"I HAVE CHOSEN TO PAINT THE LIFE OF MY PEOPLE AS I KNOW AND FEEL IT--PASSIONATELY AND DISPASSIONATELY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ARTIST IDENTIFY WITH THE SELF-RELIANCE,HOPE AND COURAGE OF THE PEOPLE ABOUT HIM,FOR ART MUST ALWAYS GO WHERE ENERGY IS." --ROMARE BEARDON
Slain man shielded children from gunfire: family
Jermaine Smith is pictured in this undated photo provided by Toronto police. Smith, 28, was fatally shot at a community barbecue Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011.
A 28-year-old man who was gunned down at a community barbecue on the weekend died as a hero, shielding several children as he was shot by a gunman, his family said at a news conference Thursday. Toronto police read out a statement written by Jermaine Smith's family saying that the man's last act was a selfless one, as he pushed young kids out of the way to protect them before and during a hail of gunfire. "It is our understanding that as Jermaine's life was being brutally ripped from him he was seen in the midst of the chaos shielding children," the statement said. "To us, the members of his family, this is proof of his character as a man and a father." Smith was the father of a two-and-a-half-month-old son. The family said the most heartbreaking part about Smith's death is that he will never get to watch his infant son grow up and that his son will never get to know him. "That's the sad part," said Enroy Tomlinson, Smith's older brother. "He loved kids. Everywhere he went he would play with all the kids. He was a very good dad." Police appeal for witnesses Tomlinson spoke to reporters at the news conference after police released the family's statement and renewed their appeal for witnesses to the unsolved slaying. Police said Smith was fatally shot as he stood next to his car in the parking lot of a townhouse complex at 4020 Dundas St. W., where people were gathered for a back-to-school barbecue Saturday night. Shortly before 10 p.m., a male approached Smith, pulled out a handgun and fired several shots that struck him in the neck and head, said homicide Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks. Smith died at the scene. The shooting occurred steps away from a playground that was filled with children and just metres from the barbecue, which was attended by up to 150 people, Banks said. Many children under 14 witnessed the killing and gave statements to police about what they saw, Banks said. Motive not known Police still don't know the motive for the shooting. Banks said Smith wasn't involved in a confrontation at the barbecue prior to the shooting, and there is no evidence he was involved in any gang activity. The gunman fled and hasn't been arrested. Police are still speaking to witnesses to come up with a detailed description of a male suspect. "The streets of Toronto will not be safe until (the suspect or suspects) are in police custody," Smith's family said in the statement. "Please help us bring justice for this horrible and cowardly crime." Police are seeking tips from the public to try to identify the shooter. They're also asking any barbecue attendees who haven't spoken to investigators to call them. Banks said potential witnesses fled before police arrived at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call the Toronto police homicide squad at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). "All they have to do is come forward," Tomlinson said. "A lot of people are afraid … but they should try their best to come forward and give whatever information they have to help out." Family calls for end to gun violence In addition to the appeal for information, Smith's family called for an end to the gun violence that has claimed the lives of many young men and women in Toronto over the past several years. "It is a pain that no one should experience. The violence must end now," the family said.
Drugs found on bus involved in fatal crash: police
A 43-year-old woman was killed when a TTC bus and a flatbed truck collided on Lawrence Avenue East, near Don Mills Road, on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011.
A TTC bus driver involved in a fatal crash earlier this week has not been charged with anything , Toronto police tell CP24. Authorities contradicted an earlier report that the driver had been charged with possession of drugs. Const. Carl Anderson confirmed drugs were found on the bus, but said police would be consulting with the Crown attorney's office next Wednesday before deciding how to proceed with charges. Anderson will update reporters on the case at about 5 p.m. Jadranka Petrova, 43, was killed when a TTC bus rear-ended a flatbed truck carrying a crane on Lawrence Avenue Tuesday afternoon. Thirteen other passengers were also injured in the accident.
Cops ripped for handcuffing autistic boy
By Michele Mandel ,Toronto Sun First posted:
Toronto Police used handcuffs on a nine-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome at Fairbank Memorial Day Care Centre. (ERNEST DOROSZUK/Toronto Sun)TORONTO - Surely there’s a better way for police to deal with an unruly child with special needs than slapping him with handcuffs and treating him like a criminal. “That wouldn’t be appropriate for any child,” insisted Dr. Glenn Rampton, the CEO of Kerry’s Place Autism Services, which serves 5,000 clients with autism disorders across Southern Ontario. “I can’t imagine anyone would think that would be an appropriate way to deal with a nine-year-old kid.” Yet Toronto Police are actually defending their treatment of a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome after they were called to Fairbank Memorial Day Care Centre on July 28 by staff who had locked the nine-year-old in a classroom. “We got a call that this boy was out of control and he was a danger to himself,” explained Const. Victor Kwong. “One officer had to wait for backup because this kid was being aggressive — he barricaded himself with tables and chairs, he had thrown paint all over the room. The police pushed open the door and told him to lie down and they cuffed him.” Kwong said the handcuffs were removed about five minutes later once the mobile crisis intervention team arrived and calmed him down. “We don’t like to handcuff children but safety is the No. 1 issue here and if it’s called for, we will do it,” he said. “The police officers did everything right.” But why didn’t they wait for the crisis team — with an officer trained in mental-health issues and a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience — instead of terrifying a developmentally disabled child? “There was no telling how long it would have been,” Kwong maintained. The boy’s mother is understandably outraged. Instead of waiting for her to arrive to defuse the situation, the daycare called 911. “Our staff are not able to restrain a child nor should they,” explained Peter Frampton, director of the centre’s parent organization, the Learning Enrichment Foundation. Once she arrived, she couldn’t believe her son had been handcuffed by police. “My son is traumatized, I’m traumatized, My son is devastated,” Linda Dastous told a reporter. “It’s something my son is never ever going to forget.” The boy blamed his tantrum on being bullied during the lunch hour. Children with autistic spectrum disorder can often have outbursts when they become frustrated, Dr. Rampton said. But there are far better ways of dealing with the situation — such as avoiding the triggers and defusing their anger — than mechanically restraining them. “Why would two great big policemen need to put handcuffs on a nine-year-old when they should be fully capable of calming that child down?” the psychologist demanded. “Maybe they shouldn’t go out on a call like that unless they’re trained to deal with it.” Autism Ontario spent Tuesday fielding calls from distraught parents. “It’s very distressing,” said executive director Margaret Spoelstra. “I had a mother in tears saying, ‘How is it possible that this could happen in our city that we don’t have enough information out there that you can’t treat people with autism spectrum disorder — and a nine-year-old — in this way?’ ” Her organization has offered training to Toronto Police but unlike their colleagues in Ottawa, few have taken advantage of it. “To me, the most important thing is training and public awareness. There is a way to respond and a way to de-escalate,” Spoelstra said. “I’d be very concerned about the impact on this boy.” Just imagine his fear. “They busted through the door with their shoulders,” he told a reporter. “And then they said, ‘Get on the ground,’ so I got on the ground. Two cops grabbed my arms and then he took the cuffs and put them on me.” Toronto Police say they later reassured him that he wasn’t in trouble and gave him and his mom a ride home. “The boy left with a handshake and a hug. He seemed to understand the situation,” Kwong insisted. Not quite so, it seems. “I still feel scared of the police,” the poor child said. “And whenever I see a cop car, I hold my mom’s hand.”
Career criminal sign of flawed immigration system
By Chris Doucette ,Toronto Sun
First posted:
Walford Uriah Steer, freed by the IRB in April as he awaited deportation, was arrested by Toronto Police this week for allegedly pimping a 16-year-old girl.TORONTO - Walford Uriah Steer, one of the latest fugitives wanted by the Canada Border Services Agency to be rounded up, has been steering his way through the country’s flawed immigration system for more than a decade. The 39-year-old career criminal has been ordered deported twice, re-entered the country illegally and been dubbed a “danger” to society. But the Immigration and Refugee Board still released him out onto the street for the fourth time in April instead of immediately sending him packing. Now the Jamaican-born deportee-turned-refugee-turned-fugitive is once again in custody after he was busted by Toronto cops for allegedly pimping a 16-year-old girl. “Any way you slice it, it’s not acceptable,” Mike Patton, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said Thursday. He said Steer’s case highlights some of the serious problems the federal government is intent on fixing. “The minister wants to see this stuff addressed,” Patton said, adding his boss is “in discussions” with the IRB, CBSA and others involved in an effort to plug the holes that allow for such abuses. But it’s easier said than done, he said, explaining officials have to “be careful” not to make changes based on “a few weird exceptions.” “You want to have a good, fair process,” Patton said. Steer’s life of crime dates back to 1993, just months after he immigrated to Canada with a parent as a sponsor. By 1999, he had so many convictions for assault, theft, fraud and other offences that he was booted out of the country. But Steer snuck back into Canada in 2000, presumably using a different name. He filed for refugee status, claiming he would be killed if he returned to Jamaica. The IRB granted Steer refugee status in 2003. By 2006, he had amassed a whopping 76 criminal convictions and was once again facing deportation. Steer was set free while he fought to stay in the country. The IRB couldn’t be reached, so the conditions of his release are unclear. Steer surfaced again when he was arrested in 2010. He remained in custody until last April, when he was once again ordered to leave the country and then promptly set free to await deportation. Steer disappeared again until Tuesday, when he was arrested by Toronto cops and slapped with a slew of new charges for allegedly attempting to convince a young teen to become a prostitute. “The IRB must release deportees unless there is a profound reason to keep them in custody,” Patton said. He said deportees are typically set free with instructions to report for deportation on a specified date and “most people comply.” It’s also not uncommon for deportees to return and claim refugee status, he said. And even though they’ve already been deported, their claims must be heard at the taxpayers’ expense, again, before they can be booted out, again. “They are entitled to due process each and every time,” Patton said.
Blair takes on Ford
By Joe Warmington ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 07:47 PM EDT | Updated: Thursday, September 01, 2011 12:30 PM EDT
The gloves are off.
Make no mistake, the offices of Toronto’s chief of police and mayor are at war over budget cuts.
“By the end of the year there would be 1,000 fewer police officers on the streets of Toronto,” Chief Bill Blair told Citytv’s Avery Haines in an interview. “That’s almost one police officer in five.”
Pow!
That was the lead jab. The next one was a low blow.
”That would have a very significant impact on public safety and our ability to keep the city safe,” said Blair.
Ouch.
Translation: The mayor and his cuts to the 5,600 men and women in uniform are putting the city at risk?
Not very nice.
You better believe those were fighting words. Heavyweight division.
Although clearly agitated and irritated at this public airing, Mayor Rob Ford calmly chose not to bite on the chief’s second media end run of the summer.
Ford certainly does not see himself as somebody trying to make the city unsafe but feels he is “always supporting the chief and I’ve always supported the police.”
And he made this point perfectly clear.
“The last thing I want as mayor is to have less police officers. I’ve asked all the departments to find efficiencies and we’ll take it from there.”
So where does this 1,000 number come from?
Both Councillors Doug Ford and Michael Thompson, vice-chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, said it’s as absurd as it is unnecessary. But Blair’s spokesman Mark Pugash explained, “90% of the budget is with salaries” so the number is realistic and the chief was asked for an assessment.
“He has not been apocalyptic.”
But that’s not how the administration is viewing it. They want some creative thinking and finesse.
“What I want is for the chief to do his job and if he can’t, to let the board know,” said Thompson. “I wish the chief would stop fear mongering and work on the savings that are there to be achieved.”
Consider that a counterpunch.
It raises the question: Will Blair be one of the 1,000 phantom casualties?
Certainly, if he doesn’t agree with the direction of the mayor and council, he could step aside on principle. However, Pugash insists the chief was not engaging in a public political squabble, but is telling it as it is.
But one wonders had David Miller still been mayor, would Blair take such a tact to embarrass him?
It’s not difficult to understand his loyalty to Miller who not only gave Blair one five-year contract as chief, but two. The second — a five-year, $2-million contract — expires in April of 2015. It would be a major payout to move him along and the truth is his contract is actually six months longer than the one Ford and the current council have with the voters who will go back to the polls in 2014.
Blair could conceivably be chief for longer than Ford is mayor.
It has to be noted that post G20, a newly-elected Ford backed Blair, when he could have easily thrown him under the bus as what Blair appears to have done with this Haines interview.
It’s a good fight.
Instead, they should all be working to find the cuts, which are not near as difficult as Blair has indicated. There are officers within his ranks who have provided a blueprint for cutting dry cleaning at $8-millon, halting promotions, and continuing without new hires. The force could halt procurements and renovations and ask the Toronto Police Association for concessions, as well as cut the number of white shirts in bureaucratic roles.
The 1,000 officers coming off the street is pure nonsense. Before it ever came to that, there are some 2,500 civilians who could be trimmed first.
There’s nothing wrong with Blair fighting for his department but everybody answers to somebody. There is also nothing wrong with a mayor who vows to run the city without debt.
At the end of this process, we may find out who really is the boss?
Either way, the $774-million deficit has to go. Will it be Blair finding savings in the police department to help with that or will it be somebody else?
With both sides packing big punches, it promises to be a 12-round championship fight.
Teacher accused of raping student breaks down on stand
QMI Agency
First posted: Thursday, September 01, 2011 10:39 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, September 01, 2011 11:37 AM EDT
Former gym teacher Tania Pontbriand teacher accused of having sex hundreds of times with a student.
ST-JEROME, Que. - A former Quebec gym teacher accused of having sex hundreds of times with a student took the stand in her own defence, complaining that the charges have destroyed her reputation.
Tania Pontbriand, 40, doesn't deny having sex with the 15-year-old boy in the back seat of her car and on a camping trip between 2002 and 2004.
Her testimony on Wednesday centred on the effect that the charges have had on her career as a high school teacher. Pontbriand has been suspended without pay since her arrest in July 2008.
"I have completely lost my reputation," she told the court in St-Jerome, Que., north of Montreal, describing the three counts of sex abuse as a hammer hanging over her head.
Lamenting the intense media coverage of the trial in Quebec, Pontbriand said: "Everybody knows me. They talk about me in social media around the world."
The alleged victim came forward in 2007, about four years after the alleged sex took place.
He told police that Pontbriand had sex with him between 200 and 300 times when he was between 15 and 17 years old. Her position of authority over him means he was legally unable to consent to the relationship.
A report by the local school board found that the teacher took advantage of the boy's vulnerability since he was emotionally fragile and possibly suicidal at the time.
The board said Pontbriand was fully aware of the boy's problems but chose to take him biking and camping instead of alerting authorities. The teacher said the boy's mother consented to the trip.
Pontbriand was implicated in part because of the boy's sleeping bag, which the Crown said has traces of her DNA.
Breaking down in tears on the witness stand, Pontbriand said the trial caused her to miss her five-year-old child's first day of kindergarten. Pontbriand also has a three-year-old child.
Her lawyer, Hanan Mrani, asked Judge Francois Beaudoin for a stay of proceedings because 37 months have passed since Pontbriand's arrest.
The judge adjourned the trial until Friday to rule on the defence motion.
SIU: Not a 'good news kind of unit'
By Joe Warmington ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 08:27 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 08:31 PM EDT
Is it a police dog or the Special Investigation’s Unit which has the bigger bite?
SIU Director Ian Scott may argue the dog, but that’s not going to stop him from doing what he is empowered to do.
“All we want to do is fulfil our mandate and thoroughly investigate,” he said, referring to the Peel Police dog biting case which left an innocent 21-year-old Mississauga woman badly hurt.
Michelle Rosales suffered wounds to her arms on June 28 when a German sheppard from Peel’s canine unit bit her in Mississauga Valley Park. Police were investigating a robbery at the time.
“It’s not a good news kind of unit,” Scott said of the SIU. “Police have dramatic rescues and high profile arrests.”
Scott’s days, however, can be filled with red tape, legal challenges, resistance, mistrust and, sometimes, verbal intimidation.
“With all the lawyers on both sides being paid for by the taxpayers I often wonder on basic requests how much it costs them?”
Still Scott is an admirer of good policing.
“Don’t forget I come out of a prosecution background.”
But his role is to investigate all incidents involving police where someone is killed or seriously hurt. Most police service’s comply.
And when they don’t?
“I note such in my final letter to their board but after that is up to them,” he said. “I rarely receive a letter back.”
Police boards are often rubber stampers. For example in Toronto, police investigated the alleged intimidation of a member. Nothing came out of it, other than an idea of what someone with opposing views in this environment can be faced with.
In Peel, Regional Chair Emil Kolb is also chair of the police board. He has a police building named in his honour and also declared a conflict this year with the budget because “a family member is employed with Peel Regional Police.”
Cosy.
A lot of policing set ups are like this — where the chief and the chair travel together or hold parties for each other. It’s all fine until the civilian oversight arrangement is tarnished and compromised.
Meanwhile, the SIU director needs somewhere else to go when he runs into a chief who decides he doesn’t answer to the SIU.
“I have suggested that the director of the SIU be added to the list of bodies that can refer matters to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission for it to conduct an investigation,” he said. “The only other recourse is for the SIU to complain to the Independent Police Review Director about the conduct of the chief.”
Some chiefs take the “just trust us” approach and sometimes appear unaccountable. If there is no easy recourse for the very guy who oversees them, what chance would an average citizen have? The dog incident and the G20 mess are examples of where what is needed is strong leadership acknowledging potential errors and in some cases offering sincere regret.
Instead Peel Chief Mike Metcalf was reiterating Tuesday “that we did comply with the SIU during this investigation, and in accordance with the Police Services Act and the SIU regulation.” Scott, however, says he had to drop the case because he could not get access to previous records of this dog and handler and was not properly notified of a citizen being seriously hurt in a police incident.
These are serious assertions since Section 113 of the Police Act very clearly states “members of police forces shall co-operate fully with the members of the (SIU) in the conduct of investigations.”
Although a chief must by law comply with the rules, Scott has skillfully and respectfully used the shaming approach — as he successfully employed in some G20 examples.
There is wording in the act that indicates he could go further.
The Ontario Civilian Police Commission charter states it “may independently investigate and inquire into the conduct or work performance of police officers, chiefs of police, members of local police services boards, auxiliary members of a police service, special constables and municipal law enforcement officers.”
And that same commission has the power of “suspending the chief of police, one or more members of the board, or the whole board” or “removing the chief of police, one or more members of the board, or the whole board from office.”
If Scott gets the changes he needs it won’t just be a police dog which has teeth.
Another Canadian killed in Libya
KELLY ROCHE, QMI Agency
First posted:
Former Ottawa resident Abdel Hamid Darrat has been found dead in Libya. (Supplied photo)
OTTAWA- A former west-Ottawa resident is one of at least 70 people found killed in Tripoli, Libya -- the second Canadian to die there this week.
Abdel Hamid Darrat, 46, was a "successful businessman" who has shuttled between Tripoli and Ottawa for the last 27 years.
"He was just helping people," Ahmed Hussein said about his friend of more than 20 years.
"The whole community loved him."
The electrical engineer, a Canadian citizen, once attended the University of Ottawa and ran a Tripoli-based telecommunications company, providing IP addresses for Internet users.
Libyan leader -- and fugitive -- Moammar Gadhafi ordered a shutdown of Internet service months ago.
And that meant trouble for Darrat, who went missing last March, one month after the uprising began.
"He was taken by Gadhafi's people," said Hussein. "The government came and picked him up from home."
Hussein received word of his friend's death Thursday and hasn't been able to reach Darrat's widow or children.
"I'm trying to call them," he said, adding he hopes to connect in the next few days.
The Darrats had a traditional Arabic home.
"She's a housewife. The man is a single provider," he said.
Darrat is the second Canadian to die in Libya this week, according to the Canadian Libyan Council.
Nader Ben Raween, 24, was killed Tuesday after leaving his IT job in Ottawa last March and joining Libyan rebels to fight against Gadhafi's loyalists.
Darrat didn't join the rebels, Hussein said.
A Facebook posting by the CLC says both men "will be greatly missed but their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten."
The department of foreign affairs is "aware of reports of the death of a second Canadian citizen in Libya," but couldn't confirm or deny it was Darrat.
The Darrat family lived in the nation's capital for 14 years: from 1984 to 1994, and again from 2004 to 2008.
"He brought them (his kids) back to learn English," said Hussein.
"We used to play soccer together in (the) Nepean Sportsplex," Hussein said, adding they would meet up every Friday from 6 to 7 p.m.
"He was always extending a hand. He was a true friend. He will be missed."
Jamaica to honour philanthropist G. Raymond Chang
Dr. G. Raymond Chang
By RON FANFAIR He has honorary degrees from the University of the West Indies and Ryerson where he's the first Caribbean-born chancellor. Ray Chang considers all these accolades special as he does his recent appointment to the Order of Jamaica, the country's fourth highest honour behind the Order of National Hero, the Order of the Nation and the Order of Merit. Chang is among 98 Jamaicans who will be conferred with national awards on National Heroes Day on October 17. Chang, who came to Canada in 1967 to pursue Engineering at the University of Toronto, is being recognized for his outstanding contribution as a business leader and philanthropist in the financial, health, education and cultural sectors. "Growing up in Jamaica has in part made me who I am and for that I will always be grateful," said Chang who helped his mother Maisie manage a sales staff of 60 at the family-owned Consolidated Bakeries before coming to Canada. "A piece of my heart still lies in Jamaica. "I am therefore humbled by the honour and look forward to keep working for the betterment of the land of my birth." Last December, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Toronto chapter named Chang the 2010 Outstanding Philanthropist for good reason. He has donated more than $20 million in the last few years, including $7 million to fund research at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. His generosity has extended to the Caribbean in general and Jamaica in particular. Four years ago, Chang donated close to $750,000 to cover the first three years of a program with Ryerson that enables Caribbean nursing students to pursue higher education through distance learning. He also provided close to J$1.7 million in 2005 to the Jamaica Bauxite Institute to start a seeding nursery used to produce seedlings for distribution to farmers planting on reclaimed bauxite lands and he set up a chair at the U of T in internal medicine and a fellowship for Caribbean doctors at the University Health Network. In addition, Chang has made numerous donations to his alma mater, St. George's College, and provided jobs for a number of immigrants, many of them Jamaicans, at CI Financial which he joined in 1984 as vice-president and chief operating officer. At the time, the company had just $5 million in assets under management. He was promoted to president and chief operating officer in 1994, chief executive officer two years later and chairman in 1999. Last year, Chang, who is a director of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, stepped down from an active role in CI Financial where he remains a director. Chang graduated with degrees in Engineering and Accounting and ran a furniture store in the Jane & Finch neighbourhood before joining CI where he oversaw the company's growth from being a small money manager to Canada's second largest publicly traded fund company which now manages almost $80 billion in assets. Through his privately owned company G. Raymond Chang Ltd., Chang is active in the development of hydrogen fuel cells, medical diagnostic devices and equipment and private wireless networks. In 2008, Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding appointed Chang a special consultant to the government. Previous Order of Jamaica recipients include businessman Michael Lee-Chin, Father Richard Ho Lung who started The Missionaries of the Poor in 1981, musician and entrepreneur Byron Lee who died in November 2008, retired International Cricket Council (ICC) elite panel umpire Steve Bucknor and Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man.
Funeral for teen slain in Downsview apartment
By Chris Doucette ,Toronto Sun
First posted:
Murder victim Khalfani Jordan Haughton, 18, was laid to rest Saturday, 10 days after he was stabbed to death at an apartment near Keele St. and Wilson Ave. About 200 mourners paid their respects at the Peace Community Church near Weston Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W. (CHRIS DOUCETTE/TORONTO SUN)
TORONTO - Khalfani Haughton was a talented young man with a promising future, those who knew and loved him say. The 18-year-old, better known as Jordan to his friends and family, hoped to pursue a music career but that dream ended senselessly when he was stabbed to death at a Downsview apartment building a little over a week ago. “I have to pray that God will help me to forgive the person that took my son’s life...forgiveness is key,” Fitzgerald “Mike” Haughton said Saturday at Jordan’s funeral. The grief-stricken father was among about 200 mourners who gathered at the Peace Community Church, near Weston Rd. and St. Clair Ave. W., to say their final goodbyes to the teen. “Jordan had a calm spirit, a gentle spirit...,” Haughton said, adding his son also had a big heart and “zeal to succeed.” The teen, who worked at a grocery store, was stabbed to death Aug. 10 at 1130 Wilson Ave., near Keele St. Toronto Police have said Jordan was involved in an altercation with a man in an apartment. The Rexdale youth stumbled out of the apartment with multiple stab wounds and collapsed in the hall. Few other details have been released. However, it’s believed the apartment was the home of a woman who occasionally babysat one of Jordan’s younger siblings. The man he allegedly argued with is the woman’s husband. Exactly what sparked the deadly argument remains a mystery. But Derrick Oram, 37, faces a charge of second-degree murder and remains in custody. Saturday’s two-hour funeral service was filled with tributes from those closest to Jordan, including best friend Matthew Russell. “Jordan was more than a friend to me,” the teen said. “We were the best of friends.” He and Jordan were in a hip-hop group together called CheckMate. Russell said his pal was the kind of friend others wish they had. “Jordan changed my life by introducing me to music and to writing,” he said, before playing a song he wrote for his slain friend. Joseph Johnson said he couldn’t have asked for any more from a big brother. He was “always there” for me and my other siblings, he said, adding he admired his brother and wanted to be just like him. “Jordan, I love you, I miss you, but I shall never forget you,” Johnson said.
‘I owe it to the community to correct misinformation’
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Charles Roach
A founding member and former chair of the Caribbean Cultural Committee, Charles Roach, has spoken out in the wake of the lawsuit brought against him, the Festival Management Committee and Scotiabank by the Caribana Arts Group.
In an 11-page communiqué, Roach sought to primarily correct misinformation.
“Even though newspaper commentators are aware that I had a central role in dealings between the City of Toronto and the CCC (and later the CAG), none of the writers have sought to interview me. Now I am taking initiative to speak out. I owe it to the community to correct misinformation.
“But I am speaking out at this time because matters have moved to a critical and dangerous stage,” Roach said, in the communiqu*. “The CAG, under the leadership of Henry Gomez, has commenced two law suits. The first was against the FMC and sought an injunction to shut down the Festival for 2011. The second lawsuit is against the Bank of Nova Scotia, the FMC and Charles Roach,” said the communiqu*. Roach noted that the first lawsuit has been discontinued yet it achieved the objective of an injunction from the court preventing the Festival from using the name Caribana.
“That Court order, in my view, has reverted the situation to that of April of 2006, when the City of Toronto took away funding and management of the Festival from the Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC) and gave it to the Toronto Mas Bands Association (TMBA),” he said.
The Caribana Arts Group (CAG) recently held a press conference where it announced that it would not seek an injunction to stop this year’s festival but would however proceed with litigation that will seek to redress past wrongs. It has filed a statement of claim in the Ontario Superior Court. The statement of claim names Scotiabank, the Festival Management Committee and Charles Roach, a former chair of the Caribana Arts Group for general damages, as well as aggravated and punitive damages amounting to $900,000. Speaking on the take-over of the festival in 2006 he noted that ironically, the City was prodded into that precipitous action in 2006 by CCC members and Caribana stakeholders.
“The TMBA told the City that they would not participate in the 2006 Festival under the management of the CCC. Fearing that the Festival would flop as it did in 1998 when the TMBA boycotted the Festival, the City responded to the ultimatum by turning the Festival over to the TMBA.” On the matter of intellectual property he said he was not in Canada when he heard news of the City’s action and questioned the legality of the take-over.
“Suppose someone begins a public event using city parks or streets. Does the person who develops the event have a right of ownership? Can the City take over the event and transfer it to some other person? I reasoned that the event was intellectual and artistic property.” He was critical of how the City dealt with this issue. “In case of Caribana, the City not only denied funding and took over the space and time of the festival but the City barred the CCC from holding any alternative event at that time by denying permits for the use of City streets and parks,” he said.
“The manner of the City’s take-over troubled me.” Roach noted that by mid-April of 2006, the City and the FMC had changed the name of Caribana to the Toronto Caribbean Festival. One of the aims of HOC was to prevent the name change. After a short sharp protest movement that included a campaign for an international boycott of the Festival and several street demonstrations at City Hall and at the offices of Councillor Joe Mihevc, the City’s point person for the Festival, HOC reached an accord with the City and the FMC.
Roach further said following the Accord of 2006, he disbanded the HOC; its mission was accomplished. He said that following the end of his term as CAG Chair at the end of March 2009, relationships with the FMC broke down. Deliberating on the court case, he said that court litigation cannot solve issues between the FMC and the CAG because those who produce and finance the Festival are opposed to the present CAG Board who do not have the goodwill of the main players of the game: the private sponsors, the TMBA, the Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA), Organization of Calypso Performing Artists (OCPA), the Liaison Committee (LC), the Members of the Festival Management Committee (FMC), the Festival Volunteers Association, and Governments at the Federal, Provincial and City levels.
“I strenuously advised the current CAG Board not to go to the courts. I emphasised that in 2006 HOC was able to gain control of the Festival through community pressure without resort to the courts. But the CAG Board refused to take my advice,” said Roach. INACCURACIES He noted that the lawsuit is based on inaccuracies. “An affidavit sworn by Henry Gomez and filed in court deposes that on March 10, 2009 I (Charles Roach) and FMC’s Joe Halstead secretly entered an “unauthorised contract” allowing the FMC to use the name Caribana for the Festival.
The lawsuit alleges that I was not the Chair of the CAG on March 10, 2009. I have in my possession an e-mail from Henry Gomez indicating that he knows this statement is not true,” Roach said.
“I am an arts person who sees himself as a father-figure of this Festival. It was difficult for me to write this expose of the innards of this most important enterprise of our community. But only with the truth and responsible leadership could the CAG rise again,” said Roach in the communiqu*.
Walter Ernesto Guzman
By tom Godfrey ,Toronto Sun Walter Ernesto Guzman A violent fugitive who was nabbed after his mugshot appeared on a “most wanted” list has been released by an immigration board in a decision that has outraged border agents and their political masters. Walter Ernesto Guzman, 35, of El Salvador, surrendered to Montreal police last Friday after two years on the run and was handed over to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for deportation, officials said. Guzman was in Canada illegally after being convicted of serious offences that included drug trafficking, assault and uttering threats. He appeared before an Immigration and Refugee Board on Wednesday and was ordered released on $3,000 cash bond with the condition that he report weekly to CBSA officials, board spokesman Robert Gervais said. Gervais said Guzman is no longer being detained and can’t be deported until the completion of his pre-removal risk assessment. The move to free Guzman, whose mugshot appeared on a list of 32 dangerous foreign criminals, has outraged Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. The minister ordered an investigation. “(Toews) is extremely disappointed with the decision to release an individual who has been convicted of serious crimes and found to be inadmissible to Canada,” said Julie Carmichael, an aide to Toews. Carmichael said Toews has “asked his officials to thoroughly review this decision with a view to seeking judicial review at the earliest opportunity.” Toews’ officials said the decision will likely be appealed to the Federal Court of Canada. Border agents warned Guzman — the subject of an intense manhunt — is violent and should not be allowed back on the streets. Guzman was among three suspects with lengthy criminal records who were arrested within 24-hours of their identities being posted online by CBSA officials. He is among 1,400 foreign criminals being sought for deportation in the Toronto area. “It is very frustrating when officers risk their lives to arrest suspects and they are released,” said Ron Moran, president of the Customs and Immigration Union. “This sort of thing happens on a regular basis.” Moran said front-line officers have to work in dangerous situations to make arrests. In addition to Guzman, police also arrested drug offender Reginald George King — also known as “Dee Dee,” 41, — who is facing deportation to Jamaica. They also nabbed Xun Ricky Zhang, 35, of China, who was ordered deported in 2005 after serving time for his role in a Toronto Ecstasy ring. The release of the list of criminals follows the success of a CBSA hunt for 30 people from abroad who are accused of war criminals. Canadian authorities arrested seven of them and deported four others after prodding by Sun Media to have the men publicly identified.
Third individual identified on CBSA "Wanted" list removed from Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, August 11, 2011 – The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) today announced the removal from Canada of a third individual identified on the CBSA “Wanted” list. Henry Pantoja Carbonel, from Peru, was apprehended on July 26, 2011, in the Toronto area following tips from the public to the Border Watch Line. Carbonel had been in CBSA custody since his apprehension.
This update follows the announcement on July 21, 2011, by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney urging Canadians to help identify 30 individuals listed on the CBSA Web site who are inadmissible because they are suspected of being complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity, and who are thought to be hiding in locations across Canada. Since this announcement, seven individuals have been apprehended or located, and, as of today, three have been removed from Canada.
Stepmother, dad charged in Brampton boy's death
BY Rob Lamberti ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 11:48:22 EDT AM
BRAMPTON - BRAMPTON — The father and stepmother of murdered 10-year-old ShakeilBoothe were remanded in custody following their brief but separate court appearances Tuesday.
The lad was found with no vital signs inside his Homeland Ct. home on May 25.
While police said there were no visible signs of trauma, his death has been ruled a murder. The cause of death was not revealed.
Garfield Boothe, 31, charged with second-degree murder, appeared calm as he sat and looked towards the bench of Justice of the Peace Thomas McKeogh.
His lawyer, Luc Leclair, had his case put over for a video remand June 14.
Meanwhile, his common-law wife and Shakeil’s step-mother, Nichelle Boothe-Rowe, 28, charged with manslaughter, was ordered to next appear in court for a day-long bail hearing on June 8.
Publication bans were imposed on evidence presented during both court appearances.
Boothe, a large man who wore a blue training shirt with light grey piping, only looked into the body of the court once, as he was being taken away, and nodded to a woman, who returned the gesture.
Outside court, Leclair said his client is “upset” by the events.
“This case is not what it appears to be,” Leclair said.
He said he’s waiting for disclosure materials from Peel homicide detectives.
Boothe’s common-law wife stood in her prison greens with her hands cuffed in front of her throughout her hearing.
Boothe was originally arrested during the weekend and was charged with failing to provide the necessities of life. On Monday, he was charged with second-degree murder.Boothe-Rowe’charge was announced by Peel police on Tuesday morning. Her lawyer, Brian Ross, refused comment.
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