Conservatives Against Fantino has the details:
Earlier this morning VoiceofCanada editor/Conservatives Against Fantino co-founder Mark Vandermaas was tipped off to a tragic 2004 story about the suicide of an innocent man wrongly accused of being involved in a child porn by Julian Fantino and the Toronto police, both of whom were by blamed by James LeCraw in his suicide note for his ruined life.
At the press conference where he announced the names of the six suspects, Chief Julian Fantino placed a sign in front of the podium. It read “It’s All About the Kids.” [..]
For Bob LeCraw, Fantino’s approach at the press conference amounted to “grandstanding.” “To use that kind of language in an organized press conference and name the people is… he’s tried and found them guilty before he even knows any facts at all,” says LeCraw. “I know the police do a lot of good work; this isn’t good work. They had nothing [and] they ruined more than my brother’s life – they ruined others.” [...]
Just prior to his false arrest, James was “on top of the world” with a job he loved at an organization that truly valued him. After the false arrest and massive publicity, he lost his job and friends deserted him, believing the child pornography accusations made by the Toronto police and Fantino. (Because cops couldn’t possibly make a mistake, right?)
On July 19, 2004, James drove to a country road, about 10 kilometres from his brother’s home in Newmarket, north of Toronto. He put a charcoal barbecue on the seat beside him and lit it. James died of carbon monoxide poisoning from the fumes.
Read it all.
And any of my fellow conservatives reading this who are tempted to leave their canned response of “Well, just hold your nose and vote for Fantino; we’ve got to defeat the Libs” — DON’T BOTHER! Anyone calling themselves conservative and able to vote for Fantino is just a CINO.
If there was any justice, Fantino should be held personally financially responsible for the ruined lives of James LeCraw and the others who were falsely accused with such media fanfare, not to mention the residents of Caledonia and Gary McHale.
{ 21 comments }
This story notwithstanding, Fantino represents all that is wrong with politics in Canada. Party Leaders will run ANY candidate they think is electable,regardless of their track record.
Natasha,did you see the video of EU MEP Nigel Farage at Small Dead Animals?
Farage is the type of politician we need,not a PC type like Fantino. He will bring little to nothing to the Conservative Party,except maybe a seat,and it will truly turn my stomach if he is elected and made Justice Minister by Harper.
I assume Harper drafted Fantino because he thinks he’s electable in a Liberal stronghold,and figures the LPC would be demoralized and ripe for an election beating if they lost the riding they’ve held for the last 22 years.
Yes, I saw the video of Farage — loved it! Too bad there aren’t more like him out there.
During a break two days ago, I played that video in our crew room through our one GP net computer. Everybody stopped to listen. None of them had any idea how the EU was set up, or that it’s leader wasn’t elected. Shades of Hitler’s dream that – finally, one united Europe under one rule. A bad idea then and a bad idea now manifested.
I don’t think anyone can doubt your sincerity, the point is clear that Fantino, as far as you nad like minded folks indicate, is not suited to be called a conservative, or run as a candidate. Fair enough. One question though, is there among the fielded candidates even one that meets the conservative standard? Is there one candidate that will vote on legislation arising in the HoC that will reflect the conservative minded in Vaughan?
Would Genco fufill that role? Or would he not? Who would? That would seem to be the question on the voters mind. Your points have merit, however, would the time not be better spent advocating for a candidate that best reflects what a true conservative is?
Just asking.
I know I am going to get rocks thrown at me, but I don’t care. What I know about Fantino, he is all about the protection of children, and community. Fantino is hated by the organized and very powerful pedophile lobby. I know why it went down at Caledonia like it did. Dudley George was killed in Ipperwash for no other reason than he was an Indian, his death was ordered by the powers that be. The police officer who shot him unfortunately is dead, and with him went what really happened in Ipperwash. That horrible racist incident could not be allowed to happen again, and that is why the unlawfulness was allowed to happen in Caledonia. As far as this recent charge, I am going to have to look into that more. I do ask myself why a person who alleges he is innocent of a crime would kill himself before having a chance to defend himself in a court of law.
The protection of children does not have to include ruining innocent lives of others. James LeCraw wasn’t the only one wronged. Charges were dropped because the police had screwed up — there was no need to defend in court, since there was no reason for a trial. But the damage was done with Fantino’s grandstanding in announcing the names of people. I can understand the police making a mistake; nobody’s perfect. But they should have held a press conference to announce it or put out a press release.
There is no valid excuse for the lawlessness at Caledonia, and there is no excuse for Fantino’s targeting of Gary McHale.
Honey Pot:
I’m about to give you a point of view the inquiry into Dear Dudley’s death was not allowed to investigate.
I grew up in Forest Ontario and attended the high school the same time that dear dudley and a couple of his friends did. Dear Dudley was in what was his second attempt at achieving his senior year I was in my first year. During the school year this trio of thugs choose any opportunity that arose to victimize me and threaten me with violence just because…well it was never apparent what they wanted other than to prove they could pick on a first year white guy that they outwieghed by at least 100 lbs when nobody was looking. When I heard about the shooting and how the “protesters” never allowed an ambulance past the barracade so dear dudley could perhaps get some urgent care, part of me thought that dear dudley was there because he saw another opportunity to impart his particular social interaction…well just because he could, and also because the “protesters” saw him as a useful tool for their own selfish purposes. I shed no tears for dear dudley, but I also hold no remorse, because he’s dead now and that means he can’t victimize me or anyone else anymore.
My point in bringing up all this now is that Dudley was no victim, he was a malcontent whose behaviour had a predictable outcome, if he had not met his end trying to intimidate a police line using a commandered school bus, he could have likely met his end in a bar fight between someone like himself, or be on the recieving end of a shank in federal pen.
So if you choose to use that event as proof that somehow he was a victim just because he was an Indian, you couldn’t be more wrong. Dudley was someone that made an effort to seek out conflict so he could cause some destruction.
Racism had very little to do with it.
Addendum:
BTW HP I in now way discount what you and others are posting about Fantino, just that the points being made should stick to the facts.
What happened in Caledonia is a shame.
What happened to LeCraw is also shameful.
But the point being made is that Fantino isn’t fit to represent Vaughan.
Thats fair, neither is Genco, so who does that leave?
No offence to you Gimbol, or your experience, but it was a blatant racist killing. The opp went into the camp occupied by a handful of native men, woman and children, and shot and killed Dudley George, who was by all accounts mentally handicapped. If someone is a bully in high school, it doesn’t mean they deserve to be shot, if that was the case, there would be many a dead person.
Well said, Gimbol !
I lived in Caledonia for a time, and what happened there was very poorly handled by the federal, provincial and OPP. While I am a Conservative Party member, I was sickened by Mr Harper endorsing that jackass, and in the next election I will probably sit out, seeing the CPC as not much different than the other parties. Big disappointment, Steve !
Thanks for your strong title and heartwarming words at the end.
To those who have decided to vote for a sociopath because he pretends to be Conservative after reading the James LeCraw story and Helpless…well, isn’t it nice for you that Fantino didn’t decide to ruin your life or drive someone you love to suicide, and allow thugs to terrorize your families. Aren’t you so lucky.
Too bad about all the victims left in his wake, but at least YOU’RE OK, right? Hey, and the CPC’s gotta have that majority – even if it destroys the soul of the party in the process – imagine all the great things Fantino can help the government do to other innocent people.
Seriously, vote for the Elvis impersonator if you want – at least he cares about the constitution, and he hasn’t left a trail of innocent victims in his wake.
Now, to those who aren’t sure if they should vote for a sociopath who was ordered charged by a Superior Court judge for intimidating elected officials…read this:
http://conservativesagainstfantino.wordpress.com/
…and these…
http://helplessbyblatchford.wordpress.com/helpless-by-blatchford-excerpts/
…and then watch this…
http://conservativesagainstfantino.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/must-see-video-re-fantinos-highly-developed-sense-of-difference-between-right-and-wrong/
…and, finally, this…
http://conservativesagainstfantino.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/mp-justin-trudeau-rips-fantino-for-anti-charter-statements/
Sorry, Natasha, I’m exhausted from 4 years of trying to expose Fantino’s outrages and I don’t have any patience left for so-called Conservatives who blindly vote for a candidate who thinks the Charter is for criminals, and behaves like it. Maybe these people should look towards joining the Communist Party?
Thanks again for your post and your strong words. I updated my post on LeCraw with a link and your quote, and listed you in the ‘New’s section at CAF.
We just have to meet up sometime.
Mark Vandermaas
ConservativesAgainstFantino.ca
CaledoniaVictimsProject.ca
Mark, you took the word “sociopath” right out of my mouth. That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about him too. I don’t know how else to describe someone who acts without conscience (all the while, playing up how he’s “all about the children” and such).
When I think back to his time as London’s police chief, I recall how he refused to move here; refused to move his family here. Though I defended him at the time, everyone knew he had grander aspirations, and that he was only using London as a stepping stone to better things. It seems to me, Fantino’s always been power hungry.
I got into an argument with someone on Twitter about Fantino and the LeCraw case: The gist was that this person said LeCraw should have sued, and that lawyers work on contingency. I could be wrong, but I don’t think contingency fees were legal in Ontario until after LeCraw had killed himself. But there’s also the matter of what lawyer in his right mind would take a chance going against Fantino.
I’ve been a big supporter of Harper’s but I have NO IDEA why he would court Fantino for this position, other than putting his political interests (winning this riding) AHEAD of his principles – this is exactly the behaviour Fantino is guilty of and why I despise him. It’s extremely disheartening to see Harper sell his soul for political gain… I expect this kind of selfish, power-at-all-costs, behaviour from Iggy, not Harper.
I’m a conservative but I’d happily hand this seat to any other party, my principles aren’t for sale. Having Fantino win this seat, and possibly be moved into a ministerial position would seriously undermine my faith in all I believed PMSH the conservatives stood for.
To Gimbol re Dudley George + who to vote for,
IPPERWASH & DUDLEY GEORGE
I found your comment especially interesting because I was the leader of the Ipperwash Papers project which we presented at a news conference in the QP Media Studio March 14/07. It consisted of 400+ pages of evidence that never made it into the inquiry related to native violence against innocent residents, which is why not one of the Inquiry’s 100 recommendations has anything specifically to do with preventing such violence which, in turn, is why they were so useless in Caledonia (other than making sure native criminals weren’t arrested while committing crimes).
Peter Worthington just became the first Ontario journalist outside Caledonia to finally write about our work on this. You can find a 10 page (including citations) copy of a 2 part series we wrote for Caledonia’s Regional News called ‘McGuinty’s Ipperwash Cover-up: The Caledonia Legacy’ here:
http://joincanace.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/mcguintys-ipperwash-cover-up-full-version.pdf
Worthington’s article is called, ‘Caledonia Crisis of Facts,’ and is available here:
http://voiceofcanada.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/peter-worthington-uses-ipperwash-papers-report-to-put-the-lie-to-mcguintys-use-of-ipperwash-inquiry-defence-re-caledonia-injustices/
It may have been an OPP bullet that killed George, but it was the failure of the OPP and DND to enforce the law equally in the years prior to his death that loaded the rifle. This is confirmed by the CAO for the area (called Bosanquet at the time) in one of the 34 victim impact stmts we got (none of which were entered into evidence at the inquiry). This says all you need to know about the cause of his death:
http://www.ipperwashpapers.com/ipperwashdocuments/F-34.pdf
BTW, I got a signed stmt from a resident saying that after George’s death he witnessed natives raking the ground where he fell and picking objects out of the sand, and out of trees located behind where the OPP were the night he was shot. (The OPP claimed they were taking gunfire from the natives). Very few people know that the shooting scene was never secured for the SIU because the OPP ran away and left the natives in control of it.
http://www.ipperwashpapers.com/ipperwashdocuments/E-1.pdf
More Ipperwash resources can be found here on CaledoniaVictimsProject.ca:
http://caledoniavictimsproject.wordpress.com/resources-ipperwash/
I’d be very interested in having you contact me and receiving a statement from you about your experiences if you’re willing.
WHO TO VOTE FOR…
PART 1: I would vote for the candidate with the best chance to defeat Fantino because of the ’2 for 1? effect. In this case it’s the Libs, so if I vote for them, not only does Fantino go down one vote, the Libs go up one. If just 5,000 people did this it would result in a net loss of 10,000 votes which is more than enough to affect most ridings.
PART 2: Why would I vote Lib as a Conservative (member of Reform under Manning!)? I may be a lifelong voter for the Conservative Party, but I am also a former Canadian soldier – the oath I swore was to defend my country, not the Conservative Party.
The CPC has crossed a line it should never have crossed, and has plainly lost its way. If it loses its soul by betraying everything it is supposed to stand for, then the CPC is already finished – we just don’t know the date. We must think long term, this has always been our approach in Caledonia. While others looked desperately for quick, short term, ‘easy’ solutions outside the law to appease native extremists, we refused to compromise our core values, and it is slowly paying off. We must, as Gary McHale often says, “stand the test of time.” And so it is with the CPC. It cannot stand such a test when it betrays innocent victims for political expediency.
The best way to help the party in the long term is to teach it that it will pay a price for ignoring the grass roots, in this case for ignoring Fantino’s victims in the short term. I hope you will trust me when I tell you that people with many years of attachment to the Conservative Party are saying the very same things I have just said here, and wishing us well. I have had one of Fantino’s own workers call to wish us well because he had a crisis of conscience after reading our material and making some discreet calls to Conservative insiders.
Remember, if Fantino wins, the Liberals are going to have a field day beating up on Fantino and Harper and discrediting the party with his despicable history until the next election, and they don’t even have all the evidence we can – and will – provide, yet. Trust me again when I say Christie’s book Helpless is only a good start on Fantino’s history in Caledonia.
Seriously, check out the documents listed at http://www.conservativesagainstfantino.ca in section 2 of the FAQ page stickied to the front. Most people and journalists haven’t bothered to really start digging into it, but the stuff that’s in there will definitely be in OUR book.
Here’s just one juicy tidbit in just one doc: how about the OPP meeting with a New York native private detective in 2006 who then begins to smear us as white supremacists in online discussion boards saying he’s working with the OPP, and then builds a phony neo-nazi website that’s made to look like it came from us? The story’s there; let me know if you find it. [Hint, hint to bloggers wanting to tell stories that haven't made into the MSM yet! ]
Hope this longwinded explanation helps a bit Gimbol.
Sorry to ramble again M&S, but you just bring out the worst (best?) in me.
Mark Vandermaas
info@caledoniavictimsproject.ca
Ramble away — no apologies necessary, Mark.
It’s good to have this information. I’ve had my own “feelings” on Caledonia and Fantino’s handling of it, but feelings are not facts, so it’s valuable to have the information, especially with all the links.
I’ll be in touch.
A rather sad development,over at other conservative blogs,they’re calling us out for NOT backing the Conservative candidate,regardless. I’ve always considered that the Liberal way,whatever the person’s character or whatever he’s done,if he wears the Liberal colors,we approve of him.
Now this attitude seems to have infected conservatives,too.
I will reiterate; the reason we should never vote for a police officer who has shown himself to be a “Good German”,is because he has proven he will always follow the orders of his political masters,even if they are illegal.
That is the first step in becoming a totalitarian State. Yesterday,Fantino failed to uphold the LAW for the citizens of Caledonia, tomorrow who knows what he might acquiesce to.
Re dmorris on the dangers posed by the ‘Good German’ following orders:
Amen to that. My parents lived through Nazi occupation in Holland, and my father escaped from a Nazi work camp, so it really pains me to see some Conservatives trying ‘justify’ Fantino’s record via the old ‘just following orders defence.’
I am a real conservative and I support Fantino.
@Mark Vandermaas…. Sir you should be the absolute head man in charge of news gathering and investigative reporting for every MSM venue in Canada be it print visual or oral. If you were or someone like you none of this would have got to this point to start with. Thank you for all of this information.
You’re very kind Bob, thank you for that. Much appreciated. How could I possibly doubt your wisdom?
Do you mind sending that to me in an email so I can use it as a reference? I have to find a job once this is over and maybe it’ll help me get one as a reporter? Plus, I’d like to put it up in my testimonial section in the right side margin at VoiceofCanada.ca w/your name if you don’t mind. info@voiceofcanada.ca
(And, let’s not forget to thank Natasha for giving me the space and the privilege to linking to material outside her blog so readers could learn. Very classy thing to do.)
If you get a chance, have a look at this editorial by Bill Jackson of the Regional News about their philosphy in covering Caledonia; it should be req’d reading in journalism schools:
http://helplessbyblatchford.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/101103-regional-bill-jackson-comment-helpless-canace.pdf
Bill once paid me one of the best compliments ever back in 2009 when I submitted a story for publication telling him it included citations to prove my points; he said, “That’s not necessary, you guys (meaning Gary McHale and me) don’t lie.”
The MSM is whining about how it’s losing readership. Caledonia is the perfect example of why this happens. They need to partner up with subject matter experts involved in issues of national importance and work with them to get the stories out instead of the gawdawful incompetent biased drive-by reporting that made it so much harder to get the voices of victims on the policy development table.
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