The trial of Allen Dalstrom versus the Organized Crime Agency of B.C. had been under way in B.C. Supreme Court for only a few days when lawyers representing both sides approached Madam Justice Catherine Wedge asking for a temporary adjournment.
It was granted. And although no one knew it then, a wrongful-dismissal case that threatened to level serious allegations of misconduct against high-ranking RCMP members would never resume.
The Globe and Mail has now learned that $2-million of B.C. taxpayers’ money was used to quietly end the affair in September, 2008. The secret arrangement was hatched on the courthouse steps during a break in the proceedings. Lawyers for the Crown approached Kevin Woodall, Mr. Dalstrom’s lawyer, saying it was not in the public interest for the trial to go ahead.
At the time, the RCMP could not afford more damning headlines, given that support for Canada’s national police force was at an all-time low after the tasering death of Robert Dziekanski one year earlier. On top of that, there were the in-custody deaths of Ian Bush and Kevin St. Arnaud that had raised serious questions about the conduct of the force in B.C. The turmoil rocking the RCMP has continued, most recently with the scathing findings of the commission set up to investigate Mr. Dziekanski’s death, and the similarly damning report from the Air India commission.
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This is more terrible news for the RCMP. Some could foresee the inevitable over 25 yrs ago. The warnings were ridiculed and the messengers scoffed at. Their loyalty questioned. Yet none will take joy in witnessing their prophecy coming true.
Lawyers and the RCMP …. ya can’t trust any of them ‘eh?
In other RCMP news, they have lost a case where a cadet was expelled from depot “based in part on his race, religion and/or ethnic or national background,” and that he “was not given an equal opportunity to develop and demonstrate his skills.”
Re: #2. You sound as if you are pleased at what is happening to a proud Canadian institution. I hope I’m wrong about that because nobody should be.
There is a fellow I know who washed out of the RCMP 30 years ago. I wonder if he has a chance at proper recompense? It might be a bit tricky though. He is a native born white Canadian whose family goes to Church.
I will say this once and no more. Our Military and our RCMP are suffering the “death of a thousand cuts” because our national media have nothing better to do and they care not “thing one” whom they harm. If it bleeds, it leads and it is a highly suspected fact that most will do their best to root out conservative malfeasance as they diligently pursue the demise of Harper and his “hopey, changey” thing.
It’s all about pay cheques folks. If you are in the wrong media organization and disagree with the “tribal philosophy” you get fired.
That’s just the way things are.
They can’t get at Harper because he keeps changing the world so they try desperately to get at those under him who can cause damage to him. That is the country we live in this day and it’s called “free speech” but here’s another thought.
“Free Speech” goes both ways and it can’t when socialists own the media and that is the only thing Canadians hear.
I’m waiting for “Fox North” as Quebecor wages it’s war with the CRTC for airtime.
This new media organization on the plate, coming out of all places Quebec, is going to be a huge breath of fresh air to a nation that has been held hostage for over 40 years by “pinheads”.
I note today that Conrad Black has been let out of the slammer and while not yet off the hook Chretien must be contemplating the idea of “full pucker power” as his bowels bind up and he plays with his golf balls waiting and waiting “on the john” for something that will never happen.
Truth — all hell is about to break loose in this country and it’s well past time.
I couldn’t possibly remember the number of times I and others in my troop were subjected to harshly critical foul language during training. It was expected. However there was one Drill Sgt. who never so much used “hell” or “damn” let alone the more rough or crude expletives. He was both feared and respected above all others.
mid island mike
Let’s leave this Mike.
Basic Training is “basic training” and I recall much the same as I entered the MP School in Borden.
It means nothing and our soldiers and RCMP personnel must learn discipline.
What happens next is the question as they learn to use their heads for other than something beside a “hat rack”. At this time that is not happening but it should. They don’t teach that now in “basic” if I have it right.
Correct me if I’m wrong but stop and think “Shoot, shovel and shut up” as in Semraus’s case.
This fine officer has been turned into “garbage” because Harper does not enjoy a majority.
I want him to call an election this fall and I want this situation ended more than anything else because of Semrau and I feel Harper should state that.
“Why did you call an election?”
“Because of the problem Semrau faces. How many of our soldiers did the same thing for the same reasons and why weren’t they prosecuted?”
Because they were right.
Our soldiers and our police mean everything to me. ‘Iggy’ means nothing and he and his kind caused this situation. Time for average citizens to render their view.
And that is what this election is going to be all about.
Bend over and kiss your ass goodbye, Iggy.
@beentheredonethat: It is a simple sign of an organization that has allowed itself to fall from grace – the police, and the police alone, through their conduct and their practices, have put themselves in the position they are in, and only they can do anything about it.
The question remains – will they?
I don’t know. I hope so and I also hope they keep the media out of it. It’s an internal problem and the military and the RCMP know that well enough.
No reason to permit the “lefty media” to beat up on them because they are lazy and have found victims,
Time to end this situation because Canada’s reputation is at risk and we don’t have to go there because “media no minds” think different . The first “action” should be suspending the “Access to Information” act.
I believe that.
I think it must be re-written.
It gives the “left” (socialists) far to much power and it must end.
I suppose that the Act gives the “whatever opposition” the same power be it left or right but what bothers me is that our military and RCMP are left hanging as news organizations find a victim.
My view is that the RCMP and our military should be exempted by law from access to information and “that” as they say “is the end of the story” in my view.
@Jack: Are you really suggesting that the answer is to keep it all secret and in house while the military and the police deal with things their own way?
Can you not see where that would cause more problems than it could ever hope to solve?
You-know-who-on-his-wobbly-cross-on-the-hill Jack, think about what you just said and what it would effectively create.
I can tell you this right here and now, that’s no Canada I’d want to see, in fact it wouldn’t be Canada at all.
PS: What happened to “subscribe to comments?”