX.img?h=600&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"47","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATv4wX.img?h=468&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"47","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATv4wX.img?h=468&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
© Patrick Doyle/Reuters
Police officers stand in front of trucks as truckers and supporters
continue to protest COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa, February 4, 2022.
In another broadcast Friday, he cast the occupation in war terms, saying soldiers had fought for the rights of Canadians in the past, adding: “You haven’t had to fight for your rights, until now.”
The official organizers of the Freedom Convoy 2022 protest have said that King, who in the past once said bullets were the only avenue for change, is “not directly involved in leadership.”
The official leadership, led by Tamara Lich, have shored up their own preparation as occupiers of the streets. She is the woman behind the wildly successful donation campaign that raised more than $10 million before the host site, GoFundMe, placed it on pause.
On Friday, GoFundMe announced it will refund or redirect to charities the vast majority of the funds.
“We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,” GoFundMe said in a statement.
Until recently, Danny Bulford was a corporal with the RCMP. He said he resigned because of the force’s requirement for members to be vaccinated. On Thursday, Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers introduced Bulford as their security consultant.
In anti-vaccine mandate speeches beforehand, Bulford said he was a Mountie for about 15 years, with the last eight of them working on the personal protection detail for Trudeau. When he says his past job in speeches, it provokes laughter from his audience and a wry smile from him.
“The irony is not lost on me — and probably not lost on him either,” Bulford said at a speech in November.
The RCMP confirmed Bulford left the force as a corporal with “his last substantive” position being with the Emergency Response Team at the National Division stationed in Ottawa.
Lawyers with the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms also arrived to help. Keith Wilson said he and a team of other lawyers were on the ground to provide “whatever legal needs they might have.”
Wilson has not tamped down protest rhetoric.
On Friday evening he released a video statement from a hotel room in Ottawa that had the look and feel of a hostage video.
In it, he asked people to get his message out to the world that “we are being censored.” Wilson attacked Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly’s announcement of planned enhanced enforcement against protesters.
The chief, Wilson said, “essentially announced an assault on the protesters,” with “measures that we normally see instituted by oppressive regimes around the world.”
• Email: ahumphreys@nationalpost.com | Twitter: AD_Humphreys
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/singh-trucker-convoy-brother-in-law-1.6328689
NDP's Jagmeet Singh denounces trucker convoy, disagrees with brother-in-law's donation to the cause
Singh's brother-in-law donated $13,000 to group organizing trucker convoy
Singh said some of the people behind the demonstration are pushing "false information" through "inflammatory, divisive and hateful comments."
GoFundMe records show Singh's brother-in-law, Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal, donated $13,000 to the group behind the demonstration — dubbed the "freedom convoy" by participants.
In a statement sent to CBC News, Singh said he doesn't support a campaign that harbours "extremist and dangerous views" and "unequivocally" disapproves of his brother-in-law's decision to donate.
'Dangerous and divisive rhetoric'
"[I] ... disagree with him about this donation and told him so. I am against this convoy and against the dangerous and divisive rhetoric we're seeing coming from it," Singh said.
"I understand people are frustrated that we're still in this pandemic two years later. The best way to get out of this pandemic, and to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe, is to get vaccinated and to listen to public health experts."
An NDP source, speaking on background, said Dhaliwal didn't fully comprehend what the money would be used for.
"There was a misunderstanding. Once he understood the true nature of this organization, a process was started to return the donation," the source said.
While he waits for GoFundMe to process the reversal, Dhaliwal has hidden his name from the public list of donors to the convoy, the source said.
The protest is being organized by Canada Unity, a group that opposes COVID-19-related measures. Its organizers say it is intended to push Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government to drop the vaccine mandate for truckers and do away with other public health protections.
Trudeau responded today by saying the vast majority of Canadians disagree with the convoy's message. He pointed out that Canadian truckers have a vaccination rate of approximately 90 per cent.
"The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa, or who are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other," Trudeau told a news conference today.
WATCH | Trudeau says protesting truckers represent fringe minority of Canadians
In Canada Unity's "memorandum of understanding," convoy organizers call on Ottawa and the provincial and territorial governments to do away with what they call "unconstitutional, discriminatory and segregating actions and human rights violations" brought about through programs like the vaccine passport system for non-essential businesses and vaccine requirements for public servants and transport workers.
The group demands that government leaders either make the changes or "RESIGN their lawful positions of authority Immediately."
Singh condemned Conservative politicians for backing people opposed to public health measures.
"While not surprising, it is disturbing that Conservative MPs are supporting this convoy," he said.
Conservative deputy leader Candice Bergen is the latest
Conservative MP to come out in support of the convoy protest. (Adrian
Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Candice Bergen, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, added her name to a growing list of MPs who say they stand with the protesting truckers. She said her party opposes all federal vaccine mandates.
Bergen said Trudeau's attempt to boost vaccination rates through new mandates has "dealt our already crumbling supply chain another blow." She said the policy will exacerbate an existing trucker shortage and "drive inflation higher than it's been in over 30 years."
"Now more than ever, our economy needs to be reopened, and we need every sector working in order to recover from the pandemic. I support peaceful demonstrations against these mandates, and our truckers from Portage-Lisgar and from across Canada," Bergen said, referring to the riding she represents.
Supporters
of truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a
convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa on the Trans-Canada west of
Winnipeg on January 25, 2022. (David Lipnowski/The Canadian Press)
Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre and Garnett Genuis, a Conservative MP from Alberta, have called the federal policy a "vaccine vendetta."
In an interview with CBC News, Poilievre accused Trudeau and Singh of "insulting" truckers taking part in the convoy.
"You don't have to agree with the everything that every trucker says, but you can, for God's sakes ... thank the truckers for keeping us alive and acknowledge their legitimate frustration," he said.
WATCH | Pierre Poilievre says he supports peaceful protesters taking part in trucker convoy
Martin Shields, a Conservative MP who represents the Alberta riding of Bow River, has said it's time to put an end to the "Trudeau Liberal government's mandates and freedom-curbing restrictions." Shields has promised to meet with the convoy when it arrives in Ottawa.
Bob Benzen, the Conservative MP for Calgary Heritage, said he supports the convoy and its protest against "coercive, intrusive and authoritarian dictates of this Trudeau government."
"This vaccine mandate for truckers who served us over two years of the crisis is ridiculous and unacceptable," Benzen said.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has been less vocal than some of his caucus colleagues regarding the convoy protest. Speaking to reporters on Monday, O'Toole accused Trudeau of "dividing Canadians" by pushing shots on truckers — but was non-committal when asked if he'd meet with convoy organizers when they arrive in the nation's capital.
"It's not for the leader of the opposition or a political party to attend a protest on the Hill or a convoy. It's up to politicians to advocate for solutions in a cost of living crisis in a way that's responsible and respectful of the public health crisis we are in," he said.
While the vast majority of cross-border truckers have had the necessary shots, industry groups estimate as many as 12,000 to 16,000 unvaccinated Canadian drivers could be pulled off the road because of this policy.
Various business groups — including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Retail Council of Canada and the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition — have expressed concerns about the trucker mandate.
In a statement Wednesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) urged the federal government to drop its mandate "before supply shortages and price increases drive even more businesses to the brink."
Experts agree that while the new mandate is likely to disrupt the flow of goods, the recent pandemic wave driven by the Omicron variant, COVID-19 restrictions in China and a global shortage of shipping containers are also to blame for ongoing supply issues in the food and retail sectors.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra pushed back against Conservative claims that the vaccine mandate is causing higher prices and empty shelves.
WATCH: Transport Minister Omar Alghabra discusses timing of vaccine mandate
At a news conference on another matter, Alghabra said the pandemic, an increase in worker absenteeism due to sickness, a change in consumption patterns (Canadians have been spending more money on goods than on services during the pandemic) and a series of "climate change events" have caused severe disruptions to the normal order of business.
"To reduce the supply chain issues to a vaccine mandate is inaccurate and is false," Alghabra said.
"This was the right time to encourage the remaining number of our truck drivers to get vaccinated. It was coordinated and it happened at the same time that the U.S. is imposing one on its own border as well."
The United States has implemented a similar mandate requiring all U.S.-bound travellers to show proof that they've had their shots before entry.
That means unvaccinated Canadian drivers wouldn't be able to cross the international boundary even if the Canadian government dropped the new vaccine requirement.
Threats from the fringe
Bergen said she supports "peaceful" demonstrators opposed to the mandate. Just how peaceful the convoy will be is an open question.
At least one of the convoy organizers, Tamara Lich — who has ties to the federal Maverick Party, which has roots in Alberta separatist circles — has said she wants the protest to be peaceful. But other people who've aligned themselves with the convoy have used more heated rhetoric.
Since the convoy of trucks and other vehicles left B.C. for Ottawa, extremists and fringe groups have taken to social media to encourage their followers to descend on the capital and destroy property and threaten elected officials.
Some have called for another Jan. 6 — a reference to the day last year when Donald Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building.
Lich said that everyone participating in the convoy must be registered with their "road captains" and anyone who does not behave in an orderly fashion "will be immediately removed."
..
Methinks money talks and BS walks N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vaccine-protest-convoy-gofundme-donations-1.6330594
Large number of donations to support convoy came from aliases, unnamed donors
Many donors used satirical aliases, including 'Justin Trudeau' and 'Theresa Tam'
While thousands of Canadians and Canadian businesses have dipped into their pockets to fund the cause, thousands of other donors to the campaign are listed simply as "Anonymous."
As of 6:30 p.m. ET Thursday, six of the top 10 donations, all over $10,000, were listed as anonymous, including the single largest donation of $25,022.
While the campaign is fundraising for a Canadian political protest, some donations appear to have come from outside of Canada, based on comments left by donors on GoFundMe.
Some donations were made using the names of other people. Among the most common donor names listed on the GoFundMe site are Justin Trudeau, Sophie Trudeau and Theresa Tam — the name of Canada's chief public health officer.
On Thursday afternoon, a $25,023 donation was listed as coming from Sophie Grégoire. It disappeared minutes later.
Officials in the Prime Minister's Office and Tam's office confirmed that neither the Trudeaus nor Tam donated to the convoy's fundraising campaign.
Other listed donors identified themselves as "Fidel Castro - Justin Trudeau's dad," "Justin Trudeau's conscience," "Dump Trudeau" or used a number of other phrases laden with obscenities.
Some aliases were less obvious. A $15,100 donation Wednesday afternoon put the name David Fisman at the top of the GoFundMe donations list for a day.
A
transport truck that's part of a convoy arriving in Ottawa for a
weekend protest against various health mandates drives near the National
War Memorial in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. (Ian Black/CBC)
Dr. David Fisman, a professor in epidemiology at Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said his family name is rare because it was the result of a spelling error made when his family immigrated.
"Given that whoever did this also wrote 'follow me on Twitter' in the comments, and I have a fairly well known (by Canadian standards) verified Twitter account with 110,000 followers that seems to be much detested and disparaged by opponents of vaccines and public health measures, I think it's reasonable to assume that this was intended to be seen as a donation that I had made," said Fisman.
Donations to the convoy have been growing rapidly. By 6:30 p.m Thursday, the campaign had raised $6.4 million from 82,500 donors.
Questions have been raised about the destination of the money, particularly since some of the organizers have been involved in politics.
Ottawa's
city centre continues to be filled with the sound of honking and
chanting as truckers and others opposed to the restrictions gathered
near Parliament Hill on Sunday for a second full day of protests.
(Michael Cole/CBC)
GoFundMe — which gets a percentage of all the money donated — delayed disbursement of the funds earlier this week, saying it wanted to know more about how the money was going to be used. It announced Thursday that it would begin releasing money after the organizers of the fundraising campaign provided a distribution plan for the funds.
GoFundMe only makes public a fraction of the donations on the web page at any given time, and the list changes constantly as new donations come in.
CBC analyzed 35,270 donations totalling $2.8 million, collected from GoFundMe's public website every half hour since Monday morning. The fundraising campaign was launched on Jan. 14.
The data collected by CBC show that thousands of donations appear to have been made by Canadians and Canadian businesses. Many of the businesses that appear on a list of the top donations are actual small businesses, often located in more rural communities — particularly in Ontario and Alberta.
Another 11,477, or 32.5 per cent of the entries viewed by CBC News, were listed simply as "Anonymous." The anonymous donations examined by CBC News totalled $912,801.
Money from abroad
A number of donors identified themselves in comments as living abroad, in countries such as the United States, Australia, England or Poland. It is not possible to know how many people from outside Canada donated to the fundraising page.
GoFundMe says donors misrepresenting themselves is a violation of its terms of service and it removes and refunds those donations. However, it has not yet responded to questions about what, if anything, it has done regarding the donations to the Freedom Convoy's page using invented names or the names of other people.
Alexander Reid Ross, a Portland, Oregon-based senior fellow at the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, said GoFundMe has often been used to raise money for political causes, although the protest convoy has raised more money than most.
"GoFundMe has been used by political actors all over the spectrum," he said. "It has been used by right-wingers to support people who are going to jail, to pay for bail, to pay for lawyer fees and things like that."
He said some donors may have reasons for not wanting their identities made public.
'Conspiracy theorists'
"You have a lot of conspiracy theorists ... who think that if they float their name out there on a GoFundMe campaign that they will be added to a government watch list. You also have a lot of people who just aren't comfortable putting their name out there on the internet," he said, adding that some donors further hide their identity by using burner ATM cards to donate.
"There are a variety of reasons why someone would want to donate anonymously."
That same anonymity could be used to mask interference in a political debate by extremists or foreign state actors, he said.
"It wouldn't be surprising at all because their number one objective is to destabilize a political climate that enables liberal democracy," he said. "So they will empower whatever political tendency that might militate against liberal democracy for whatever reason."
In Aulac,
N.B., truckers heading west in the protest convoy are greeted by crowds
waving flags and holding signs on Jan. 27, 2022. (Mike Heenan/CBC)
NDP MP Charlie Angus said GoFundMe is a valuable tool to help raise money for good causes but he's troubled by people donating money anonymously to a political cause.
"I'm sorry, if you're putting big money into a cause like this, and it's political and you're calling for the overthrow of the medical standards that we have in place, I don't think you get to hide behind anonymity," he said. "We should know who you are."
Angus said he has questions about where the money is coming from, where it is going and whether some of it is coming from other countries.
What happens next should depend on whether Saturday's demonstration on Parliament Hill is peaceful, said Angus.
"I think we're going to watch and see what happens and if lessons need to be learned and changes need to be made, I think there will be a real appetite to move on it," he said.
Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fundraising-convoy-change-laws-1.6332075
Critics call for new rules for online fundraisers after protest convoy takes anonymous donations
Some warn anonymous donations could allow big businesses, foreign governments to influence Canadian politics
Critics are calling on the federal government to introduce new rules for online fundraising campaigns after a fundraiser for this weekend's protest in Ottawa against vaccine mandates raised millions of dollars — in part from anonymous donors and people using fictitious names.
Green Party parliamentary leader Elizabeth May said the GoFundMe fundraiser for the protest convoy raises concerns about whether such campaigns could be used by big businesses or foreign state actors to circumvent Canada's political financing rules.
"If this isn't worrying, it certainly exposes a possibility that is very worrying, which is that you can be not a political organization, not registered with Elections Canada but find the right kind of dog whistle and put up a GoFundMe campaign," she said.
May said she has seen has GoFundMe campaigns raise money for worthy causes, but Canada's laws haven't kept up with advances in technology.
"The regulation of the online world is something (where) we're constantly playing catch-up and this exposes an area that we ought to look at," she said.
May said online fundraising campaigns should be required to register with Industry Canada in order to protect consumers. She said the names of donors should be available to government officials, even if they aren't published on the website.
Follow the money: May
May said a consumer protection authority could look into whether donations collected online go to their intended cause.
"You want someone verifying that the story is true and that it's not just taking all the money from well-intentioned and generous people and going on a round-the-world cruise," she said.
The GoFundMe campaign for the protest convoy has raised more than $7.4 million since January 14 from more than 94,000 donors.
An analysis by CBC News of donations made since Monday found that while thousands of donations were made by average Canadians or Canadian businesses, more than one third of the donations were anonymous or made under aliases — names of other people or invented titles like "Justin Trudeau's Conscience" or "Dump Trudeau."
A number of other donations appear to have come from abroad. In the comments section of the donation page, some donors said they were sending support from foreign countries, including the United States, the U.K., Australia and Poland.
Trucks
participating in a cross-country convoy protesting measures taken by
authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19 park on Wellington Street in
front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
GoFundMe says it is a violation of its terms of service for a donor to misrepresent their identity. The company has not yet responded to questions from CBC News about what, if anything, it has done about the fake names used to donate to the convoy fundraiser.
A fundraiser organizer has not yet responded to requests from CBC News for an interview.
Earlier this week, NDP MP Charlie Angus said people donating to a political protest calling for an end to COVID-19 measures shouldn't be allowed to hide behind anonymity.
Jean-Sébastien Comeau is spokesperson for Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include election reform and political financing rules. He said the convoy headed to Ottawa doesn't speak for Canadians or the trucking industry.
"Canadians should exercise caution before donating to a cause, political or otherwise, to ascertain that the funds will serve the intended purpose," he said. "Peaceful protest is an essential part of our democracy, but there is no place for vitriolic or violent rhetoric."
Trucks
participating in a cross-country convoy protesting measures taken by
authorities to curb the spread of COVID-19 park on Wellington Street in
front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
Comeau refused to answer when asked whether new rules should be introduced for anonymous contributions to online fundraisers for political causes.
The Conservative Party declined to comment.
Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, said anonymous donations to political causes are worrisome.
"Anonymous donations to citizen advocacy groups are a problem because they could be coming from a corporation, big business or other organization and that makes the citizen group a front for that business or other organization," he said. "Voters have a right to know if some business or other organization is actually bankrolling a group that claims to be citizen-supported."
Conacher said the GoFundMe campaigns for political campaigns should have to be registered under the Lobbying Act and the source of the money should be disclosed in the lobbyist registry. He said he also would like to see the Elections Act reviewed and the issue examined by the House of Commons' ethics committee.
"We need to know who is bankrolling every lobby effort or any kind of advocacy initiative, whether it is for a protest or traditional means of lobbying," he said.
Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/convoy-fundraiser-pause-donors-1.6337375
GoFundMe pauses anti-vaccine mandate protest fundraiser
Questions are being asked about where the money came from and how it will be used
The popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe has paused a multi-million dollar fundraiser for the convoy protest now tying Ottawa in knots, saying it wants to ensure that the fundraiser complies with its terms of service.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a notice suddenly popped up on the "Freedom Convoy 2022" fundraising page.
"This fundraiser is currently paused and under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations," the company wrote. "Our team is working 24/7 and doing all we can to protect both organizers and donors. Thank you for your patience."
In a blog post, GoFundMe said it was "collaborating with local law enforcement" and had requested more information from the organizer about where the funds were going.
"When we do not receive required information, we may put a pause on donations as we did in this case," the post states.
The company did not say how long the fundraiser would be paused, or what might happen to the $10.1 million already collected from more than 120,000 donors. Several questions to the company from CBC News have not yet been answered.
The announcement by GoFundMe came on the same day Ottawa's police chief said some of the money donated has come from the United States.
A CBC News analysis of the donations last week found that at least a third of the donors were listed as anonymous or used invented names. Several donors left comments along with their donations saying they were located in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland.
The fundraiser — one of the most successful Canadian fundraisers in the platform's history — has also raised questions about where the money is coming from and how it eventually will be used.
At one point, GoFundMe froze the money — but still allowed donations to be made — while it asked organizers for more information about how the money would be spent. The site eventually unfroze the money and has turned over at least $1 million to the organizers.
Donations to the fundraiser are now on pause, although their numbers have been declining over the past couple of days.
Convoy organizers have not yet responded to requests from CBC News for comment.
Alexander Cohen, director of communications for federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, said federal cabinet ministers' offices have not had any communication with GoFundMe.
GoFundMe's decision comes a day after Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he has asked the city's solicitor to look into the city's legal recourse because the convoy protest is costing the municipality $1 million a day for police, bylaw officers and public works employees.
Cohen said federal "public safety partners" are helping Ottawa police and the federal government will help with funding.
"The federal government supports the City of Ottawa in these types of situations through the Nation's Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program," he said. "The program sets aside $15 million over five years to help cover policing costs incurred in the course of duties specific to the nation's capital, allowing the city access to nearly $3 million every year.
"We understand the City is still assessing the total cost of these demonstrations and has yet to make a formal request, but resources are available and we will continue to work closely together in the days ahead."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/convoy-protest-mps-gofundme-1.6338433
MPs vote to call GoFundMe to testify at Commons committee on convoy protest
Committee asking company to explain how it's ensuring funds are not being used to "promote extremism"
A parliamentary committee has voted unanimously to call officials from the popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe to answer questions about a fundraiser that has collected more than $10.1 million to support the anti-vaccine mandate protest in Ottawa.
The motion, proposed by NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, calls on company officials to appear before the House of Commons committee on public safety and national security "as soon as possible."
Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Québécois members of the committee joined MacGregor in voting to invite the company to testify.
The committee wants the company to answer questions about measures in place to "ensure the funds are not being used to promote extremism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, which have been expressed among prominent organizers for the truck convoy currently in Ottawa."
The committee also wants the company to explain how it prevents anonymous donations and money from abroad from funding extremist groups, and what it's doing to ensure that the money already released to the protest is not being used to promote extremist views and activities.
An amendment proposed by Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed calls on officials from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) — Canada's money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog — to also appear before the committee.
NDP MP Alistair MacGregor rises during question period on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. (Justin
Tang/Canadian Press )
"There are some real questions about transparency given the fact that the fund is now exceeding $10 million, many of the donors are anonymous and many of the donors are in places outside of Canada's jurisdiction," MacGregor told CBC News.
A CBC News analysis of the donations last week found that at least a third of the donors to the "Freedom Convoy 2022" fundraising campaign on GoFundMe were listed as anonymous or used invented names. In the comments section, a number of donors said they were located in other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or Poland.
The committee's decision comes a day after GoFundMe put the convoy protest's fundraising campaign on pause, saying it had questions of its own about how the money was going to be used that organizers had not yet answered.
Trucks park in front of Parliament Hill to protest COVID-19
rules across Canada on Feb. 2, 2022. (Christian Milette/Radio-Canada)
Before the company paused the campaign, it had raised more than $10.1 million from more than 120,000 donors.
Meanwhile, some donors to the convoy protest fundraiser have been posting on social media that GoFundMe has told them their donations are being refunded.
In a statement issued Thursday, GoFundMe refused to answer any questions regarding refunds. It has not yet reacted publicly to the committee calling it to testify.
During a news conference held by protest organizers Thursday, Keith Wilson of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said that the convoy protest has taken steps to formally incorporate and set up bank accounts.
GoFundMe has said that $1 million of the money raised has been released to organizers. Wilson said lawyers and accountants working with the organizers are working on a process to reimburse protest participants once GoFundMe releases the rest of the money.
More later....
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gofundme-stops-payments-1.6340526
GoFundMe ends payments to convoy protest, citing reports of violence and harassment
Organizers had raised more than $10M through the online platform
GoFundMe cuts off convoy protest
The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe says it will stop payments to the organizers of Freedom Convoy 2022 because the protest violates its rules on violence and harassment .
The company announced its decision in a blog post Friday evening, just two days after it froze disbursements of the fund.
"GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created," the company said in the post.
"We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity."
The company said the protest violates a rule in its terms of service that prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment. The fundraising page for the convoy has been deleted from GoFundMe's website.
Participants in the demonstration have displayed symbols of hate including the Confederate flag and swastikas while protesting. Truckers parked in downtown Ottawa have also made residents miserable by blaring their horns at all hours.
Organizers have said they will stay in Ottawa until the federal government lifts all pandemic restrictions. Canada Unity, the group claiming responsibility for organizing the protest, has published a document which calls for the resignation of Canada's senators and the Governor General if its demands are not met.
WATCH | Ottawa police will send more officers to protest areas:
Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the protest's GoFundMe page, posted a video message on Friday evening directing supporters to a new online fundraiser hosted by GiveSendGo, a Christian fundraising site that was blocked by PayPal last year after it was used to raise funds for people who attended the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
"Please, if you can donate and help us keep these truckers going, we plan to be here for the long haul," she said. "As long as it takes to make sure that your rights and freedoms are restored."
More than 120,000 donors contributed nearly $10.1 million to the fund. A CBC News analysis found that about one-third of donors were anonymous or used aliases, and that many of the donations were made from outside Canada.
The company now says it will "work with organizers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities verified by GoFundMe." People who donated to the fund can also ask for a refund until February 19.
GoFundMe released $1 million to the organizers earlier this week before it froze the payments. It said organizers were able to prove that money would be used for participants involved in peaceful protest.
Premier says protest has become an 'occupation'
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson thanked GoFundMe for freezing the fund shortly after the decision was announced.
"These protesters have been holding our city hostage for a week now, and I'm hopeful that limiting their access to funding and resources will restrict their ability to remain in Ottawa," Watson wrote.
Trucks and protesters are entering their second week of demonstations in downtown Ottawa. (Christian Milette/CBC/Radio-Canada
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday that he believes the protest has become "an occupation" and urged participants to leave.
"It's time for this to come to an end," he said.
Other elected officials — primarily Conservative MPs — expressed their support for the protest as recently as Wednesday of this week.
Paloma Raggo, a Carleton University professor specializing in nonprofits and philanthropy, said she was surprised that GoFundMe did not block the fund sooner, since it never appeared to be a legitimate charity.
Raggo said the federal government should explore regulating crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe to prevent future misuses of its services.
"This is not the first time that this has happened. Should it be the last? Maybe. And maybe it's time we have laws on the books for that," she said.
WATCH | NDP MP says GoFundMe should testify at Parliament:
A parliamentary committee has called on GoFundMe executives to testify about the company's operations, including its measures to prevent the funding of extremism and hate.
Organizers facing possible class action lawsuit
Organizers of the protest were dealt another blow on Friday evening in the form of a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Ottawa residents who live near the protest.
The statement of claim accuses the organizers of the protest of causing significant harm to residents due to their use of loud truck horns for "12 to 16 hours" daily.
The lawsuit notes that people who live near Parliament Hill are accustomed to protests, "but they have never experienced anything like the constant and excruciatingly loud horns of the Defendants' Freedom Convoy."
It is seeking $5 million in "punitive damages" and another $4.8 million in "private nuisance" damages. The lawsuit has been filed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
"The Freedom Convoy horn protest organized by the defendants has caused significant mental distress, suffering and torment," the document says.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/questions-answers-gofundme-convoy-1.6338932
GoFundMe and the Ottawa convoy protest — your questions answered
GoFundMe executives have been called to testify in Parliament about the company's operations
UPDATE: The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe said Friday it will stop payments to the organizers of Freedom Convoy 2022 because the protest violates its rules on violence and harassment.
As a truck convoy protesting vaccine mandates enters its second week of demonstrations in Ottawa, questions are being asked about GoFundMe and its role in the protest.
Protest organizers have raised more than $10 million through the U.S.-based crowdfunding platform. The money is supposed to cover fuel and other expenses for truckers protesting Canada's pandemic measures.
But the company has called a halt to disbursement of the money raised, citing concerns that the money may not be used in ways that comply with GoFundMe's terms of service.
Here are answers to some questions our readers are asking about GoFundMe and the protest:
Q: Where is the money coming from?
The protest organizers have raised nearly $10.1 million from more than 120,000 donors. The identities and locations of many of those donors remain a mystery.
A CBC analysis found that about one-third of donors were anonymous or used aliases. The fund also has received money from donors in other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland.
Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly also spoke this week of a "significant element from the U.S. that have been involved in the funding, the organizing and the demonstrating."
Citing data protection regulations, GoFundMe says it does not make complete information about donors available — even to fundraiser organizers.
Q: Who are the fundraisers?
An organization called Canada Unity has taken responsibility for organizing the convoy. Tamara Lich and B.J. Dichter are listed by GoFundMe as the organizers of the fundraiser.
Lich spoke to the media on Thursday and said the convoy will not leave Ottawa until its demand for an end to all pandemic restrictions is met.
Canada Unity, meanwhile, has published a "memorandum of understanding" calling on Canadian senators and the Governor General to abolish all restrictions related to COVID-19 and reinstate any unvaccinated workers fired due to vaccine mandates.
The document says the Senate and Governor General must "RESIGN their lawful positions of authority immediately" if they do not agree to the group's terms.
Elements of this story came from audience members, like you, who got in touch with us. Send us all of your questions. We are listening: ask@cbc.ca.
But the demands included in that memorandum are not mentioned on the GoFundMe page.
Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing the protest, said on Thursday that the "bulk" of the money has not yet been paid out to the organizers.
Q: Are there rules preventing fundraising for illegal activities?
Yes — but it's not clear that the actions of the convoy protesters have violated the company's rules.
The company prohibits fundraising for activities that support "hate, violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination, terrorism, or intolerance of any kind."
The presence of Confederate flags and swastikas at the protest has been widely condemned, but the organizers' GoFundMe page does not make explicit reference to the promotion of hate or intolerance.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has called the protest illegal but
it's not clear that the convoy violates GoFundMe's terms of service.
(Francis Ferland/CBC)
GoFundMe does not prohibit fundraising in support of peaceful protest, and the right to protest is protected under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But the convoy has blocked access to several downtown blocks and is making downtown Ottawa residents miserable by constantly sounding truck horns at all hours. Residents have reported being yelled at and intimidated by protesters. Businesses have shut their doors, citing safety concerns.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has described the protest as an "illegal action."
Q: Does GoFundMe make money on donations?
GoFundMe is a for-profit company but it no longer takes a cut of donations made through its website.
The company used to take a five per cent cut of donations. It dropped that fee in 2017 and now only asks donors for tips. It's not clear how much the company has received via tips from donors to the convoy.
GoFundMe still charges a 2.9 per cent fee (plus $0.30 per donation), which the company says is used to cover the cost of credit and debit transactions.
Q: Could money in the fund be seized to cover expenses for the City of Ottawa?
Almost certainly not, according to the company's terms. If the money is withheld from organizers, it most likely will be reimbursed to the donors.
GoFundMe's terms say the company "may, at any time, for any reason, without notice, and in its sole discretion, offer or issue a refund of Donation(s) with or without consulting with [the fundraiser]."
Watson has asked GoFundMe to hold the remaining funds until the protesters leave Ottawa.
"Get out of town and then you can have access to your funds," he said.
Q: Is GoFundMe regulated in Canada?
Not explicitly — but MPs now seem interested in learning more about the company's operations.
On Thursday, a parliamentary committee asked GoFundMe executives to testify about how the company avoids funding extremism and hate through its services.
"There are some real questions about transparency given the fact that the fund is now exceeding $10 million, many of the donors are anonymous and many of the donors are in places outside of Canada's jurisdiction," NDP MP Alistair MacGregor told CBC News.
The federal government says it has not had any communication with GoFundMe during the protests.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|
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GoFundMe Statement on the Freedom Convoy 2022 Fundraiser
GoFundMe is an open platform with a clear mission to help people help each other. We take our responsibility to organizers and donors very seriously and are proud of the hundreds of thousands of ways our community has made a positive difference in the world around us.
We are deeply committed to operating with integrity, honesty and full accountability — as such, we are guided by Terms of Service and applicable laws and regulations.
Recent events in Ottawa, Canada, have generated widespread discussion about the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser on GoFundMe. We wanted to provide clarity around the actions that our global Trust & Safety and Customer Care teams take every day, just as they have with the Freedom Convoy fundraiser:
- We identify the organizer, who they are raising funds for, the organizer’s relationship to the recipient of the funds, and how the funds will be used.
- If the organizer is raising funds on behalf of someone else, we safely hold all or some of the funds raised until the recipient is added to the fundraiser to withdraw, and their identity has been confirmed.
- Fundraisers must be transparent about the flow of funds and have a plan for how the funds will be spent. Prior to withdrawal of funds, we conduct a thorough review of information provided by the organizer.
We strictly prohibit user content that reflects or promotes behavior in support of violence — in this case, the organizer met our requirements and the fundraiser did not violate our Terms of Service at the time of creation.
As the activity surrounding the protest evolves, we have been monitoring the fundraiser to ensure the funds are going to the intended recipients and that the fundraiser remains within our Terms of Service. Our monitoring includes maintaining close communication with the organizer as well as collaborating with local law enforcement. This process takes time and may slow down the withdrawal process. If the fundraiser does violate our Terms of Service or does not directly benefit the intended beneficiary, we will remove it from the platform.
As part of our information gathering process, we also requested more information from the organizer regarding the use of funds to ensure the fundraiser is still compliant with our Terms of Service. When we do not receive required information, we may put a pause on donations as we did in this case.
To learn more, see below.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/peoples-party-canada-northern-ontario-1.4990999
Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada arrives in northern Ontario
Sudbury riding president says they have over 100 members so far
The People's Party of Canada founded by former Conservative leadership hopeful Maxime Bernier plans to run a candidate in every riding in the country in this October's election, including the seven in northeastern Ontario.
Jason LaFace, the first president of the newly formed Sudbury riding association, says he's already had to deal with the perception some have of the party as a populist movement with ideological connections to U.S. President Donald Trump.
"You know, a lot of people are like 'Oh, you guys are just like Trump,' because of our views on border security and stuff," he says.
"And our party is all about immigration. Legal immigration."
LaFace, a professional club DJ who is planning to open a cannabis edibles cafe in Sudbury, says he has worked on Liberal and Conservative campaigns in the past.
But he was drawn to Bernier's call to stop illegal migrants crossing the border and to cut foreign aid payments with the goal of investing in Canadian services and infrastructure instead.
LaFace says there are over 100 People's Party members in Sudbury and riding associations are being set up and candidates recruited across the north.
Some have suggested all the People's Party will do in the election is carve off enough Conservative votes to ensure the Liberals form government again, but LaFace calls that a "myth."
"There are some Liberal views in our party, there are some Libertarian views," he says.
"It's good that it's a mix of everyone, but at least everybody's working together strongly and looking at what's best for Canada right now."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No licence for pot edibles cafe issued: city
City officials insist the municipality has not given a business licence to Sudbury man who wants to open a pot edibles menu cafe when it becomes legal.
"There have been no city approvals provided to After Dark Cafe & Edibles," Shannon Dowling, communications and media relations officer with the city, said.
Jason LaFauci, however, said he received a business licence from Service Canada.
"We went to (Tom Davies Square) to register our business," LaFauci said. "We were told that if we wanted to register our business for a cafe that we would have to go to Service Canada. That's what we did. They let us do it. There was no problem, no flak, no nothing."
Dowling, though, again disagreed, saying what LaFauci received from Service Canada is a master business licence through the province of Ontario that protects the naming of the business.
"The city has a business licensing bylaw and a business registration bylaw. Under the latter, eating or drinking establishments are required to register their business with the city," Dowling said. "I can again confirm the business in question has not registered their business with the City of Greater Sudbury."
LaFauci said he has been talking to city hall officials and local law enforcement about the proposed cafe for some time.
"They're pretty receptive to it," he said.
Again, Dowling said that isn't the case.
"In respect to the city being receptive, no conversations have taken place regarding the operations of a cannabis edibles cafe," she said.
LaFauci, however, claims he received direction in regards to his business from Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan.
He also said Vagnini helped setup a meeting between LaFauci and Al Lekun, deputy chief of police, to discuss LaFauci's business plans.
"I talked to them about the Sudbury 420 and I talked to them about the cafe," LaFauci said.
Attempts to reach Vagnini for comment were unsuccessful, but Kirwan and Greater Sudbury Police Services did respond.
"I think he called me about his business or thinking about setting up his business, but I don't recall any details about the discussion," Kirwan said.
Kaitlyn Dunn, corporate communications officer with Greater Sudbury Police Services, confirmed that Lekun did have a conversation with an individual about After Dark Cafe & Edibles, though she did not say whether that person was LaFauci.
"That information was passed along that, what is being proposed (After Dark Cafe & Edibles), is still illegal," Dunn said. "And it would still be illegal come the legalization of marijuana."
Greater Sudbury Police then sent The Star a statement, saying, "cannabis and cannabis-related substances including THC are still illegal in Canada and our officers will continue to enforce laws related to the use, possession and distribution of cannabis until it is formally legalized later this year.
"Bill C-45, the legislation that was passed earlier this month will see the legalization of cannabis on Oct. 17. This will legalize the purchase of cannabis from a licenced retailer. The manufacturing and selling of edibles for recreational purposes will still be illegal after the legalization of cannabis."
However, while oil, seeds and marijuana will be widely available in the fall, edibles are not expected to be legal and available for sale until 2019 at the earliest.
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https://www.bitchute.com/video/RoAW40q2Bedv/
The Kevin J. Johnston Show with Ed and Stefanos
Ed
says their railroading Pat King in the courts. Stefanos says the crown
attempted of trying to bring in evidence from second and third party
hearsay and that's not allowed. Pat has really good lawyer who has down a
phenomenal job. Apparently so done was reading news articles and they
are trying to admit that as evidence. It didn't happened thankfully.
With all the arguments back and forth ends with coming down with Pat's
Asurety.
Because the person was in his background in the video and
she only knew him for 4 weeks. They couldn't trust her to exercise her
duties as his asurety.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Kevin J. Johnston" <freedomreport.ca@pb02.ascendbywix.com>
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:27:24 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Chris Sky LIVE - TONIGHT!
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Chris Sky LIVE - TONIGHT!
Chris Sky LIVE on FreedomReport.ca - Special Guest American Journalist Ethan Darryl Schmidt-Crockett
Posted by Kevin J. Johnston , 1 min
CHRIS SKY LIVE! 7PM Calgary Time / 9PM Toronto Time Updates on Mask Laws and Tyranny In Canada. Special Guest: #America’s Best #Mask Eliminator, Ethan Darryl Schmidt-Crockett of the ANTI-MASKERS CLUB. What does America think of the #Canadian Government? What has happened to Kevin J. Johnston? LIVE HERE: www.FreedomReport.ca LIVE HERE: https://www.facebook.com/ed.jamnisek LIVE HERE: www.NobelSavages.me DONATE TO FREEDOM: https://www.kevinjjohnston.me/donate-no-books Email Money Transfers: FreedomReport.ca@Gmail.com Let's Get Our Nations Back! All shows will be archived on Bitchute! http://www.KevinJJohnston.com
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Today after I listened to Ed of the PPC and the Libertian wannabe lawyer Stephy Baby whine about their buddy Pat King I called Ed again. He gave me 10 seconds to tell why I was calling this time but I only needed 5. Later I called his buddy who went to law school in Moscow Vladislav
Sobolev. That conversation went well at first until he made a snide remark about the war in his nativeland then I said look aother email and hung up on the snob
https://weareallessential.ca/press-releases/
WeAreAllEssential (WAAE) rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with across Canada
Not
only have we supported more small businesses than any other coalition
to open up fully and stay open, WAAE has been integral to two of the
foremost legal actions currently underway.
Adamson’s Barbecue,
one of WAAE’s founding members is positioned to challenge The Reopening
Ontario Act like none other, thanks in part to Founder Vladislav
Sobolev, who connected Adam Skelly with Chris Weisdorf, currently
assisting Skelly’s legal team with game-changing evidence and experts.
On
the west coast, WeAreAllEssential has been actively supporting BC’s
proposed constitutional class action put forth by The Canadian Society
for the Advancement of Science in Public Policy. Sobolev was responsible
for making some integral connections in its early stages and also
played a key role in spearheading a cease and desist letter presented to
health authorities, law enforcement, and policymakers. This letter has
put critical pressure on all those that might perpetuate these
unjustified measures to stand down.
Hugs Over Masks
Website designer in Golden Lake, Ontario
https://coach247.goherbalife.com/Catalog/Home/Index/en-CA
Ed Jamnisek
L3P 2R4 Markham
Ontario - Canada
The Kevin J. Johnston Show with April Lajune and Vladislav
Update
on Derek- Derek is back home from the hospital today, he's on crutches.
He's healing up though and he's on the rebound. His legs does look alot
better.
Truck convoys are getting pretty big in the states.
And how convenient we have issues in the in Ukraine again.
We're not going to be hearing much of Kevin these days or months. Will try to get him in here, now and then.
We did however get the rights back for Freedom Report and we will be
rebranding the show. It's getting a little heated out there with Kevin.
I don't know who's keeping up with Pat King. It's been difficult to find him an assurity for him.
Vladislav talks about if you're not familiar with a ghost kitchen, he
recommends you doing the research and learn about it because ghost
kitchens have been around for several years.
This is for the
business owners and giving an open warning if you want your business to
survive as you think it should and you need the support to make it
happen you need to please stand your ground join we are essential to
help you get the support to get United with other business owners of
restaurants so we can do our best to prevent complete dismantle of
society as we know it.
WATCH THE KEVIN J. JOHNSTON SHOW, Monday to Friday from 7 PM to 9 PM Calgary Time
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The Kevin J. Johnston Show with Ed & Stefanos
Tonight
on the show, getting exciting about the convoy heading to Ottawa. Alot
of people are in favor of what's happening. A report a call to Liberal
party and ask them for their official statement if they were going to
reverse the mandates and they said of course not. If we're going to
release the mandates we would have done it already. And we're not a bit
concerned about a dozen couple trucks showing up to Ottawa.
Also the
police in Ottawa I have no idea how who's this actually huge this thing
is yet. They don't know how to plan for it they don't know what to do
with it.
We made it in the Guinness book it's the world's largest
Convoy in history! The states are also arriving in large numbers as well
as much as 10,000 or more. They're tired of the lies too.
This is
not going to end soon, because it took them about 10 years to put this
all together Trudeaur does make money off of this, because he gets money
for every job that someone gets. That to me is a conflict of interest
to say the least.
Dr. Gurguis, unfortunately, could not make it on the show this evening.
Kevin is in good spirits is enjoying his house arrest and he's got a new book coming out.
WATCH THE KEVIN J. JOHNSTON SHOW, Monday to Friday from 7 PM to 9 PM Calgary Time
https://www.bitchute.com/video/6DaxTQiTJ0v3/
The Kevin J. Johnston Show With Benita Pederson With freedom Updates And More.
First published at 21:27 UTC on January 19th, 2022.
Tonight topic is about why alternative news is popular and essential.
Kevin has been released today from bail.
So
we have some awesome guests today and the first guest has just started a
new media organization and it's called Maverick Media. Keith. The
alternative media is essential now and the traditional Legacy Media is
not giving you the full story we all know that all our viewers know that
I wish the whole world would know that and so here we have these
amazing alternative Medias popping up. One of the most popular ones is
rebel news and then there's true north and there's Western standard.
These alternative Medias is money. The Edmonton there's no ads, because
no business with any integrity wants to support a newspaper that doesn't
tell you the full truth. Businesses have been pulling their ads like
mad and now it's not even worth the money to buy the Edmonton journal
you're barely getting anything, so why bother and they don't tell you.
https://www.facebook.com/allfiredupeventservices/
Ask All Fired Up for Freedom
About
Benita Pedersen's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community ... To reach her, you can call or text her cellular at: 780-349-0181.
http://allfiredupforfreedom.com
https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/nipawin-melfort-journals-and-northeast-sun-to-merge/wcm/514294a3-3f53-47e7-af4d-178b1faed137/amp/
Nipawin, Melfort Journals and Northeast Sun to merge
Readers of the Melfort and Nipawin Journals along with our regional paper, the Northeast Sun, will see some changes and they will be happening soon.
July 24 will mark the last print editions of the individual Melfort and Nipawin Journals and that Friday will see the last edition of the Northeast Sun.
The following week, readers will see only The Journal, which will include the same geographic area covered by the Northeast Sun now, but with a Nipawin and Melfort focus. Regional news will be included covering the same geographic area as The Northeast Sun has done for years.
It will be published every Friday.
This paper will be free to readers and it will have the same type of coverage of topics that we know our readers want, including local politics, features and sports along with things you need to know about, like crime.
The Nipawin Journal and Melfort Journal websites and social media sites (Facebook and Twitter) will remain the same.
If you have questions about your subscription or want to get a copy of the paper, call 306-657-6320 or 1-800-667- 2008.
The link will take you to remembering.ca where you can choose the community you want the obituary published in. This is still us!
For editorial questions or to submit story ideas, call Susan McNeil (editor) at 306-812-0295 or email smcneil@postmedia.com. In Melfort, call Michael Oleksyn at 306-812-0113 or email moleksyn@postmedia.com.
For advertising, call Raylene Carlson at 306-920-0632 or email rcarlson@postmedia.com.
https://paherald.sk.ca/2021/08/25/ppc-replace-prince-albert-candidate/
Susan McNeil covers municipal affairs and court. She can be reached at 306-764-4276 ext 230 or by email at susan.mcneil@paherald.sk.ca.
PPC replace Prince Albert candidate
I doubt this is Keith's outfit but I called the lady anyway
https://maverick-media.ca/about-maverick/
About Nicole Harris, Maverick Media
As a former television news anchor and reporter, Nicole Harris takes a strategic approach to highlighting her clients’ strengths and successes. In her 15 years as a journalist, she has worked as a producer, reporter and main anchor in newsrooms in Canada. Her experience and expertise has given her the “inside scoop” on how to make sound judgements on what is newsworthy and best promoted through the news media. This is what sets Nicole Harris – Maverick Media apart from others who take a more promotional approach to public relations and has enabled Nicole to build credibility with the media.
Nicole focuses on shaping a company’s message and developing pitches while convincing media outlets to showcase or report on your story. The media are conduits for strong publicity and in today’s fast moving business environment, perception can be everything! With her wealth of experience in both television and radio, Nicole can carry you swiftly and safely to a common goal of positive industry awareness.
Phone Number: (204) 470-4555
Email Address: nharris@maverick-media.ca
https://www.facebook.com/Mandiifreedom
Mandii Lefaci (Nana)
Regional North Assistant Coordinator at No More Lockdowns Canada
Lives in Sudbury, Ontario
Married
listencanada
nmlsudbury
xl420
listenupcanada.podbean.com
twitter.com/freeradiocanada
Posts
East coast convoy will be leaving Enfield NS Truckstop @ 8am on the 26th. Route stops will b announced in coming days.
0 Comments
on January 8.Mandii Lefaci
Mandii Lefaci
Mandii Lefacii
Janaauary 1g5 at 8:47re AMd
trucknews.com
Mandii Lefaci
https://gmlaw.ca/adarkradio/
After Dark Radio
Phone: +1 249-878-4959
Website: sudbury420.com/
open.spotify.com/show/289dbqBG6oLOlhICib1I7D?si=6ae0c43b8e9940e4
https://open.spotify.com/show/289dbqBG6oLOlhICib1I7D
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xOr2LoBgYjlw3JNuuqzUJ
https://canada-unity.com/groups/canadas-freedom-radio/
Convoy For Freedom 2022
Canada’s Freedom Radio
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The Canadian gov. has been compromised, therefore they have NO Authority over you. It is your duty to defend Canada…she needs all of us now.
WATCH: https://gab.com/TC4TX/posts/107826989769003322 -
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Missed last night’s podcast? EPS 009 We gotcha! All shows are available on Spotify, iHeart Radio, Deezer and all podcast/radio directories!
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Missed last night’s podcast? We gotcha! All podcasts are available via Spotify, iHeart Radio, Deezer and almost every podcast directory on the planet! Episode 008
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Tune in at 3:30pm for a great live podcast with Canada’s Freedom Radio! We invite everyone to tune in via the Podbean app available on the app store for Android and Apple devices. No device? No problem! We gotcha! Can tune in via the live link here:
#CanadaUnity #WorldUnity #BearHugCanada #GodBlessTruckers
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END THIS TOTALITARIAN INJUSTICE!!! LEGALIZE RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS!!!!
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TRUDEAU WILL TAKE ALL OUR FREEDOMS AWAY!!!! IF WE CAN’T RUN OVER PEDESTRIANS WITH OUR TRUCKS WE MIGHT AS WELL BE LIVING UNDER STALIN, OBAMA, OR CARL MARKS!!!!
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DRIVER’S RIGHTS!
THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO RIGHT TO BAN US FROM RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS!!!! OUR TRUCKS OUR CHOICE!!!!!! -
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Lotsa love from out in Berlin, coming home soon!
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Trish, get in contact with Stu or James …or even reach out to Chris Barber
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Group Administrators
United We Roll Convoy For Canada. ... Or call Haley Wile @ (403) 506-9696 or Glen Carritt @ (403) 318-5390 ...
Looking for pilot truck operators, where you are located and how many kms you can cover. Please email us at tbofconvoy2022@protonmail.com
Freedom Convoy 2022
Organizer
NEWS RELEASE
Notice of Formal Withdrawal of MOU by Canada Unity
Ottawa February 8 2022 – For Immediate Release
It has come to the attention of Canada Unity that the Memorandum Of Understanding (herein referred to as MOU) does not reflect the spirit and intent of the Freedom Convoy Movement 2022
We represent the voice of many Canadians who desire to have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms upheld. We are everyday Canadians, not lawyers or politicians.
We are immediately withdrawing the MOU as we do not want any unintended interpretations to continue. Our sole desire with the MOU was to have a document where Canadians could peacefully express their displeasure with current C19 mandates, and express their desire to be free. Canada Unity does not support or encourage any acts which tarnish democratic values held by Canadians.
To the over 320,000 original signatories of the MOU; we appreciate your support and will continue to peacefully demonstrate until the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is upheld.
This document was created with the sole purpose of bringing the government of Canada and all Canadian citizens into agreement; that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms should be upheld for all
Canada Unity firmly supports the constitution and democratic process. We remain committed to following lawful process and upholding freedom of choice.
Canada Unity
James Bauder
Sandra Bauder
10 - What happened to the CONVOY MONEY? (interview with the accountant)
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Chad Eros was an accounting teacher from Saskatchewan who suddenly found himself at the centre of a historical event, and with 13 million dollars in an account he opened.
- What happened to the 1 million dollars that was released by GoFundMe?
- What was happening on the ground the day before the Emergencies Act was invoked?
A VERY interesting peek inside what was happening, vs what the mainstream media was telling the world.
What's REALLY going on?
Enjoy - and if you'd like to help me grow this podcast, please consider supporting on my website. www.kidcarson.com
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Stolen from a laptop
Stolen from a phone
Stolen from public Wi-Fi
meandering images/Shutterstock (Licensed)
New arrests, crypto copycats leave convoy donors worried truckers will never actually receive funds
Millions of dollars and cryptocurrency are flowing into the movement with little oversight or accountability.
Published Feb 18, 2022 The fundraisers’ astonishing success and the enormity of the sums pouring in have given rise to questions about where exactly the money is going. The people behind Freedom Convoy 2022, the first and largest fundraiser, have launched a nonprofit and vowed to account for its spending, but even that hasn’t assuaged some critics, among them people who donated to the cause.
As money keeps coming in, some wonder if the truckers are being left out in the cold.
The trucker protest began in January as a convoy that converged in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. The original intent was to simply oppose requirements that truckers who crossed the United States border be vaccinated for COVID or test and quarantine. In the weeks that the protesters have occupied Ottawa, it’s spread across the country and the world. As its geographic footprint expanded, it’s become something of a catch-all movement for activists, many on the far-right, who oppose what they view as government overreach of any kind.
Prominent right-wing figures have heralded the protesters as patriotic freedom fighters. Most donors, though, are regular people who simply wanted to give cash to truckers who are risking their livelihoods to protest vaccine, quarantine, and testing requirements.But numerous hurdles and concerns about the intentions of those starting the fundraisers have donors worried.
According to the Freedom Convoy’s fundraising page, the movement now needs lawyers, office staff, personnel, and “permanent infrastructure for continuing advocacy in whatever form that takes,” when people who were giving wanted their money to go to gas, food, and blankets.
The organizers of Freedom Convoy insist there’s nothing nefarious afoot. They face hurdles regardless of their distribution plans, unable to access much of the money as the Canadian government froze their accounts and seized some funds.
Theirs, though, is just one of many fundraisers. And as more sprout up, more questions grow. Some have even turned to cryptocurrency to get around the banking system, which can circumvent government intervention. That, though, reduces or eliminates accountability.
Now, no matter how many promises that money is going to truckers, people don’t believe them.
The GoFundMe for Freedom Convoy 2022 took off as soon as it launched in January. As donations reached $10 million, GoFundMe abruptly pulled the plug on Feb. 4. The company released a statement saying that the movement had become violent and “unlawful,” which Freedom Convoy denied. GoFundMe released $1 million to them before it halted the fundraiser. It’s refunding the remaining funds.
Tamara Lich, who created the GoFundMe, and some other organizers swiftly launched a Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser on GiveSendGo, which exploded. Even GiveSendGo getting hacked and temporarily going offline hasn’t slowed it down. As of this writing, they’ve raised over $10 million—$9.5 million in one campaign and at least a half-million dollars in another called “Adopt a Trucker.”
The Canadian government froze the fundraisers’ bank accounts on Feb. 10. Lich, according to reports, was arrested last night, as authorities pledged a crackdown on the protests.
Still the donations have kept coming.
Their success has inspired numerous copycat fundraisers of undetermined legitimacy.
It’s also inspired questions about where exactly the money is going. Some say that the truckers aren’t getting it and accuse the organizers of enriching themselves.
Jessica Simpson is one of Freedom Convoy 2022’s donors who now feels jilted. She donated on GiveSendGo earlier this month. Then she saw a post by someone claiming to be one of the truckers in Ottawa complaining that they hadn’t received any funds or communications from the fundraisers.
Simpson posted a screenshot of the post on Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page.
“I know a lot of you haveSimpson posted a screenshot of the post on Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page.
“I know a lot of you have donated to convoy’s [GoFundMe] or [GiveSendGo], but I have a need to say that 17 days after none of us received any kind of assistance from them or have any kind of physical interaction,” the post says. The person said that the only assistance they’d received had come from friends, family, and random strangers.
“NONE of it came from organizers collecting funds,” the post alleged.
“Why are the truckers not getting the money?” Simpson asked. Freedom Convoy didn’t respond.
Now Simpson wants a refund. Via Facebook messenger, she told the Daily Dot that she hasn’t been able to get her money back. Worse, she inadvertently donated much more than she intended.
“I meant to donate $215 [Canadian] and accidentally donated that amount 3x when their website was slow,” she said. Hacked materials from GiveSendGo show that someone with her name donated the same amount—which converts to $165 in American dollars ($150 for the fundraiser and $15 for GiveSendGo)—three times, each time writing the same message.
Tom Stares said that two truckers he knows who were at the protest in Ottawa “haven’t received a penny” from the fundraiser, either. On Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page, he said that the donations were going to legal fees instead.
Responding on a comment thread on Freedom Convoy’s Facebook page, Stares told the Daily Dot, “It seems the distribution was very spotty, some getting none, others getting more than needed. My friends got money handed to them directly by some supporters but nothing paid yet for the receipts they handed in.”
He said that there were rumors and inconsistent information being provided by various leaders. Stares says his friends have since left Ottawa.
On Facebook Live on Feb. 16, Lich and Chad Eros, an accountant who’s on the nonprofit’s board of directors, insisted that they haven’t been able to hand out money because they can’t access it themselves. They also claimed that the Ontario government had taken the $1 million GoFundMe gave them.
“Just so you know we haven’t skipped the country with your money,” Lich said.
In the hopes of eliminating any questions about where money was actually going, one woman created a platform for truckers to register and people to sponsor them directly via Venmo. Just a day in, she doubted that it was going to be successful.
“I guess this funding site won’t work,” the woman, who identified herself only as Christy, told the Daily Dot via email. “Getting too much hate mail and scammers.”
The site now appears to be down.
The funding saga has recently expanded to include cryptocurrency. There are at least three cryptocurrency fundraisers, two run by people who’ve been involved with the Freedom Convoy.
Chris Garrah, the organizer of the Adopt a Trucker GiveSendGo and a member of the board of directors of Freedom 2022 Human Rights and Freedoms, which is the organizer of the Freedom Convoy GiveSendGo, appears to be soliciting bitcoin donations. A bitcoin fundraiser that names him as the organizer has thus far collected bitcoin worth $3,000 towards his $10,000 goal. The fundraiser includes the exact language from the Adopt a Trucker GiveSendGo.
Others commenting on the Freedom Convoy Facebook page have expressed similar concerns over the parallel fundraisers.
“They are traitors to the Freedom Convoy,” wrote one. “They are misusing their trust to sell Bitcoin and they are NOT being transparent about their use of the GiveSendGo funds, nor did anyone make them the ‘official spokespersons’ of this movement.”
Representatives for Freedom Convoy didn’t respond to the Daily Dot’s inquiry seeking to confirm that Garrah is soliciting bitcoin. They also didn’t comment on concerns funds are being used to enrich the organizers. The groups have continued to insist the freezing of funds by the government is the main hurdle to distribution.
Patrick “Pat” King has created his own cryptocurrency, which he’s calling the “Freedom Convoy Token.” King was initially involved with the Freedom Convoy, but the organization distanced itself from him after reports emerged of his history of making racist statements and urging violence to end pandemic restrictions.
On Feb. 12, King told the 350,000 people who follow his Facebook page, the Real Pat King, to stop donating to GoFundMe and GiveSendGo and to buy his crypto instead. “This is going straight to you guys .. to invest in yourselves” and to the truckers, he said. He promised that they’d receive “residual income” from the crypto.
The website for King’s cryptocurrency instructs people to buy a different type of crypto then swap it for Freedom Convoy Tokens, or $FCTs. The site tells “truckers and supporters” they may be eligible to receive free $FCTs out of their supply, which they say is 111 billion coins.
It is possible to create or “mint” your own cryptocurrency, typically by hiring experienced blockchain developers, as it takes time, money, and advanced technical knowledge. “Making a cryptocurrency is the easy part—maintaining and growing it over time is usually more challenging,” Investopedia warns. Freedom Convoy Tokens’ website says they have three developers.
The website also promises that “another 4%” of the funds will be donated to the Freedom Convoy Foundation. Canada has no record of an organization by that name.
King said that $FCTs will be available on Binance Smart Chain, a decentralized blockchain ecosystem. Binance Smart Chain, which recently rebranded to BNB Chain, doesn’t currently have $FCT listed.
King didn’t respond to an email sent Thursday afternoon to an address he posted on Facebook.
During the Facebook announcement for King’s cryptocurrency, one of his comrades disparagingly referred to another bitcoin fundraiser for the truckers: HonkHonkHodl.
On Feb. 11, HonkHonkHodl announced on Twitter that it’s raised 21 Bitcoin valued at nearly $1 million. The campaign said it would pass the Bitcoin off to Twitter user NobodyCaribou, a self-described “professional orangepiller” whom Vice reports has lately been going on shows to discuss Bitcoin and the protests. NobodyCaribou is working with a Twitter user who goes by JW Weatherman.
Their plan, NobodyCaribou tweeted, is to distribute the Bitcoin to 200 truckers “in a verifiable way.” The mind-numbingly complicated plan detailed in a 25-page paper explains how each transaction is to occur. It says that distributing the Bitcoin to (currently unidentified) recipients will require two smartphones, a printer, tools for destroying the printer and phones (destroying the phones is “optional”), three USB drives, 10 DVDs, a laptop, a minimum of eight volunteers, and a “private and secure space” such as a hotel room.
Volunteers are to create Bitcoin wallets, record the seed phrase that gives access to it, transfer a small amount of Bitcoin into it, delete the wallet, then the next volunteer will restore it, confirm there are funds inside, transfer the rest of the Bitcoin to be allocated into it, then delete it. The seed phrases are to be printed and put into envelopes along with instructions for accessing the wallet. Volunteers are instructed to write random squiggly lines on the envelopes, take a photo, and post it to social media. “The purpose of this is to allow recipients to complain on social media with reasonable evidence if they do not receive the funds,” the instructions state.
The electronics must be destroyed or, in the case of the phones, restored to factory settings—twice—because record of the seed phrases is preserved in the devices’ memory.
Despite the elaborate process, the duo said the money had been distributed last night.
Earlier, Weatherman sent Daily Dot a link to a tweet in which he said, “We’ve engaged with a credible dolphin trainer that as confirmed we can put seed words in a dolphin suppository and send them up the coast to avoid border crossing interception of the #bitcoin headed to truckers. Trial run Monday.”
“Very excited about this. Solves many technical hurdles,” Weatherman added.
Canada and the United States inadvertently sparked the trucker protests by implementing vaccine, testing and quarantine mandates on cross-border truckers while the omicron variant ravaged North America. Their demands to be free and unencumbered by masks and PCR tests resonated with people around the world who are also weary of COVID restrictions and long to a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
But where there’s a massive amount of money involved, there can often be problems that swiftly crop up, as people’s concerns have shown. The people soliciting donations don’t want you to worry.
“The wrong people don’t have your money and the right people do,” Eros of the Freedom Convoy said.
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Team fundraiserTo our Fellow Canadians, the time for political over reach is over. Our current government is implementing rules and mandates that are destroying the foundation of our businesses, industries and livelihoods. Canadians have been integral to the fabric of humanity in many ways that have shaped the planet.
We are a peaceful country that has helped protect nations across the globe from tyrannical governments who oppressed their people, and now it seems it is happening here. We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people. Small businesses are being destroyed, homes are being destroyed, and people are being mistreated and denied fundamental necessities to survive. It's our duty as Canadians to put an end to this mandates. It is imperative that this happens because if we don't our country will no longer be the country we have come to love. We are doing this for our future Generations and to regain our lives back.
We are asking for Donations to help with the costs of fuel first, and hopefully food and lodgings to help ease the pressures of this arduous task.
It's a small price to pay for our freedoms. We thank you all for your Donations and know that you are helping reshape this once beautiful country back to the way it was.
In order for your generous donations to flow smoothly, the good people at Go Fund Me will be sending donations directly to our bulk fuel supplier and are working out the details now which means your hard earned money is going to straight to who it was meant for and need not flow through anyone else. Any left over donations will be donated to a credible Veterans organization which will be chosen by the donors.
**Money raised will be dispersed to our Truckers to aid them with the cost of the journey**
**Funds will be spent to help cover the cost of fuel for our Truckers first and foremost, will be used to assist with food if needed and contribute to shelter if needed**
Updates (1)
We will be engaging with media directly in the coming days. Patrick King is not and never has been affiliated with our movement nor has he been a part of our great team of volunteers. Patrick King only represents himself and does not represent any of us who started Freedom Convoy 2022 / Freedom Convoy Canada.
The only spokespeople for Freedom Convoy are Tamara Lich Twitter: @Tamara_MVC and Benjamin Dichter Twitter: @BJdichter.
We will have more updates soon. Thank you again for your love and support.
Fundraising team (2)
Toronto-Danforth Conservatives name Benjamin Dichter as new candidate
The Toronto-Danforth Conservatives have a new federal election candidate, Benjamin Dichter.
According to the local riding association, Dichter is a business owner who lives in the riding.
His LinkedIn profile indicates he’s a founding member of LGBTory.ca, The Rainbow Conservatives of Canada, as well as a certified gemologist and diamond grader.
Dichter replaces Tim Dutaud, who was recently removed as the Conservative Party’s candidate for Toronto-Danforth after reports on social media determined prank calls posted on YouTube about faking orgasms and mocking mentally disabled people were true.
https://torontoobserver.ca/2015/10/06/toronto-danforth-candidates-differ-on-alternative-election-formula/
Benjamin Dichter — Choosing Country Over Party
https://www.samaracanada.com/about-us/contact-us
The Samara Centre for Democracy
33 Prince Arthur Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5R 1B2
416-960-7926
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Staff
Sabreena Delhon - Executive Director
Abra Rissi - Public Affairs Director
Christine Latimer - Operations Director
Shannon Schaefer - Strategic Communications Coordinator
Vijai Kumar - Research Coordinator
Ann Dickie - Research Assistant
For general inquiries, please email info@samaracanada.com.
For media inquiries, please email abra.rissi@samaracanada.com.
To volunteer with the Samara Centre, please email getinvolved@samaracanada.com and tell us a bit about yourself and what types of tasks or projects you are able to help us with.
Board of Directors
Michael MacMillan, Co-founder and Chair
In 2007, Michael MacMillan co-founded the Samara Centre for Democracy, an educational charity that is dedicated to reconnecting citizens to politics.
In 2011, Michael co-founded and is CEO of Blue Ant Media, a company that produces, distributes, and broadcasts television programming internationally.
In 1978, Michael co-founded Atlantis Films Limited with fellow Queen’s grads Seaton McLean and Janice Platt. He was Chairman and CEO of Atlantis (which later became Alliance Atlantis) for almost 30 years.
Michael is also the co-founder and co-owner of Closson Chase Vineyard and Winery in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
A member of the Order of Canada, Michael has volunteered with numerous community and industry organizations over many years. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College and co-author of the book Tragedy in the Commons.
Stephanie MacKendrick, Vice-Chair
For more than 30 years, Stephanie MacKendrick has been a key player
in Canada’s communications industry, from print and broadcast journalism
to senior communications roles and association management. Stephanie
is the former President of Canadian Women in Communications (1996-2012),
and recently became the CEO of Crisis Services Canada in 2018, which
provides bilingual access to voice and text suicide prevention
services.
In 2010, Stephanie was inducted into Canada’s Telecom Hall of Fame in
recognition of her longstanding advocacy on behalf of women in the
communications and telecom sectors. Since 2013, she has also been a
partner at Lotus Wonders, an organization that provides training and
employment to Women in Cambodia who have experienced displacement due to
land evictions. Stephanie was also awarded one of Top Most Powerful
Women in Canada in 2005 and 2012 by the Women's Executive Network.
Stephanie is the author of In Good Hands: Remarkable Female Politicians From Around the World Who Showed Up, Spoke Out and Made Change, which will be published in Spring 2020 by KCP Loft.
Janet Yale, Vice-Chair
Janet Yale is an accomplished leader and senior executive with long
years of management experience in the private, public and not-for-profit
sectors. She served as the President and CEO of the Arthritis Society
(Canada) from June 2012 to January 2020 after a long career in the
telecommunications and broadcast sectors. In June 2018, she was
appointed by the federal Ministers of Innovation, Science and Economic
Development and Canadian Heritage to serve as Chair of The Broadcasting
and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel. The Panel released its
Report “Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act” in January 2020.
Previously, she served as President and CEO of the Canadian Cable
Television Association and, later, as the Executive Vice President of
External Affairs at TELUS. Janet also served as a Director General at
the CRTC and as General Counsel at the Consumers Association of Canada.
A long-time volunteer, Janet currently serves on the boards of the
Samara Centre and Salus. In 2008, she was awarded the United Way
Community Builder Award for Volunteer of the Year.
During the course of her distinguished career, she has received a number
of awards and recognitions. In 2001, she was named "Woman of the Year"
by the Canadian Women in Communications Organization. She is a recipient
of both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. She
was also named as one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's
Executive Network from 2004 to 2006, and inducted into the Hall of Fame
in 2007. In 2005, she was named Businesswoman of the Year by the
Women's Business Network and in 2006 she was named Woman Leader of the
Year by Federated Press.
A lawyer and economist by training, Janet is fully bilingual (English
& French), a keen marathon runner, and passionate about health, the
arts, and business.
Liban Abokor
Liban Abokor is the
Executive Director of Youth LEAPS, a non-profit organization dedicated
to improving educational and employment outcomes for Black youth in
Toronto. Liban was a founding member of Ontario's Premier's Council on
Youth Opportunities, which guided the development of Ontario's Youth
Action Plan and Youth Opportunities Fund.
Liban is a dedicated volunteer who has served on the boards of the
Laidlaw Foundation, Central Neighbourhood House, and the Catherine
Donnelly Foundation. He is now sitting on the board of Shoot For Peace
and is a member of the City of Toronto's Economic Development and
Culture Division's Program Advisory Committee.
He is also a co-author of the UNFUNDED report and a co-founder of the
Foundation for Black Communities, Canada's first-ever philanthropic
foundation dedicated to investing directly in Black communities by
supporting Black-led, serving and focused non-profits and charities.
Leen Al Zaibak
Leen Al Zaibak is a leader in supporting the success of Syrian refugees resettled in Canada and abroad, as both co-Founder and Director of Jusoor, an international NGO that helps Syrian youth continue their education through scholarships and mentorship. Leen currently serves on the board of Lifeline Syria, an initiative to help sponsor and settle 1,000 Syrian refugees in the Greater Toronto Area. She also sits on the Telus Toronto Community Board. She currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of International Relations and Protocol for the Government of Ontario.
Leen holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Trinity College, and a Master degree in International Relations from the University of Manchester. She is an advocate for arts and culture in the city serving as Chair of the Emerging Leaders for Toronto Arts Foundation and is on the executive committee for the Royal Ontario Museum’s Young Patron Circle. In 2015, she was named a Torontonian of the year, and in 2016 she was named one of RBC’s Immigrants of the Year. She has appeared on television, including appearances on CBC and Breakfast Television, and has been interviewed by The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life and featured in Reader’s Digest.
Kris Archie
Kris Archie is the Chief Executive Officer of The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (The Circle). A Secwepemc and Seme7 woman from Ts’qescen, a mother, aunty and engaged community member.
Kris is passionate about heart-based community work and facilitating
positive change. In all of her roles, Kris works to transform
philanthropy and contribute to positive change by creating spaces of
shared learning, relationship-building and centering Indigenous wisdom.
She is a PLACES Fellow Alum of 2015 with The Funders Network, a board
member with Environment Funders Canada and JUMP! Canada and a newly
appointed Dialogue Fellow with Simon Fraser University focused on
Indigenous ways of knowing and Philanthropy.
Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer is a well-known Canadian satirist, comedian,
screenwriter and actor who hosted the Rick Mercer Report on CBC
television for fifteen seasons. He has published a number of books that
feature his trademark social and political commentary about Canada in
the form of “rants”– the latest, Rick Mercer: Final Report, was published in 2018.
Rick is also an Officer of the Order of Canada, who has excelled as a
humanitarian through his involvement with numerous charitable
organizations. He has received ten honorary degrees, 18 Gemini Awards,
ten Canadian Screen Awards, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award,
and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, among many other honours.
Rick was born and raised in St. John’s, NL.
The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, C.M., O.Ont.
Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent Senator representing Ontario. As a member of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group she holds a leadership position as Liaison. Senator Omidvar also served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector.
Senator Omidvar is a Councillor on the World Refugee Council, a Director at the Samara Centre for Democracy and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Previously at Ryerson University, Senator Omidvar was a
Distinguished Visiting Professor and founded the Global Diversity
Exchange, a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration, and inclusion.
Senator Omidvar is co-author of the book Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015), an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015 and one of the Toronto Star's
top five good reads from Word on the Street. Senator Omidvar received a
Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, from Ryerson University in 2018 and
from York University in 2012.
Senator Omidvar was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2005 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011, with both honours recognizing her advocacy work on behalf of immigrants and devotion to reducing inequality in Canada. In 2014, she received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of German-Canadian relations.
Ruth Ostrower
Ruth Ostrower is an executive assistant supporting Michael MacMillan across both his business and philanthropic endeavours. Previously, she served as the executive assistant to Michael when he was the chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis. Prior to joining Alliance Atlantis (then Atlantis Communications), she worked for 12 years in the finance industry, primarily in Human Resources. She is the past president of the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, where she has volunteered for many years, and is also an active supporter of theatre and dance.
Chad Rogers
Chad Rogers is a strategist, entrepreneur and founding partner at Crestview Strategy, a public affairs agency. Chad helps leaders, companies, and industry associations face crisis head on, make their case, and get things approved.
The Hill Times magazine named Chad one of the ‘Top 100 Lobbyists’ in Canada. A sought-after media commentator, he’s been a member of the ‘Power Panel’ on CBC Television’s Power & Politics. A recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service, Chad serves as Honourary Consul of the Republic of Kosovo in Canada.
As a Country Director with the
Washington, DC-based National Democratic Institute under chair
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, he’s worked with governments and
political leaders around the world. He has advised leaders Armenia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan,
Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia, Trinidad &
Tobago, and Ukraine.
Chad is an active board member of Action Against Hunger, True Patriot
Love Foundation, the Samara Centre for Democracy, and Journalists for
Human Rights.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, Chad resides in Toronto with his partner Mark.
Zain Velji
As Partner and VP Strategy for Northweather, Zain Velji brings a
decade of experience in political, business, and non-profit
communications, as well as marketing and engagement. Zain is also a
frequent public speaker and regular political commentator who appears
weekly on CBC radio and television and appearing federal election
coverage for CTV and Bell Media.
Zain chairs the board of The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and serves
on the boards of the YMCA Calgary, Samara Centre for Democracy, and
Pillar 9. His consulting and political experience has allowed him to
work for companies and non-profits as well as notable political
campaigns, serving as campaign manager for Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
in 2017.
Zain is also the host of the award-winning podcast The Strategists,
where he dissects political strategy and public affairs issues of the
day and the host of the Zain Velji show on Newstalk 1010. He was named
one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 by Avenue and was awarded the Horizon
Alumni Award by the University of Alberta.
Zain has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta.
William Young
In 2011, Dr. William (Bill) Young completed a successful six-year career as Parliamentary Librarian with the Library of Parliament, capping a thirty-year career as an historian, academic, and educator. He holds a Ph.D. in History, an M.A. in History and Political Science from the University of British Columbia, and a B.A. in History and Political Science from York University. Bill has offered his support and expertise to many professional groups, and has maintained active memberships in professional societies and centres of academic excellence throughout his career.
Advisory Board
Keith Archer
Keith Archer served as Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia
from 2011 to 2018. Prior to that appointment, he was Professor of
Political Science at the University of Calgary from 1984 to 2011, where
he currently holds the position of professor emeritus. He is the author,
co-author or co-editor of 7 books and many articles and chapters on
elections and voting, and he has a particular interest in youth
political engagement. He currently serves as Executive Director of the
Canadian Society for Election Official Training, a non-profit
organization that provides training and professional development
opportunities for permanent staff at federal, provincial and territorial
election agencies in Canada.
Keith has been an elections consultant since June 2018.
Isabel Bassett
Former teacher, journalist, MPP and broadcasting executive, Isabel Bassett is a highly regarded pioneer of Canadian broadcasting. As past Chair and CEO of TVO (1999 – 2005) Ms. Bassett refocused the organization to deliver on its educational mandate. Elected to the Ontario legislature in 1995 as MPP for St. Andrew-St. Patrick, Ms. Bassett was appointed Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation in 1997. She has actively campaigned for the YWCA's Toronto Elm Street Centre for Affordable Housing for Women, York University’s Library, and Equal Voice, encouraging women to engage in politics and the boardroom. In 2016, Ms. Basset was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.
Suresh Bhalla
Suresh Bhalla is a retired senior financial expert who worked with several major Canadian and US banks during a distinguished career spanning three decades. Since retiring, he has served as Co-Chair of Human Rights Watch and on the board of the Toronto Community Foundation. Suresh has a longstanding interest in a variety of social and political causes.
Heather Conway
Heather Conway served as the executive vice-president
of CBC/Radio-Canada’s English services. Before becoming a member
of CBC/Radio-Canada’s senior executive team, Heather was chief business
officer at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Under her tenure, the gallery saw
its attendance increase by 20 percent and achieved its highest
membership levels. Prior to the AGO she was CEO of Edelman Canada. She
is one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, and serves on the board of directors
of American Express Bank of Canada and the advisory board of the Walrus
Foundation.
Heather became the Director of Great West Life in May 2019. She
has also been the Director of American Express Canada since 2005.
George Cooper
George was Managing Trustee of the Killam Trusts, comprising $400 million for graduate and postdoctoral scholarships and research at five universities and the Canada Council. from 1983-2017. A lawyer by profession, he was President of the University of King’s College, Halifax, and is a former Member of Parliament. A Rhodes Scholar, George holds three honorary doctorate degrees and is a Member of the Order of Canada. He also serves on the Boards of the CBC and The Canadian Ditchley Foundation.
Margaret Huber
Margaret Huber is a former career diplomat who served as Ambassador
in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. During her extensive diplomatic
career, she worked closely with international organizations including
the United Nations, the European Union, the International Olympic
Committee, the Asian Development Bank and the International Committee of
the Red Cross. She served as the Chief of Protocol of Canada from 2010
to 2013, was a Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow in 2014, and was the
past President and current Chair of the Harvard Club of Ottawa and the Canadian International Council-National Capital Branch.
Margaret is an Advisory Board member for Pharos Global Health Advisors,
and has been a Special Representative to the Canadian Chamber of
Commerce in Japan since 2015. She also been a member of the Music
Niagara Governance Committee since 2016.
She has been a supporter of Samara Centre for Democracy since 2014.
Jane Hilderman
Jane Hilderman recently served as the Executive Director of the Samara Centre for Democracy for four years, during which time she deepened Samara’s reputation and reach, especially on Parliament Hill. During her leadership tenure, the Samara Centre launched such flagship initiatives as the Democracy 360 as well as executed the second round of MP Exit Interviews. Jane previously worked on Parliament Hill and the US Embassy in Ottawa. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto and a BAH from Queen’s University. Jane was raised on a farm in Alberta, and has newly returned to the Prairies, where she and her family are pursuing new adventures and opportunities in Winnipeg.
Alison Loat
Alison Loat is the Managing Director, Sustainable Investing and Innovation at OPTrust and a board director of Ai-Media, a technology company that makes educational, workplace, conference and media content accessible to everyone. Prior to OPTrust, she was the Senior Managing Director at FCLTGlobal, where she worked with leading asset owners, asset managers and companies to advance practical approaches to long-term investing.
Alison has a deep commitment to public service. She co-founded the Samara Centre for Democracy. She was a Senior Fellow and instructor at the University of Toronto, a member of the Premier of Ontario’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel and served as the president of the Canadian Club of Toronto, vice-president of the Banff Forum board and director of the Toronto Community Foundation. She is also the co-author of the #1 best-selling book Tragedy in the Commons: Former MPs Speak Out About Canada's Failing Democracy.
She is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, where she serves on the program’s Advisory Board, an Advisory Board member at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University and a governor of Ridley College.
Alison began her career at McKinsey & Company, where she focused on health care and financial services. She also worked with Commonwealth Pension Services, where she advised on the establishment of a retirement income plan for Canadian charitable sector workers and held several leadership roles in the health-care sector, including the founding team of the Medical and Related Sciences (MaRS) Discovery District - a 1.5 million square foot scientific commercialization facility in Toronto.
She received both the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals and was named one of the WXN 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She has degrees from Queen’s University and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Kevin Lynch
Kevin Lynch is the Vice-Chair of the BMO Financial Group. Prior to
joining BMO, Mr. Lynch had a distinguished career in the Government of
Canada, where he served as Clerk of the Privy Council, Secretary to the
Cabinet, and Head of the Public Service of Canada and its 260,000 public
servants. He was the Former Chancellor at the University of King's
College, and currently is Chair of the Board of Directors at SNC
Lavalin.
Kevin is the Director of CN Railway and a member of the Queen’s
Privy Council in 2009, appointed to the Officer of the Order of Canada
in 2011. He was awarded the Queen’s Diamond and Jubilee Medals for
public service.
Robert Prichard
Robert Prichard is the Chair of Torys LLP and former Chairman of Metrolinx, after resigning in 2018 after nine years of service as President and CEO. He was previously President and CEO of Torstar Corporation and he is President Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He has been recognized by appointment as an officer of the Order of Canada and as a member of the Order of Ontario.
Perry Spitznagel
Perry Spitznagel is a lawyer and vice-chair of Bennett Jones and managing partner of the Calgary office. He is a senior corporate lawyer with over 30 years of national and international experience advising clients in a wide variety of high profile corporate matters and is a director of a number of private and public corporations. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2010.
Everyday Political Citizen Saturday, October 14, 2017
2017 EPC Nominee: Benjamin Dichter
Benjamin Dichter of Toronto, ON, was nominated by Martin Abell
Benjamin is a determined political person. He first came to my attention when he ran municipally in Ward 27 in 2014. It was my privilege to help him. Then he came forward after that experience saying he wanted to provide a conservative voice to LGBTQ issues. I endorsed such an endeavor and was glad to see he launched the initiative successfully and that LGBTory has a growing presence. Most importantly LGBTory played a critical role in the Conservative Party of Canada in seeing that provisions against gay marriage were removed from the party policies.
It is my proud initiative to endorse Benjamin Dichter, Co Founder of LGBTory as an Everyday Political Citizen.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/k4pnq-operation-kill-switch-tom-quiggin-legal-defence
Board of Directors
Michael MacMillan, Co-founder and Chair
In 2007, Michael MacMillan co-founded the Samara Centre for Democracy, an educational charity that is dedicated to reconnecting citizens to politics.
In 2011, Michael co-founded and is CEO of Blue Ant Media, a company that produces, distributes, and broadcasts television programming internationally.
In 1978, Michael co-founded Atlantis Films Limited with fellow Queen’s grads Seaton McLean and Janice Platt. He was Chairman and CEO of Atlantis (which later became Alliance Atlantis) for almost 30 years.
Michael is also the co-founder and co-owner of Closson Chase Vineyard and Winery in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
A member of the Order of Canada, Michael has volunteered with numerous community and industry organizations over many years. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College and co-author of the book Tragedy in the Commons.
Stephanie MacKendrick, Vice-Chair
For more than 30 years, Stephanie MacKendrick has been a key player
in Canada’s communications industry, from print and broadcast journalism
to senior communications roles and association management. Stephanie
is the former President of Canadian Women in Communications (1996-2012),
and recently became the CEO of Crisis Services Canada in 2018, which
provides bilingual access to voice and text suicide prevention
services.
In 2010, Stephanie was inducted into Canada’s Telecom Hall of Fame in
recognition of her longstanding advocacy on behalf of women in the
communications and telecom sectors. Since 2013, she has also been a
partner at Lotus Wonders, an organization that provides training and
employment to Women in Cambodia who have experienced displacement due to
land evictions. Stephanie was also awarded one of Top Most Powerful
Women in Canada in 2005 and 2012 by the Women's Executive Network.
Stephanie is the author of In Good Hands: Remarkable Female Politicians From Around the World Who Showed Up, Spoke Out and Made Change, which will be published in Spring 2020 by KCP Loft.
Janet Yale, Vice-Chair
Janet Yale is an accomplished leader and senior executive with long
years of management experience in the private, public and not-for-profit
sectors. She served as the President and CEO of the Arthritis Society
(Canada) from June 2012 to January 2020 after a long career in the
telecommunications and broadcast sectors. In June 2018, she was
appointed by the federal Ministers of Innovation, Science and Economic
Development and Canadian Heritage to serve as Chair of The Broadcasting
and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel. The Panel released its
Report “Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act” in January 2020.
Previously, she served as President and CEO of the Canadian Cable
Television Association and, later, as the Executive Vice President of
External Affairs at TELUS. Janet also served as a Director General at
the CRTC and as General Counsel at the Consumers Association of Canada.
A long-time volunteer, Janet currently serves on the boards of the
Samara Centre and Salus. In 2008, she was awarded the United Way
Community Builder Award for Volunteer of the Year.
During the course of her distinguished career, she has received a number
of awards and recognitions. In 2001, she was named "Woman of the Year"
by the Canadian Women in Communications Organization. She is a recipient
of both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. She
was also named as one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's
Executive Network from 2004 to 2006, and inducted into the Hall of Fame
in 2007. In 2005, she was named Businesswoman of the Year by the
Women's Business Network and in 2006 she was named Woman Leader of the
Year by Federated Press.
A lawyer and economist by training, Janet is fully bilingual (English
& French), a keen marathon runner, and passionate about health, the
arts, and business.
Liban Abokor
Liban Abokor is the
Executive Director of Youth LEAPS, a non-profit organization dedicated
to improving educational and employment outcomes for Black youth in
Toronto. Liban was a founding member of Ontario's Premier's Council on
Youth Opportunities, which guided the development of Ontario's Youth
Action Plan and Youth Opportunities Fund.
Liban is a dedicated volunteer who has served on the boards of the
Laidlaw Foundation, Central Neighbourhood House, and the Catherine
Donnelly Foundation. He is now sitting on the board of Shoot For Peace
and is a member of the City of Toronto's Economic Development and
Culture Division's Program Advisory Committee.
He is also a co-author of the UNFUNDED report and a co-founder of the
Foundation for Black Communities, Canada's first-ever philanthropic
foundation dedicated to investing directly in Black communities by
supporting Black-led, serving and focused non-profits and charities.
Leen Al Zaibak
Leen Al Zaibak is a leader in supporting the success of Syrian refugees resettled in Canada and abroad, as both co-Founder and Director of Jusoor, an international NGO that helps Syrian youth continue their education through scholarships and mentorship. Leen currently serves on the board of Lifeline Syria, an initiative to help sponsor and settle 1,000 Syrian refugees in the Greater Toronto Area. She also sits on the Telus Toronto Community Board. She currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of International Relations and Protocol for the Government of Ontario.
Leen holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Trinity College, and a Master degree in International Relations from the University of Manchester. She is an advocate for arts and culture in the city serving as Chair of the Emerging Leaders for Toronto Arts Foundation and is on the executive committee for the Royal Ontario Museum’s Young Patron Circle. In 2015, she was named a Torontonian of the year, and in 2016 she was named one of RBC’s Immigrants of the Year. She has appeared on television, including appearances on CBC and Breakfast Television, and has been interviewed by The Globe and Mail, Toronto Life and featured in Reader’s Digest.
Kris Archie
Kris Archie is the Chief Executive Officer of The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (The Circle). A Secwepemc and Seme7 woman from Ts’qescen, a mother, aunty and engaged community member.
Kris is passionate about heart-based community work and facilitating
positive change. In all of her roles, Kris works to transform
philanthropy and contribute to positive change by creating spaces of
shared learning, relationship-building and centering Indigenous wisdom.
She is a PLACES Fellow Alum of 2015 with The Funders Network, a board
member with Environment Funders Canada and JUMP! Canada and a newly
appointed Dialogue Fellow with Simon Fraser University focused on
Indigenous ways of knowing and Philanthropy.
Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer is a well-known Canadian satirist, comedian,
screenwriter and actor who hosted the Rick Mercer Report on CBC
television for fifteen seasons. He has published a number of books that
feature his trademark social and political commentary about Canada in
the form of “rants”– the latest, Rick Mercer: Final Report, was published in 2018.
Rick is also an Officer of the Order of Canada, who has excelled as a
humanitarian through his involvement with numerous charitable
organizations. He has received ten honorary degrees, 18 Gemini Awards,
ten Canadian Screen Awards, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award,
and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, among many other honours.
Rick was born and raised in St. John’s, NL.
The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, C.M., O.Ont.
Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. In April 2016, Ms. Omidvar was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent Senator representing Ontario. As a member of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group she holds a leadership position as Liaison. Senator Omidvar also served as Deputy Chair of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector.
Senator Omidvar is a Councillor on the World Refugee Council, a Director at the Samara Centre for Democracy and Chair Emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Previously at Ryerson University, Senator Omidvar was a
Distinguished Visiting Professor and founded the Global Diversity
Exchange, a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration, and inclusion.
Senator Omidvar is co-author of the book Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015), an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015 and one of the Toronto Star's
top five good reads from Word on the Street. Senator Omidvar received a
Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, from Ryerson University in 2018 and
from York University in 2012.
Senator Omidvar was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2005 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011, with both honours recognizing her advocacy work on behalf of immigrants and devotion to reducing inequality in Canada. In 2014, she received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of German-Canadian relations.
Ruth Ostrower
Ruth Ostrower is an executive assistant supporting Michael MacMillan across both his business and philanthropic endeavours. Previously, she served as the executive assistant to Michael when he was the chairman and CEO of Alliance Atlantis. Prior to joining Alliance Atlantis (then Atlantis Communications), she worked for 12 years in the finance industry, primarily in Human Resources. She is the past president of the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, where she has volunteered for many years, and is also an active supporter of theatre and dance.
Chad Rogers
Chad Rogers is a strategist, entrepreneur and founding partner at Crestview Strategy, a public affairs agency. Chad helps leaders, companies, and industry associations face crisis head on, make their case, and get things approved.
The Hill Times magazine named Chad one of the ‘Top 100 Lobbyists’ in Canada. A sought-after media commentator, he’s been a member of the ‘Power Panel’ on CBC Television’s Power & Politics. A recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service, Chad serves as Honourary Consul of the Republic of Kosovo in Canada.
As a Country Director with the
Washington, DC-based National Democratic Institute under chair
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, he’s worked with governments and
political leaders around the world. He has advised leaders Armenia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan,
Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia, Trinidad &
Tobago, and Ukraine.
Chad is an active board member of Action Against Hunger, True Patriot
Love Foundation, the Samara Centre for Democracy, and Journalists for
Human Rights.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, Chad resides in Toronto with his partner Mark.
Zain Velji
As Partner and VP Strategy for Northweather, Zain Velji brings a
decade of experience in political, business, and non-profit
communications, as well as marketing and engagement. Zain is also a
frequent public speaker and regular political commentator who appears
weekly on CBC radio and television and appearing federal election
coverage for CTV and Bell Media.
Zain chairs the board of The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and serves
on the boards of the YMCA Calgary, Samara Centre for Democracy, and
Pillar 9. His consulting and political experience has allowed him to
work for companies and non-profits as well as notable political
campaigns, serving as campaign manager for Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
in 2017.
Zain is also the host of the award-winning podcast The Strategists,
where he dissects political strategy and public affairs issues of the
day and the host of the Zain Velji show on Newstalk 1010. He was named
one of Calgary’s Top 40 under 40 by Avenue and was awarded the Horizon
Alumni Award by the University of Alberta.
Zain has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Alberta.
William Young
In 2011, Dr. William (Bill) Young completed a successful six-year career as Parliamentary Librarian with the Library of Parliament, capping a thirty-year career as an historian, academic, and educator. He holds a Ph.D. in History, an M.A. in History and Political Science from the University of British Columbia, and a B.A. in History and Political Science from York University. Bill has offered his support and expertise to many professional groups, and has maintained active memberships in professional societies and centres of academic excellence throughout his career.
Operation Kill Switch: Tom Quiggin Legal Defence
Tom Quiggin is a court-qualified expert (criminal court and federal court) and has had his expertise on the “the reliability of intelligence as evidence” recognized by the Federal Court of Canada.
Last year, he launched a podcast called the Quiggin Report to share his 30 years of experience in intelligence gathering and analysis on the current threats our society is facing. He is now under threat himself, being targeted in a lawfare* lawsuit designed to silence him.
He started this GoFundMe campaign in an initiative he calls “Operation: Kill Switch”, to bring his evidence to the superior court and on the public record but requires funds to be able to make this happen. The evidence exists, yet without a carefully crafted defence, the evidence could get suppressed.
This may sound like a fringe issue, outside of mainstream relevance, but the story hasn’t been widely carried by mainstream media because it exposes issues that many don’t want to address for fear of professional reprisal.
Campaign donors have described Tom as a “true patriot” and have applauded him for his bravery and dedication to free speech and democracy in Canada. In the foreword to his book, Submission: The Danger of Political Islam to Canada – With a Warning to America, Raheel Raza, president of Muslims Facing Tomorrow, writes, “… the authors in this ground-breaking work have done all Westerners a favour by opening avenues for major discussion and debate that should have taken place right after 9/11 but which could not happen due to vested subversive agendas of the regressive left and the extreme right. With great risks to their lives, these authors have dared to say what many Canadians need to hear – like yesterday”.
To win this case and push back at this organization’s aggressive bullying tactic cannot be taken lightly. They have considerable financial resources and support from numerous other powerful organizations and Tom needs your help for justice to prevail.
Operation: Kill Switch asks why a federally-registered taxpayer-subsidized charitable organization, with alleged links to nefarious activities, still has charitable status? Why does the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and many of his caucus members have such strong ties to these types of organizations?
Should taxpayer-funded charities be allowed to target our military veterans with your money?
-> Help us protect this military veteran who continues to fight to keep our society (and us) safe from this growing problem.
-> Help us expose these organizations and their members for their alleged nefarious connections by supporting our campaign now.
https://canada-unity.com/bearhug/
British Columbia
North
Art Meise
1-250-571-7376
77cordoba@outlook.com
Sean Tissen
1-250-666-0323
stiessen1979@gmail.com
Alberta
North
Pat King
1-306-421-2455
patrickking@canada-unity.com
South
James Bauder
1-403-701-6453
james@canada-unity.com
Saskatchewan
Chris Barber
1-306-774-4330
novaxpass@outlook.com
Ryan Mihilewicz
1-306-961-1210
Manitoba
Joe Jansen
1-204-312-8399
British Columbia
North
Pamela Rouse
1-250-600-7223
Art Meise
1-251-981-4250
77cordoba@outlook.com
South
Colin Valentim
1-205-571-7376
Sean Tissen
1-250-666-0323
stiessen1979@gmail.com
Ontario
Western
Tim
1-705-256-9253
North/East
Jason LaFace
1-249-878-4959
jlaface@gmail.com
Ottawa
keepcanada@protonmail.com
Janet Seto
janetseto@protonmail.com
Kingston
Tracy Henderson
1-416-305-6273
brown_tm3@yahoo.ca
Jennifer Maleida
1-613-331-0521
Toronto
Dave Steenburg
1-647-703-4148
davesteenburg269@gmail.com
Brandon Austin
1-437-993-7436
Sarnia
Bridgitte Belton
1-678-778-6992
Cornwall
Andrew Dier
1-613-346-7176
Niagara
Fort Erie
Harold Jonker
1-905-961-1508
harold@jonkertrucking.com
Andy Draaistra
1-905-971-4926
andyjohanna01@hotmail.com
Niagara on the Lake
John Doppenberg
1-905-246-3218
johndoppeberg@icloud.com
Newfoundland
Dana Metcalfe
1-709-771-0210
danajmetcalfe@icloud.com
P.E.I.
Dr. Laura Braden
1-902-969-4689
Nova Scotia
Martin Brodmann
1-902-529-0465
martin@canada-unity.com
New Brunswick
Leanne Carter
1-902-669-0738
leannemb@protonmail.com
Quebec
Joanie Pelchat
1-438-622-9538
joaniebpelchat@icloud.com
pierrette.ringuette@sen.parl.gc.ca,
Senator George J. Furey
Province: Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Affiliation: Non-affiliated
Telephone: 613-992-4416
Fax: 613-992-9772
Email: george.furey@sen.parl.gc.ca vCard
Staff: Cicchini, Loren; Grittner, Frédéric; Venugopal, Madison; Ryan, Ross; Nembhard, Keean; Boukhouali, Sarah; Kealey, Sean; MacNeil, Vince
Personal Website: http://senatorfurey.ca
Senator Patrick Brazeau
Province: Quebec (Repentigny)
Affiliation: Non-affiliated
Telephone: 613-995-8625
Fax: 613-995-8647
Email: Patrick.Brazeau@sen.parl.gc.ca vCard
Staff: Simms, Debby; Arnesto, Gloriana
Senator Larry W. Campbell
Province: British Columbia (British Columbia)
Affiliation: Canadian Senators Group
Telephone: 613-995-4050
Email: larry.campbell@sen.parl.gc.ca vCard
Staff: Ross, Pam
Personal Website: http://larrycampbell.ca/
Senator Bev Busson
Province: British Columbia (British Columbia)
Affiliation: Independent Senators Group
Telephone: 613-943-7930
Email: Bev.Busson@sen.parl.gc.ca vCard
Staff: Jones, June
Personal Website: http://bevbusson.sencanada.ca/
The murky matter of protests and the donations that drive them
Much has been made of late on social media and in the mainstream media, about trucker protests that are in the works. Truckers are rightfully upset about a vaccine mandate that was clumsily applied to cross-border essential workers, including the professional drivers who’ve been keeping us supplied throughout the pandemic.
But such protests rarely deliver results, aside from angering the motoring public and casting shade on our industry. We will report on significant events that disrupt our industry and your businesses, but do nothing to support this form of protest.
One disturbing trend is the amount of money being thrown at recent attempts to bring commerce to a halt. One initiative raised more than $900,000 via GoFundMe in less than a week.
This is fairly significant, and startling, when you consider where that money is going. The fundraising initiative was started by Tamara Lich, who has a history of association with radical groups, including the recently formed federal separatist Maverick Party in Alberta. Yes, by this weekend, there is likely to be about $1 million in the hands of someone affiliated with a party that wants to break up Canada. (Plan B, mind you).
In her past, Lich was regional coordinator for Wexit in Southeastern Alberta, and was member of the board for Wexit Alberta. What’s Wexit Alberta? It was the provincial party whose co-founder wanted to exit Canada and join the Trump-led U.S.
Lich later took her ambitions federally and joined the federal Wexit Canada board, which would later become the Maverick Party.
She was also affiliated with the Yellow Vest movement, which was linked to death threats against our Prime Minister. Is that what we’ve become, Canada? To her credit, Lich attempted to distance her local chapter from those making the death threats. But think about that for a second…she was affiliated with an organization that threatened to kill our Prime Minister – and now has nearly $1 million of your money to distribute as she sees fit.
Curiously, she seemingly has no direct connection to the trucking industry. She worked in the oil and gas industry and was singer for a local metal band. So where does this love for truckers come from?
And, where will that million or so bucks go? It will go into the organizer’s bank account, that we know. That’s how GoFundMe works. From there, who knows? Since the fundraiser is not an official charity or organization, there is no further accountability. (Incidentally, Trucknews.com chooses not to promote GoFundMe initiatives for this very reason).
Lich says the money will go towards reimbursing participating truckers for their fuel costs. That’s great, but hauling a load would pay more than bobtailing cross-country for the cost of diesel. Rates aren’t bad, these days. She’ll cover food and lodging too, if you really need it.
The good news is, funds will be dispersed via e-transfer “(preferred).” Paper trail! Since GoFundMe wipes its hands of accountability once the dough is deposited into Lich’s account, we hope she will be forthcoming about how those funds are distributed.
As previously mentioned, we don’t think protests that disrupt cross-border – or any other – traffic are safe or productive. We don’t support these initiatives. We do, however, agree that government bungling of vaccination mandates (at state and provincial levels – looking at you, Quebec), has created frustrations and fueled the appetite for such initiatives.
If these protests do materialize (many fizzle out when it’s actually time to roll), we have concerns about the effect they will have on how the public perceives our industry, the safety risks posed to the motoring public, and how a substantial chunk of money collected from hardworking truckers will be spent. And very little optimism that the feds on either side of the border will reverse their vaccine requirements.
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I’m hoping around everywhere looking for contacts on the ground in Ottawa. Do you have any or are you there? Have a convoy ready to leave alberta but they have questions!