Europe: Canada’s Favourite Disaster Zone

 Canada’s Strange Crush on Europe: A Love Story Written in Trenches 

Why Ottawa keeps flirting with a continent that can’t stop reenacting its own disasters 

Canada’s sudden diplomatic swoon toward Europe feels like watching a man run back into a burning building because he “left his jacket inside.” Europe — historically speaking — is the jacket. Charred, threadbare, and still somehow considered worth retrieving.

Let’s be honest.

Cross‑Border Intelligence at the Edge: Victoria’s Quiet Cartel Summit

A mid‑September look at Canada’s public safety landscape 

— from cartel intelligence to rail collisions, school‑zone enforcement, and a fatal Taser case

But the most strategically significant development came from Victoria, where B.C. and Washington State law enforcement convened a cross‑border intelligence forum focused on Mexican cartels, smuggling routes, and the shifting architecture of transnational crime. 

Disorder Without Crime: Canada’s Invisible Emergency

How civic discomfort became the country’s fastest‑growing public‑safety threat

Canada has invented a new kind of emergency — one so polite, so technically legal, and so bureaucratically unwelcome that no agency will touch it. It’s the slow, ambient erosion of order in public space. Not crime. Not crisis. Just the steady hum of civic discomfort that leaves citizens uneasy and officials shrugging. The kind of thing you can’t call 911 about, but you’ll tell your neighbour about twice.

The 'First Job of Government' Clarified on Behalf of PM Carney

 He said wha? 

"The first job of government is to keep Canadians safe." 

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) June 29, 2026

 An Explanation of Why Public Safety is the Proof, Not the Promise 

I’ve reached the moment in life — and in this country’s political season — where I no longer take a Prime Minister’s words at face value. Not out of cynicism, but out of survival. When you’ve lived long enough, watched enough governments wobble on their own legs, and seen enough press conferences where the message is polished but the reality is threadbare, you develop a habit: you translate. You interpret. You apply the dose of reality required to make sense of what’s being said. 

The Tragic Death of Carter Spivak-Villeneuve:

A Calgary Community in Mourning

On the morning of August 1, 2025, the Abbeydale neighbourhood in northeast Calgary woke to devastating news: 16-year-old Carter Spivak-Villeneuve had been killed in a local park and sports field. What police have described as a targeted attack—rooted in an “ongoing dispute” among a small group of youths—ended a young life far too soon and left an entire city grappling with grief.

Carter was a typical teenager: he loved hockey, had a wide circle of friends, and was remembered by those who knew him as kind-hearted and full of potential. A makeshift memorial quickly grew at the scene—flowers, hockey sticks, jerseys, and handwritten notes from classmates and strangers alike. Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in the days that followed, a quiet testament to how deeply his loss was felt.

Calgary Police moved swiftly. Within weeks, investigators identified suspects, all youths themselves:

Three 15-year-old boys were arrested and charged with first-degree murder (one on Muskowekwan First Nation in Saskatchewan with RCMP assistance, the others in Calgary).

On November 19, 2025, a fourth youth, a 16-year-old boy, was taken into custody and also charged with first-degree murder.

Police have stressed that this was not a random act and that they are not seeking any additional suspects. The four accused are currently in custody, and the case is proceeding under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which protects their identities.

Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the Calgary Police Homicide Unit spoke solemnly about the case: “The fact that a 16-year-old lost his life, and the individuals believed responsible are themselves youths, is deeply troubling. Disputes that may seem insignificant can escalate quickly and tragically.”

Notably, investigators have not linked this homicide to firearms. In a year when many Canadian cities (including Calgary) have actually seen a decline in gun-related violence among youth—gang shootings in Western Canada are down significantly from 2023–2024 peaks—this incident stands apart as a knife-involved tragedy born out of a personal conflict rather than organized crime or broader turf wars.

For the Spivak-Villeneuve family, the pain is immeasurable. Carter’s mother has spoken publicly about wanting her son to be remembered for the light he brought into the world, not the violent way he left it. Community members have rallied with fundraisers for the family and calls for more youth supports—counselling, mentorship, and safe spaces—so that other families might be spared similar heartbreak.

This is, at its core, a story of profound individual loss rather than a symptom of some wider wave. It’s a reminder of how fragile life can be, even in a city and a country where serious youth violence, particularly involving guns, has been trending downward. Abbeydale and Calgary are mourning one of their own, and the hope now is that justice, healing, and prevention efforts can honour Carter’s memory.

Written by Grok 4.1 by xAI / Produced and Presented by Mack McColl

Is there a future in RCMP contract policing?

RETROSPECTIVE

RCMP contract police work includes directing traffic and so on in cities like Prince George BC

Commissioner William Elliot of the RCMP, who took the top job in the summer of 2007 (and became the first civilian appointed to the high post) made a major public appearance at the year’s end, Dec 14 07, to deliver a report on the national police service's governance structure and the need to address cultural changes within Canada's national corps of police officers.

Shocking footage of Islamic State violence in Canada

He seems nice. . . . Oh. Shit. I am never voting Liberal again

Sentencing in December

Police academy training works hands on in Winnipeg

NorthWest Law Enforcement Academy, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was started by Herb Stephen, former Chief of Police in the City of Winnipeg, explains Stan Payne, Managing Director and Registrar, "Former Police Chief Stephen found candidates for recruitment were not well prepared to make application for duty, and no opportunities existed for them to seek out an education for a career in law enforcement," and that's when Stephen formed NWLEA ten years ago.

"We have put through 500 students in the past ten years, graduating from a seven-month program that is approved by the Department of Advanced Education in the Province of Manitoba," operating under the Private Vocational Institution's Act, says Payne. "Courses are taught by former law enforcement officers in classes running five hours per day, three intakes per year, including April, September, and October."

All three intakes per year contain the same curriculum. April and September intakes are morning classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the October intake runs classes from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Students come from across Canada from Newfoundland to Vancouver. The majority are from Manitoba.

Stephen's academy went to police agencies with inquires about putting together a curriculum based on the growing demand for trained candidate-recruits. "This seven-month post-secondary program carries no guarantees of hiring for law enforcement duty, however, recruitment and hiring occurs in municipal police services, RCMP, Corrections Canada, and Border Services, and Sheriffs offices across the country."

The academy works a lot in First Nation and Aboriginal recruitment, "We usually average two Aboriginal students per class, at least six graduating per year. Students across the board come from both genders, although 80 percent are male and 20 percent are female." Payne says the average age of recruits has been increasing in the past two years. "It was average age 19 up until two years ago. Now we are seeing 24 to 30 year old recruits."

The staff complement at NWLEA is made up of teacher/instructors who have retired from police agencies in Winnipeg, or England, or the RCMP, Corrections Canada, or Border Services. The student who is accepted into the program pays a fee of $7815.00, all-inclusive, with registration uniform, text books, and tuition.

Payne says, "We take individuals up to a week before each course. They must have grade 12, good physical health, no criminal record, and go through our screening process, including four essays that are written during the process, and an in-depth interview." They are screened with two references, a medical examination, and a criminal record check.

Payne notes, "First Nations are often Band-funded into the Law Protections and Safety Diploma training program. They may proceed to recruitment in Aboriginal policing units or may be trained for employment in outside agencies, security services, government agencies, and individual Bands. Other employment is found in Manitoba government agencies. Most of our Aboriginal candidates are from Ontario and Manitoba. We also customize courses that meet specific requirements." A current website takes applications electronically, and international students have come to the academy in the past, "but visas are a difficulty."

Eight shareholders own the academy that is run by a board of directors, "Things are looking well, we have had success thus far. Our September class is expected to be full. We are effective but our teachers make it clear that this is not a replacement for recruit training." Even so, the curriculum is detailed and hands on in role-playing. Self-defense and martial arts techniques are also taught in the program.

The academy teaches through three basic curriculum streams, including: 1. Law, Protection and Safety Diploma Program; 2. The Certificate Programs were created for those individuals seeking a career in Law Enforcement who: are not planning to complete a diploma program; do not plan to complete a diploma program immediately; want training is specific areas of law enforcement;  3. Aboriginal Police Training; 4. Professional training for government agencies, and private companies also available on-demand.

Payne says, "First Nations and Metis communities bear the brunt of Canada's rising crime rate and it is apparent to community leaders that provincial and federal governments cannot provide them with the protection and security they need and deserve." Payne says, "As Aboriginal communities move closer and closer to true self-government, providing protection and safety to community members will become a top priority. Without security of the people within a community, there can be no effective government."

This program is designed, he says, "to help meet the needs of the Aboriginal community. Northwest Law Enforcement Academy has developed Band Constable Training - Level One, Level Two, Level Three, plus Community Police Training, and Police Commission Training."

Justice has a shallow meaning in Canadian violent crime outcomes

Seems the court system in Canada is hit and miss on actual justice, and these days it often appears to be a total miss. A few cases in the news of the past few months speak to the missing justice in violent crime cases in Canada.

 The murder of Jordan Manners will go unpunished. At the outset it was case clear. Evidence was abundant, witnesses were forthcoming, and a lot of anguished people sought justice for the reputedly mild-mannered Jordan Manners. Then it all went south. What happened to annihilate justice in this case?

 News reports (invested with a bit of the Jane and Finch twang), said, “SW, the only one to claims to have heard a gunshot, said she heard the sound coming from the general direction of the washroom and shortly after saw Manners leaving, followed closely by two black boys, one fat and one slim. (The report continues. . . ) CD and JW are both black. JW is tall and thin, while CD is shorter and stout. 

But the boys she saw were dressed differently than the two defendants that day and were shorter, defense lawyers said. Besides two young black men were seen hurrying away several blocks away from the school, they said.” It looks like fat boy and slim walk away scot-free, and that's a wrap on justice in the case of Jordan Manners.

 Daniel Pratt is on the streets a mere five years after murdering Grant DePatie in a senseless act of using vehicular homicide as a mask for murder, a theft of $20 as the feint behind an act of mindless rage. It was an unthinkable torture of Grant DePatie that saw the young man dragged 9 km and rendered into pieces hanging from the undercarriage of the car. Terrible, and ironic, because the youthful DePatie worked at a gas station though he purposely never drove a car because a high-performance bicycle was his chosen mode of transportation. He was a jock. He posthumously changed the gas station laws in British Columbia to Pay Before You Pump.

 Dwayne Allen Shoenborn dodged a triple-murder conviction three years ago for the senseless murder of his three children not in his custody, and now he occupies a psychiatric treatment centre where he edges toward the exit door. A gullible board recommended he be free to visit the streets of a city in the Lower Mainland of BC. The mother of the children cried foul, publicly fearing for her own safety, and the Attorney General of BC backed her up. If the government changes, Dwayne Allen Shoenborn will be up for giving himself another shot at freedom, and a seemingly compliant mental health board will likely be advocating on his behalf.

 (My suggestion would be to lower the amount of SSRI antidepressant Shoenborn is administered in the mental hospital because the antidepressant have made him chatty and quite convincing to his 'guardians' on the mental health board. And I suggest keeping him away from the board, find other people for him to see in the hospital who don`t have the keys to everything.

 The initial first degree murder conviction of Kim Walker for killing James Hayward in Saskatchewan has been overturned last year and the retrial produced a manslaughter conviction at the end of May 2011. Well, two convictions is better than nothing, even though evidence tells the story for premeditated first degree murder, as was the finding in the first trial. What went wrong in the first trial that abbreviated the meaning of justice here in the end after retrial? Well the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal said a fatal error was made when discussions were held between lawyers and judge without Walker present.

 News reports from the second trial reiterated evidence that Kim Walker, father to Jadah Walker, had still killed the same James Hayward (then still Jadah's boyfriend) for getting his daughter hooked on drugs. Jadah, 16 years old and living with Hayward, was using drugs. Kim Walker entered the house in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on March 17, 2003, armed with a pistol. Eyewitnesses including Jadah identified Walker as the shooter while ten rounds were expended, five into the victim. 

The justice in this case remains to be seen in the sentencing. I'm always holding my breath anyway at violent crime. Aren`t you?

How Vince Li Permanently Altered Greyhound to Higher Security

RIP Tim McLean 

Bus travel is safe today and gone are the free-wheeling days of drunken riders or drug-crazed passengers harassing everybody in their travels between towns and bus depots in Canada. This happy alteration in the travel situation came about from a terribly tragic event in 2008. It happened due to the murder of Tim McLean on a Greyhound Bus, and when it happened (Jul 30, the night of) it was because Vince Li went nuts.

He murdered Tim McLean on the bus as it rolled east toward Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, destination Winnipeg, laden with passengers. It was a gruesome event that dozens witnessed, and today the security system on a bus ride through Western Canada is intense. Everybody who rides a bus is watched and eye contact is purposely made by every security person working in the area with passengers all around the terminals before boarding. Every carry-on bag is searched at every depot and everybody is observed in boarding procedures usually by a minimum two security guards.

Security conducts a `wand sweep`for metal objects (the massacre of Tim McLean was done with a large bladed knife). Unchecked carry-on bags are searched to satisfy a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and drugs. Automatic 24-hour bans on travel are imposed by Greyhound Canada for any contraventions and police are called immediately to intervene if there is the slightest objection, but everybody is amply warned in advance. The entire property under Greyhound Canada supervision is patrolled by security squads at every major depot.

While Vince Li conducted his mayhem after boarding at a rural location, Erickson, Manitoba, he started his summer sojourn of the macabre from Edmonton. He disembarked and spent two nights sulking on the beach (so he was perhaps familiar with the area after living in Winnipeg), then re-boarded and sat forward on the bus. Shortly thereafter he moved to the rear. He was sitting beside a sleeping McLean until his psychotic self began the methodical attack. At any rate, today. two years hence, most drivers refuse to speak to passengers. There is very little talk amongst passengers either.

There is an immense amount of tension around the process of bus travel, much 

like air travel (or those who face the gasoline bills in cross-country automobile travel for that matter). Bus travel in the Canadian west has become eerie and has a haunting quality due to the nightmarish spectre of the event that began with a reign of stabbings and turned surreal with evisceration, trophy taking (ears and nose found in perpetrators pockets), and cannibalism. The eeriness is related to what Vince Li said when they were coaxing him out of the bus. He said,”I am staying on the bus forever.”

Vince Li said so as they were leading his blood-splattered and soaked self off the bus. He is incarcerated under mental health provisions in a forensic ward of a mental institution in Manitoba. In mid 2010 the institute applied to the courts to allow him a 15-minute walk each day around a secure outdoor compound duly under escort. The McLean family attended the hearing and strenuously protested the inmate`s access to daylight.

Vince Li is staying on the bus, perhaps not forever, but certainly well past the date on his ticket if only because it seems to be Vince Li haunting every bus from Vancouver to Sudbury, Ontario. Vince Li rides them all over Western Canada with passengers on Greyhound Canada but mainly his routes are found from Calgary and Edmonton to Winnipeg. He appears he stops haunting the buses by North Bay but that is a long way and a lot of haunting on a lot of buses. And that it is Vince Li doing the haunting is the odd thing because he`s alive and Tim McLean is the guy who died.

In many ways bus travel is much safer and more predictable than it used to be. In other ways the ride has become even more stultifying than it ever was and customers are dealing with endless numbers of marginally courteous authorities who are panicking about every face they see. It is safer, and the driver at the scene of MacLean's murder has finally returned to duty. It has been over two years but the system remains severely traumatized about the event, and the travel situation is permanently altered to a higher degree of personal security for everybody engaged in the pursuit.

Vancouver is the organized crime capital of Canada

 In less than a month after the turn of the year there were 18 shootings in the streets of Vancouver, British Columbia. This onerous level of gang related violence is erupting into war in the streets and this is unacceptable to the Canadian public. As a result the Government of Canada is passing legislation to deal with rising gang violence on the west coast and elsewhere in Canada.

The explosion of violence in the past month in Vancouver (and elsewhere) made the government act because MPs are hearing the fear of citizens who find themselves living in war zones in Canada's streets.

An M.P. from the Lower Mainland of B.C. said, "When you have ordinary people being shot in the street it feels like a war zone. Maybe it was excessive language but governments have to come together to deal with the situation."

The M.P. said, "During the break-week (over Christmas and New Year) I happened to be sitting in my office (in Surrey, B.C.) talking to constituents while a shooting was taking place three blocks away." He added, "One hundred and ten young men have been lost to violence in recent years."

The M.P. said, "There was a lull a few years ago but in the past two or three years it has escalated." He said governments need to work together to address problems in law enforcement and corrections.

It has become painfully obvious that a turf-war is underway in Greater Vancouver. The escalation is so dramatic that the time has come for all M.P.'s to work together. One expert said that gang violence has been "fermenting" for the past 20 years in Canada.

"The Vancouver area is the organized crime capital of Canada, and it is fuelled by the drug trade." The expert said there are about 1,100 gangs in Canada. Gang members start in street gangs and graduate into organized crime. Drugs are the main source of gang-related activity.

The turf wars in B.C. are related to an $8 to $10 billion drug trade in Canada's westernmost province, which "has become a 'source country' for drugs like methamphetamine and 'B.C. bud,'" (marijuana, usually grown in grow-ops).

The expert noted the drug trade is playing out on the street and that Canada lacks a coherent, consistent approach to tackling gangs. What draws the youth into gangs? The expert said, "The common factor is social. If they are not engaged in sports, recreational activities, school or cultural activities the gang offers things that the country is failing to do."

He added, "Prevention and intervention is the key and until we deal with it we will see violence growing." With all this news in the background Hon. Rob Nicolson, Justice Minister of Canada, stepped forward in Ottawa on Feb 26, 2009, and proposed legislative solutions.

"This is the next step in fighting crime in Canada. We have made great strides in protecting Canadians," and now the government proposes tougher sentencing and bail conditions for violent crime.

Nicolson said, "We have increased penalties for street racing, and ended conditional sentences and house arrest. We have addressed the impact of organized crime activities. It is time to protect our law enforcement officials and their men on the front lines."

New legislation deals with gang murder, drive by shootings, and protection of police. The justice minister has called for first degree murder charges for gang-related murders, a degree that includes life sentences and 25 years without eligibility for parole.

A major part of the new broad-based offensive is to target drive by shootings. The minister said in his news conference, "Gang violence has erupted in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg," and he recalled the Boxing Day shooting in Toronto. He cited recent bombings by gangs in Quebec.

Mandatory four year to 14 year sentences will apply to those convicted of drive by shootings, the minister said, and he has proposed higher minimum sentence for handguns and restricted firearms. The government is getting particularly tough on those who practice intimidation tactics on those who work within the justice system.

"You will receive 10 years for attacking police, and 14 years for aggravated assault on police." This is a new offense introduced into the criminal code and the minister called it a further step in the government's 'Tough on Crime' agenda.

"We are sending out the right message to people that this kind of activity will not be tolerated." The minister promised, "We are not done yet." The minister noted that, "what is happening with the economy and increased public expressions of concern have caused us to act. We are spending money to reach out to young people to deal with the drug issues."

A few editions ago Crime Watch Canada Magazine reported that Vancouver was undergoing a gang war and that Greater Vancouver police forces had decided to unify efforts to fight the rise in organized crime and gang violence. They had launched a task force composed of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), municipal departments, and the RCMP.

Vancouver's Violence Suppression Team (VST) was an initiative to counter increasingly brazen 'targeted hits' in the streets, in restaurants, and at homes, in fact anywhere, and occurring at unpredictable hours of day or night.

The task force was struck because gang violence and 'targeted shootings' were out of control, and this was in the summer of 2007. VPD Chief of Police Jim Chu announced the special initiative to form the largest street-level gang violence task force in the history of B.C..

The task force was formed at a time when police were publicly dismissing suggestions of an out-and-out gang war, which dismissal was obviously premature since the escalation has continued unabated. At the time CWC Magazine reported estimates of over 100 gang slayings being counted in recent years.

Dangerous events like these street shootings are indicative of cultural conflict but also reflect differences in status regarding money and social alienation. Gangs come from all walks of society and the problems for Vancouver differ from problems in Toronto or Montreal, Winnipeg or Edmonton.

In Toronto youth are shot up in attacks by black gangs that operate from three major camps: Bloods and the Crips operate side by side with the so-called Jamaican posse. In the Vancouver area gangs include the Independent Soldiers - primarily Indo-Canadian members; UN Gang - mostly Indo-Canadians, Asians, and Persians. In Montreal there are Haitian and Jamaican gangs.

In Calgary and Edmonton are Asian gangs FOB (Fresh off the Boat, although many members born in Canada), FK (Fresh off the Boat Killers), Crazy Dragons, Crazy Dragon Killers. In Winnipeg there is an African street gang called the Mad Cowz and an Aboriginal gang called the Indian Posse.

According to expert criminology sources in the U.S., an ideal task force investigation puts the entire gang under observation, from the street level thugs and dealers up through the crew leaders and ultimately the gang's command structure. With this level of scrutiny involved the government's move to protect the observers makes a lot of sense.

      __________________________________________________________________

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The need for Truth and Reconciliation comes out

The urgency of people to testify about Residential School abuses will continue to overshadow any controversy about the resignation of Judge Harry LaForme as Chief Commissioner of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission and subsequent meltdown of the commission. It's amazing how everybody quit and the road-show closed just when the public proceedings were getting underway and working out the kinks.

A good example was in Prince George, B.C., during the week of Oct. 21 and 22, 2008, when the Indian Residential School Survivor Society (http://www.irsss.ca) hosted a regional gathering on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission looking Into Canada's Indian Residential School System with one of the TRC commissioners Jane Morley (resigned in January 2009) in attendance. In the same week and venue at the city's civic centre, the Prince George based Carrier Sekani Health Services spearheaded a two-day conference Oct. 23 and 24, 2008, called We Lez Du Neeh (Letting Go) and their agenda included a large feast on the Friday, Oct 24, 2008.

Well in fact the controversy at the top began that very week with the resignation of Judge Harry LaForme amid a storm of lateral violence terminology and accusatory language. Despite the obvious setback to the process the Prince George meetings proceeded, and there were many outstanding testimonies given to the IRSSS gathering in the northern B.C. city.

There was an open microphone and serious discussion about the process of healing. "They didn't give us the opportunity to go to the mainstream schools," nor any schooling that would lead to a trade, said one speaker, "At that time it was called Prince George College and they didn't give us that opportunity to go there either. They didn't even let us vote until 1960."

He was followed immediately by a strong speaker, a woman, who began, "How we treat ourselves as First Nations people leaves a lot to be desired. There are many First Nations organizations here in Prince George and all over the province; and most of these place I am never comfortable, because you know what?

"I feel like I'm addressing someone who has authority. And I abhor authority because of the residential school. There is no trust there. How could I relate to these people and how could they relate to me?"

She decried a lack of function in human resources institutions in the field of recovery from all the systemically inflicted damages, "But I am on the healing path. I know that I am dysfunctional. I admit it, I owned up to it, and knowing that I can begin to heal." She alluded to an earlier speaker's remarks "about our people's journey with drugs/alcohol. What about poverty? Another big issue. I live on six hundred and ten bucks a month. I pay $400 for rent. Sometimes $70 for hydro. The rest is my food, my transportation, the odd pack of cigarettes; and for entertainment? I am lucky if I get a 99 cent cone at McDonalds.

"All this brings me to trust. How can I trust a commission that is initiated, yes, by some of my own people across the nation, but the federal government is holding the purse strings. How do we make them realize that, hey, we are important? En Cha S'ay Nuh: 'He too has life,' is on the University of Northern BC crest; that is central Carrier. In other words, you don't treat anybody like that. You don't hurt anybody like that. You don't say anything like that about anybody. And even if you think it you don't say it."

"Don't they realize that we are human beings just like they are? My blood is just as red as theirs. And whose land are they sitting on anyway? To begin with that is still under question. So how can I trust them when I can't even life on my reserve because I don't have a home? Any my reserve is so far up there's no water, no well, no electricity, there's not even a road up there. If I wanted to get up there I'd have to walk or sail up there or find somebody that's got a boat. But there is nothing left up there.

 

"My mom and dad are gone. My mom just passed away a year ago and she was a residential school survivor. And speaking of her, when I would ask her a question about it she would clam up. She never said a word. She was there from 1922 to 1930 when this Lejac Residential School first opened up. So some of the things that she experienced I can recognize now because they're in me too.

"Trust the government first to go through the ATR process (Aboriginal truth and reconciliation) and they throw a few bones, what did she call it?" (a previous speaker) "Dog scraps? Let's throw a few bones to these Indians. Maybe we'll get rid of a few more of them. You know there's a lot of alcoholics out there, a lot of druggies. They'll spend that little bit of money on whatever they need. And maybe a few more will die off. Still trying to get rid of the Indian, ya know.

"Well how can I trust the government when I see that happening? And I said way back then when they first started this, where in the hell is the healing? I want to be healed first before I get any money so I'll know what to do with it. There is no such thing," as healing services in Prince George.

"Overall when I think about it, yeah, the commission sounds great. I'm for it. It's an opportunity for us to tell our stories our way, each and every one of us; and when I'm ready I'll be there, and I hope you will be too because this is our opportunity to take the reins, to rewrite that history about First Nations people.

"No we're not dumb, we're not stupid, we're not lazy, we're not drunks, we're not dirty, we're not savages. We're human beings, we have heart that we used to have for each other, for the animals, for the land; the respect that we showed to every living creature. We treated everything with respect and that we lost."

Rodney Merasty used to live and teach in Pukatawagon Indian Reserve in northern Manitoba, and he believes the TRC has real potential to bring about a healing process that will work, "I think that this is a very appropriate name because it makes you think that there is going to be dialogue followed by action to expose the truth. There should be attempts towards reconciling the wrongs that were done to residential school survivors."

Merasty said, "Exposing the truth may be the easy part of this evolving equation. For true reconciliation to happen there has to be a very deep understanding for the long term effects that residential schools have, including right now on our people. The damages that were done nearly completely wiped out our culture, language and identity.  It will take an extremely profound intervention to correct the damages done to the Indian family.

"Let us plan a reconciliation as a process of restoring hope, love for each other's humanity and experiences, respect for each other's parents and siblings. True reconciliation would bring about respect for our government, and respect for all things sacred."

In a true reconciliation, "The respect for our Indian heritage would be returned, respect for our peoples role in society, and a return of Indian self-esteem and pride in ourselves. Let us move towards attempting to restore the 'Indian Family' to what it was before the government confiscated our children.  A healthy family is what was taken away from us with the advent of the Residential School System."

Merasty said, "It is not enough to think about reconciliation for just the living survivors of the residential school but reconciliation to correct the damages that are still manifesting themselves today within a very disillusioned and broken down family. In order to do justice to the children of the residential schools we must spend time and money on correcting the long term damage that continues to this day."

He noted, "Our people always communicated and shared history, family values, culture and stories through word of mouth orally. When our children were taken away from us they took away our ability to continue our tradition and culture. Children were no longer around to teach and train in the familiar ways. Then, in turn, children were abused in every way imaginable and too many of them died (by murder) in residential schools."

Merasty said the ones that were 'lucky' enough to survive were left to live in a world where the only thing they had to share with their children (generations of today) was an inheritance of dysfunction, "so this vicious cycle continues in many ways."

He said, "So you can see and understand why reconciliation is so much more then doling out money to survivors and their families; reconciliation is looking at the long term damage that was done; and instituting measures and steps that will at the very least reverse the trends of dysfunctional living by many of our people in our little Indian reserves."

Merasty asked, "If we were to create a successful formula to restore the Healthy Native Family I wonder what it would be? The biggest one is to address the basic needs of nuclear families to live a normal life." He added, "A healthy family is a family that doesn't live in poverty, has their own home, and has values and cultural traditions, A healthy family speaks their Native Language and has time tested and true ancient medicines to heal themselves; a healthy family lives in hope for the future."

He said, "With the creation of the Indian Reserve System came the purposeful intent to remove the 'Indians' from the rest of the population, thus creating the 'Indian Problem." Indians, he said, were neatly put away so that any positive contribution they might have on their families and people would be stopped by removal from any meaningful participation in government, church and economy in the 'outside world.'

A governing authority showed no respect for existing First Nation government and forced an unworkable scheme (of two year terms for Chief and Counsels) for First Nation governance.  "Without a reasonable share of the Gross Domestic Product in these jurisdictions we can only fight with each other (committing auto genocide) for scraps from the government, and even then, those can be eaten only if your family is connected to the chief and counsel."

These are the basic issues facing the next commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, "The creation of the Residential School system came with atrocities and all the ingredients that make up a holocaust. Murder was the order of the day from the Indian Affairs; it was murder that was perpetrated in every way imaginable." We may have trouble getting to the truth and thus the reconciliation."

FOOTNOTE: At first there was speculation that Ed John of the First Nations Summit was a possible contender for next Commissioner. The necessity of finding a replacement of Ed John's caliber is recognizable.

As early as November First Nations Canada was informed that the TRC was in disarray and rudderless. First Nations people in Canada have to hope the issues of leadership at TRC get sorted out immediately so testimonies as seen above can find an audience and be heard.

This article is dedicated to the memory of Sherman Merasty.

And then there were seven

Seven is now the number of severed feet (as of Nov 12, 2008) found in shoes on the shores of the west coast and some islands off the Lower Mainland of Canada. These bizarre finds have been made from Georgia Strait to Washington State's northwest tip since August 2007. The last one has to be confirmed to be human by DNA testing, but this one was made by a couple walking their dogs beside the Fraser River this fall.
 
Const. Annie Linteau of the RCMP said the remains were found inside a left-foot New Balance running shoe. It was spotted by one Ken Johnson, a former MLA in B.C., and his wife. They saw the shoe sitting on a rock offshore a couple of metres. He waited awhile until the tide dropped and his wife walked over a jumble of logs to get the shoe. He was quoted in the media, saying, "I flipped it over and it looked suspicious to me, in terms of it seemed to have a sock," and was a New Balance shoe, which, "sort of stuck in our head."
 
Johnson said it hearkened to the stories circulating about other feet washing up in running shoes on B.C. shorelines. "My first reaction was this was a small size, maybe a woman's shoe. It's kind of blurry now, but . . . my gut reaction, was it looks like a woman's shoe, a left shoe." The couple phoned the police and reported the find.

The only other woman's foot was found on Jedidiah Island in the Georgia Strait on Aug. 20, 2007. Another New Balance running shoe was found May 22, 2008 on Kirkland Island in the Fraser River, quite close to the most recent discovery. The problem for the RCMP is finding the source of these feet because they realize the remains could originate anywhere within the length of the Fraser River , "as far as northern B.C.," Linteau said.
 
"So we are exploring the possibility that they could be missing fishermen, missing people that may have fallen into the water." She said in a news release, "We want to proceed cautiously until we know what exactly we are dealing with." All the feet washed up at different sites around the Georgia Strait between 2007 and Aug. 4, 2008. Human remains also apparently washed ashore in the U.S. San Juan Islands beside the Washington State coastline.
 
Police have determined with DNA forensics that two of the running shoes out of the seven were a match; those two were found separately on Feb. 8, 2008 on Valdez Island and June 16 near Richmond. Police forensics determined these remains belonged to an unwell man who went missing in 2007. None of the other remains have been identified. None of the feet were cut from the body, as it appears the remains were "naturally disarticulated."
 
According to forensic experts when a human body is left in the ocean, extremities like hands, feet, and heads usually separate naturally from the body. The fact is that the rubber-based shoes being runners and tightly fastened to the foot make the feet floating to shore a practical certainty. Even so the continuous appearance of dismembered feet is terribly disconcerting to the public, and oxygen to the media around the world.

The problem for the experts is how to explain all these feet showing up in the same proximity.

At this point the police are ruling out foul play in any of the previous cases. Adding to the confusion there have been several hoaxes involving shoes stuffed with body parts. One hoax was perpetrated June 18, in Campbell River, on the Inside Passage, Vancouver Island side. The body parts inside the shoe were an animal's foot put inside a sock and stuffed in a sneaker along with seaweed.

Somebody left a fake foot in a sneaker on East Vancouver beach last September, therefore, "Obviously, due to the fact that a hoax was perpetrated previously," said Officer Linteau, "we want to proceed cautiously until we know what exactly we are dealing with."

The first two discoveries contained right feet and were discovered within a week of each other in late August 2007. Those washed up on islands in the Strait of Georgia, first Gabriola and then Jedediah. The third case, a right foot as well, washed up in Feb 2008 on Valdes Island also in the Georgia Strait. Two more shoes, these containing left feet, washed ashore on islands in the giant Fraser River; these appeared May 22 and June 16.

The west coast Canada is not alone with the business of feet in shoes washing ashore. Other reports of such finds have emanated from various countries, and even eastern Canada, especially from the Great Lakes. But even experts agree that the number of feet in the Lower Mainland is suggestive of something sinister. In fact they are at a loss to explain why so many different feet have washed ashore in B.C. since last August.

It's hard to refrain from speculation that organized crime is involved, and other possibilities have been 'floated,' like perhaps the feet belong to stowaways who were thrown overboard at sea. Nevertheless the speculation of experts suggests that these feet are probably originating from B.C. waters. "It's extremely unlikely that they're coming from the outside," said one.

Canadian government makes headway on crime legislation

 Minority governments offer the public tumultuous affairs in question periods and special committees, during budgets and other important matters, and this federal government in Canada at present, a minority with the Conservatives at the helm, is rising in rancor almost by the hour.

 

They did manage, however, to put the seasonal affective disorder aside long enough to pass the crime law, at the end of February 2008, and with the differences put aside for that long Hon. Rob Nicholson's omnibus crime bill received Royal Assent.

 

Hon. Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice, said, "Over the past two years, our Government has been working tirelessly to make these important changes to Canada's criminal justice system. With the passage of this bill today, we can say good-bye to the days of soft, lenient penalties for dangerous criminals," on Feb 27 08.

 

The justice portfolio has belonged to Nicholson for the life of this parliament and he intends the new law to strengthen the Criminal Code with tougher mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes, and tougher bail provisions to keep those alleged to have committed violent offenses behind bars.

 

Those accused of serious gun crimes face tougher conditions of bail, putting a stronger emphasis on the accused being able to display bond-worthiness, and a credible set of reasons for why they should be allowed out of jail while awaiting trial.

 

It was also controversial because of certain provisions related to what the government called, "Better protection for youth from adult sexual predators," because the new crime law increases the age of protection for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years.

 

The age of consent provisions allow for circumstances related to the human condition and youth interactivity, and is delegated to prevent the kinds of interactions witnessed in Medicine Hat, as related to Jeremy Steinke and his interactions with a 12 year old girl that led to her own conviction for murdering a family of three; or interactions arising from internet accessibility to youth.

 

The other important designation in the legislation was to gain more effective sentencing of dangerous offenders, those who are at high-risk to reoffend will be better monitored across the country, and this was designed to work toward prevention.

 

The government is also concerned about the varieties of impairment the police encounter. The justice law called for new ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving and mandated stronger penalties for impaired driving.

 

The minister said, "This bill toughens sentencing and bail for those who commit serious gun crimes, ensures more dangerous offenders are kept behind bars, better protects children from sexual predators, and gives police more tools to help them crack down on those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs."

 

The government will make the majority of these reforms in force by summer. This permits Canadians in the public, police, prosecutors, defense counsel and judges, "sufficient time to familiarize themselves with these important changes to Canada's criminal law."

 

Senator Marjory LeBreton said, "I was pleased to have the opportunity as a Senator to give this legislation the attention and consideration it deserved," and she, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, said, "Now that this legislation has received Royal Assent, it will go a long way to strengthening the security of our communities. "

 

The crime bill narrowly passed a Liberal-dominated Senate and Canadians watched the minority government dance around another election showdown on the issue. In fact it only passed three days before a deadline imposed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

 

A few days earlier Liberal Opposition MPs walked out of the vote in protest, while the ruling Conservatives taunted them with the old song, "Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye."

 

More measures relating to the criminal code in Canada are in the legislative works, including measures to tackle violent crime, strengthen the Youth Criminal Justice Act; and notice of a comprehensive review of this Act in 2008. 

 

The Conservatives have also introduced legislation to protect Canadians against identity theft, and they have, "Invested in crime prevention community projects across Canada that target youth."

CBSA watching cross-border travel by air, automobile, marine and train

Faith St. John is communications  manager  for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on the west coast. St. John said training is underway imminently for Canadian border guards to be deployed in the fall (with the Beretta Storm 9mm handgun) to fulfill the announcement of the federal government this winter. In Budget 2006, the Government of Canada provided $101 million over two years to begin the process of arming CBSA officers and eliminating work-alone sites.

 

The total funding earmarked for the Arming of CBSA officers and doubling up officers at work alone sites is $1 billion over 10 years. Ongoing annual funding totals $126.3 million. This initiative will establish an armed presence at Canadian land and marine Ports of Entry by arming and training 4,400 existing officers, including those performing enforcement functions in-land; Hire 400 new officers, who will be trained and armed, to address all work-alone situations; (when fully implemented, the total of armed officers [existing + new] will be 4,800).

The CBSA is on track with its plans to begin arming the officers. "We are currently working with the RCMP to develop a comprehensive arming training program tailored to the duties, responsibilities and work environment of CBSA officers." Many policies will have to be developed and revised. The policies currently under discussion include, but are not limited to: the use of force and the use of sidearms; the wearing of protective and defensive equipment; the safe transportation and storage of sidearms and other defensive tools; and the reporting and investigation of use of force incidents.

"Throughout the implementation process, we are consulting with key stakeholders, including union officials," said St. John. The arming of border services officers and the elimination of work-alone sites will provide greater protection to CBSA officers at the border, and to those engaged in specialized enforcement activities within Canada. Security at the border will be increased since CBSA officers will be trained and equipped to intervene and deal with situations where they are not currently in a position to respond.

"The introduction of sidearms will provide an additional tool for officers to protect themselves, their colleagues and the travelling public. The CBSA is committed to ensuring that this initiative is implemented properly, safely, and without undue delay," said Derek Mellon, CBSA media liaison in Ottawa. 

Armed officers will be able to respond to a broader range of situations before involving police response The first group of armed officers will be in the field by August 2007. By March 2008, between 250 and 300 officers will be fully trained and carrying arms. "We are currently reviewing and examining opportunities to compress the initial estimated timeframe of the initiative," said St. John.

In addition to sidearms, St. John also discussed dealing with the longest unprotected border in the world, and was forthcoming about the improved design of the NEXUS  program. The CBSA worked with US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) to design a program to expedite border clearance processes for low risk, pre-approved travelers into Canada and the United States.  A NEXUS card is an approved alternative to the US passport requirements.

 

She said the NEXUS program uses advanced technology to verify a person's identify - NEXUS Air uses iris biometrics and NEXUS Highway uses digital fingerprints to verify that the person presenting themselves for entry is the same one who has been pre-approved to enter Canada and the United States. The usual procedures still apply around declarations and duty, "except you are approved to take a faster route through customs," a Nexus route.

 

The three separate programs:  NEXUS Air, NEXUS Highway, and NEXUS Marine have recently been amalgamated into one program - NEXUS. The Nexus system applies now on the highways, the marine entries (done via  telephone approval), and the original Nexus air service, which began in Vancouver. The cost is $80 CDN or $50 US for five years  and is open to Canadian and US citizens and permanent residents.

 

Air mode was originally in Vancouver  and is now available at Toronto's Pearson Airport.  It will be coming soon to: Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Edmonton International Airport, Calgary International Airport, Winnipeg International Airport, and Halifax International Airport.
 
Nexus is offered at airports where they have US pre-clearance, clearing US customs in Canada before departing to the USA. Nexus has come to be considered the best alternative to passports and everybody is agreed it will work, "It was a joint initiative so of course we consulted closely."  For more information on NEXUS, or to become a member, visit www.nexus.gc.ca

National strategy required to deal with sexual violence

"Canada is safe haven for criminals and we have no tracking of convicts after they are released from Corrections Canada," said Holly Desimone, "and this tracking deficiency includes convicts facing deportation." Desimone is a crime prevention advocate with a long term commitment to changing laws and improving the safety of Canadian women. 

 "The convicted criminal facing deportation reports to the RCMP," she said, "and often then escapes custody through gaps in interprovincial policing," where RCMP do not operate, for example, to Quebec and Ontario. "This is wrong to lose track of criminals."

 

Problems rise because, "two federal government ministers are unable to agree (one: Monty Solberg, Minister of Citizenship  and Immigration; the other, Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety) on custody of the convict before deportation."

 

Visit her blog for the full account in Readers Digest Desimone  went through a life changing experience from rape 15 years ago in Red Deer, Alberta. She never stopped pursuit of a globe-trotting serial rapist from Iran named Ali Rasai, who expertly transgressed international borders for years trying to escape the inevitable.

 

Diligent pursuit by Desimone made him face testimony in a Canadian court of law and her successful chase ultimately led to his conviction for rape and sentencing to nearly 10 years in prison. She said, "My main message is to report if you are sexually assaulted. Get to the police to launch the complaint. Date rape or whatever, if you cannot report, still seek out medical treatment immediately."

 

She has been a successful advocate for making changes to laws to protect society. Furthermore, she promotes education for front line workers in rape trauma situations. A necessary program development follows training of nurses and hospital personnel in treating rape victims, she says, and specially trained nurses are needed to facilitate information gathering from rape reports.

 

"Somebody has to maintain a presence and a steady hand during procedures and all phases of examination." The process requires a better effort to balance physical demands off against emotional support and understanding. SAIN? It is a program taught to nurses, says Desimone , which has been limited to a few hospitals in Canada thus far.

 

Clinical situations for treatment of rape include photographs, swaps for DNA or blood samples, sterile examination and collection of data, after doctors may first be compelled to deliver essential patient care. The non-compassionate investigative scenario is disquieting to patient whose victimized body becomes the investigation scene after the fact.

 

Clothing and other valuable or treasured personal possessions may be seized for evidence, while stark reality sets in when essential personnel leave. An educated understanding of the psychological conditions likely extending to the rape victim has to be taught to healthcare providers.

 

Rape trauma victims are survivors of terrible physical violence, and crimes like these occur across a wide spectrum of behaviour, and ages, and situations, the entire gamut of human relations intersect. People assisting on the recovery end need to be specifically trained into the psychological problems of drug induced date rapes, or other scenarios that require information for a court proceeding.

 

Desimone said, "Because reporting is rare, the public should be informed of new investigative methods to enable higher levels of comfort while forensic activities are acted out on the body."

 

A core process is required to distribute widely to all trauma wards of hospitals in Canada. She also wants courts to impose tougher sentencing in Canada. "It rarely goes past 10 years for convictions on rape or sexual assault." Why is Canada safe haven for the world's criminals? "We have no death penalty. Our deportations do not take," said Desimone.

 

Criminals once deported too often wind up back in Canada. "We don't have deportation arrangements to all countries, we have to look at the processes of deportation that rids us of criminals, to make it return them to the countries where they have charges, to face the justice. We should stop treating these criminal deportees as Canadians.

 

"We should stop drug cartel fugitives from coming in. Canada refuses to deport fugitives to countries that have the death penalty." The question is, why do Canadian authorities mollycoddle criminal fugitives while deporting kids. Canadian authorities refuse to accept any health burdens that would cost the system a lot of money, like HIV carriers.

 

On the other hand border controls are inadequate to prevent human smugglers using Canada as a favored place for business. Desimone  wants changes to the Canadian Privacy Act to enable the Privacy Commissioner more ability to consider victims of crime in the information stream about deportations, movements, detainments, releases.

 

Desimone wants Canada to secure its borders, and make the border situation sensible. "Allow them in once it is proven people qualify for refugee status. Make it possible for the ones we turn away to make it into Canada," instead of the current flow of criminals from drug cartels and human traffickers.

 

She suggests, "Let's help police forces network together," and asks, where is the cooperation between authorities, which includes RCMP, OPP, QPP, and a myriad of large and small city police forces that need to communicate? The Amber Alert program in Canada is operating in only two provinces: this current patchwork causes kids to disappear out of those jurisdictions.

 

Holly Desimone is an advocate for a national hotline for reporting Sex Crimes, similar to RAINN in the USA; and a victim's protection plan that includes knowledge about which rapists when, where, and the reasons why (they) are being released (mandatory release/day parole/other).