Sunday, January 5, 2014

Words of Wisdom from Trevor Greene



A blog reader just sent me a link to a recent article written by Trevor Greene about How the Harper Government Committed a Knowledge Massacre. I said Is that written by The Trevor Greene? The Canadian soldier that was wounded in Afghanistan and said he'd go back and do it all over again? That's impressive.

Trevor's heart warming tale is about a soldier exemplifying heart. Like Bill Turner a reservist from Edmonton who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. He's be like "Hi I'm Bill. I'm here to help." This is what Canadian Peace Keeping used to be. Soldiers with heart who believed in a cause so passionately they were wiling to die for it. These weren't mercenaries for Drug lords or the big oil companies.

Trevor took off his helmet and sat down with some Afghan elders to meet with them and build a relationship of trust with the people he went to serve. He was attacked from behind and hit in the back of the head with an axe which paralyzed him and resulted in a long road to recovery. Turns out that inspiring tale was recorded in a book entitled March Forth that was release last year.

I remember reading an article quoting another soldier who had murmured about the incident claiming when he heard what happened he knew who it was. Implying he was criticizing Trevor for taking off his helmet and sitting down with the local elders. I guess that soldier didn't understand what heart means and how important developing a relationship of trust with the people you serve really is. I guess that soldier didn't take time to think that maybe while he was sitting down pouring his heart out to the local elders, another soldier should have been watching his back.

It turns out that Trevor has written a few powerful articles. Two about FIPA. What he refers to as The Trade Deal That Could Conquer Canada. Here we have a dedicated war vet talking about how a bad trade deal that has nothing to do with free trade could in fact destroy our liberty. The same liberty he risked his life to defend.

No doubt his book March Forth is well worth the read. His wife seems to be just as an amazing pershon as he is. Clearly a match made in heaven. They share a powerful blog called March forth. In one post about Eco Terrorism Trevor writes:

"I am shocked, outraged, and embarrassed by the government’s proposal to prosecute environmental protesters as terrorists. Embarrassed because I fear that our country’s stellar reputation among nations—which dates back to Vimy Ridge in 1917 and burnished by Lester B. Pearson, who won the Nobel Peace Prize 40 years later for basically inventing peacekeeping— would be irreparably damaged if the cherished democratic ideal of peaceful protest were to be criminalized."

This is not the ramblings of a leftist kook. This is the passionate warnings of a true patriot. He points out that Terrorism is defined by the International Convention for the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism as an "act intended to cause serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.”

He concludes that "CSIS and the RCMP have identified Greenpeace and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as ‘ multi-issue extremist groups’ and a threat to Canadians, according to the Globe and Mail. Putting Greenpeace and people like David Suzuki on a par with Al-queda and the brutal thugs of the Taliban is an act I would expect from a Margaret Thatcher or George W Bush, or, for that matter, Moammar Kaddhafi." Well said.

No doubt the Harper Government will claim the soldier received brain damage from his axe attack and has lost it. Despite the fact that he is sounding very rational and making perfect sense, he is right. No doubt the Harper government will also claim that Trevor Greene is not a patriot when in reality he exemplifies patriotism.

Yes he had a heart before he went to Afghanistan. That's why he went to serve there. Before Afghanistan he wrote a book about the women murdered in the DTES called Bad Date: The Lost Girls of Vancouver's Low Track. Thank God Canada still has a few real patriots left.

The Red Scorpions: Who's left?



With the recent murder of a member of the Red Scorpions in Abbotsford, blog readers are starting to ask who's left? Most of them are either dead or in jail. One blog reader said they should be referred to ask the dead Scorpions now.

Another blog reader came up with a suggestion. They remembered when my blog first started the purpose was to post pictures of gang members to warn he public. At first we had a lot of people send pictures in. Not so much now. Most of the gang members have clued in and set their facebook profiles to private. Yet people still send in pictures because they have some of these clowns on their friend's list. Just not as often.

Since there's a bit of confusion as to who's left in the Red Scorpions they suggested I post an inquiry asking people to send me an update of who's left in the various gangs. It's certainly worth mentioning. After the Bacon Brothers took over the Red Scorpions and made that ridiculous Red lobsters logo that looked like a cheap Karate school Jason Brown was caught with Red Scorpion gear in 2009. He was a Hells Angels associate in E Pandora.

In June 2010 Castanet reported that Cole Wyatt Smith and Danielle Ehmann were caught in Kelowna with AK 47 ammunition and GHB. They also reported that Cole Wyatt Smith was an associate of the Red Scorpions in Vancouver.

In September 2010 Abbotsford Police arrested Michael O'Brien and Mohamed Amarhoun who were linked to the Red Scorpions and were suspected of supplying drugs to the street-level crews in Abbotsford. In October 2013 Nanaimo RCMP announced they had arrested five men believed to have links to the Red Scorpions for selling crack and heroin. Somehow I don't think the Red Lobsters are all gone yet.

Before the Surrey Six the Red Scorpions were selling crack for the UN. After the Surrey Six they started selling for the Hells Angels. The Bacon Brothers used to be affiliated with the UN but broke off to sell drugs "on their own." Yet they didn't have the resources the UN did go on their own. They needed a supplier.

I personally think the UN's denial that Larry Amero and the Hells Angels were ultimately behind the Surrey Six is somewhat astounding. Larry Amero didn't all of a sudden become friends with Jonathon Bacon when he was shot with him in Kelowna. That's when they thought the time was right to come out of the closet with their endorsement. We knew Larry was friends with Jonathon Bacon at the time. He was partying with them. We only had pictures of their girlfriends hanging out together. That would clearly imply Larry Amero and Jonathon Bacon had an association long before the Kelowna shooting despite the fact that Larry the lying sack of sh*t passionately denied it.

Listen to the tapes they say. I listened to the tapes of John Punko saying the UN and not welcome in BC and they will oppose anyone who does business with them. That was way back when the UN kicked their ass in Brandy's. You think the Hells Angels are just going to suck that up and forget about it? Hell no. They will shoot them in the back until it's done with like they always do.

Jamie Bacon can't go to the bathroom by himself. Where do you think a mentally diminished idiot like that gets the idea to extort Corry Lal for selling drugs in "his" turf? The mental midget was from Abbotsford not Surrey. He had to have been extorting Lal for someone further up the food chain. The Hells Angels have been supplying drugs in Surrey since the Surrey House of Horrors.

Drug related violence outside the Front Room



When I first started writing about the predatory drug dealers outside the Front Room one blog reader commented on how the "Front" Room was such a strange name for a homeless shelter. How obvious can you get? It's a front for something else just like how some businesses are fronts for laundering drug money. The Front Room is the epicenter for drug related violence in Surrey.

My problem is two fold. I have a problems with the police and the city letting crack dealers sell crack outside the Front Room. I also have a problem with the predatory violent nature of those crack dealers who bully the homeless and exploit them.

When Janice Shore was brutally beaten to death for a drug debt near the Front Room one local activist I spoke with said it couldn't have been a large debt because Janice was a user not a dealer. No doubt. Janice was used as an example just like Bob Roth was in Edmonton who was decapitated for a drug debt owed to the Whiteboy Posse who in turn sold crack for the Hells Angels. Anthony Terezakis videotaped himself laughing while he beat the life out of addicts who owned him money. He sold drugs for the Hells Angels in East Vancouver.

Likewise when Ashley Machiskinic was pushed out of a window for a drug debt in East Vancouver it couldn't have been a large debt because she was a user not a dealer. Carol Martin of the Downtown East side Women's Centre said "Women get their heads shaved for a $30 drug debt, they're killed for $50." It's no different outside the Front Room in Surrey. Only the level of violence there is even worse than the DTES.

Last thanksgiving my daughter bought an extra turkey to feed some homeless. We had everything prepared in the trunk of our car and parked it in an alley right beside Pidgeon corner and handed out a few plates to those who might have missed a turkey dinner at a food line. One guy who claimed he was recently out of jail came back for seconds. As we were dishing up his plate the Front Room in Surrey came in our conversation. He said he had just come from there. He said he found it too violent there that's why he returned to the DTES. He said there if you don't join in giving someone the boots, they'll give you the boots. I found it incredibly ironic that an ex con came back to the DTES because he thought the Front Room was too violent.

The drug dealers outside the Front Room are pretty obvious. There's nothing discreet about them. I remember driving my car by there at night with my window open and having someone sitting in the shadows scream "Crack!" He was literally screaming it to get my attention to buy some crack. That happens all the time there. It would be pretty easy for an under cover cop to buy crack there.

The cleaner young guys standing outside the Front Room selling crack aren't there because they're homeless. They should be moved on. Instead they are allowed to bully the homeless. The crack dealers across the street from the Front Room are predatory. They are in your face "Crack?! Crack?! Wanna buy some Crack?!" No thanks I reply. "Are you sure? I have some really good stuff." Really good stuff alright it's cut with Levamisole also known a superbuff and will give you flesh eating disease. Handing out free crack pipes or mouth pieces to help people get flesh eating disease is in opposition to medical treatment. People who use harm reduction to promote addiction are raging lunatics.

No doubt the police are aware of the problem and have made some arrests in the area. No doubt they are frustrated with the magnitude of the problem and no doubt they have been told to contain the problem to certain areas. Yet as long as we let those drug dealers make that kind of profit by exploiting the homeless and selling crack publicly, we are contributing to the violence that killed Janice Shore. If Janice Shore was killed for a drug debt then anyone who sells crack outside the Front Room is a suspect in her murder and should be moved on. Even the prostitutes are bullied there by aggressive pimps demanding their percentage of every trick.

I do not support the legalization of pot I support the decriminalization of pot. When we prioritize busting pot use we prevent us from being able to stop the crack dealers which is a much more serious problem. It's like the VPD issuing jay walking tickets to the homeless in East Vancouver but not arresting the predatory drug dealers selling crack there. It is disproportionate application of the law and is inhumane because of the violence it creates.

Yes we need mandatory minimum sentences. For selling crack not for the possession of pot.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

A much better place



Today I made it up snowshoeing on Seymour. It was awesome. Finally. It has been such a lousy year for snow on the coastal mountains. It reminded me of the Vancouver Olympics which was an el Nino only worse. I checked the weather and it called for sun after fresh snow Thursday night.



Not only was it a sunny day but there was an awesome inversion happening. That's when the clouds hang low so that you're above the clouds in the mountains as though you're flying above them in an airplane. I've uploaded a bunch more pictures to Flickr. This is what I mean when I say a better place. This is where I find my own peace of mind. Getting the heart pumping and the lungs working scaling the mountains and enjoying the view. It helps me put everything in perspective.

They say crack gets you high. No it doesn't. It doesn't get you this high. No drug can do that. And there's no crash afterwards. Just a mental and physical peacefulness that lingers for days. Now that's what I'm talking about. In the Surrey Winterfest I wanted to highlight the drug related violence outside the Front room in Whalley and Janice Shore's brutal murder. I also wanted to highlight a kaleidoscope of other things. Better things. Things you just can't find in a crack pipe. High above the desert plain where the street have no name.

With the return of the el nino that just means I'm going to have to go east. When we have an el nino Eastern Canada and United States gets nailed with a very cold winter. I'm going to discover some new peaks this year for the climax of the Surrey Winterfest. A little surprise for later on.

The Vancouver Sun drops the ball



I have a ton of things to catch up on but I just wanted this said. First we have an unprecedented break through when the Vancouver Province nailed the Surrey issue in their front page article on January 2nd. Then low an behold the next day the Vancouver Sun prints an absurd Laura Balance Hail Mary interference play to once again spin that truth and prevent it from being addressed.

I was rather shocked because I thought the same publisher runs both papers. It's as though he wants the Province to appeal to readers who are a little left while he wants the Sun to appeal to readers who are a little right. I doubt that is the case but that is what it appears. The point I want to make is that Dianne Watts is not right wing. She is not pro business. Being pro business means arresting the crack dealers outside the Newton businesses and the Whalley businesses whose complaints have been falling of deaf ears. That's not happening. That's the problem.

Being right wing is supposed to mean being fiscally responsible and opposing excessive consumer taxes and tolls on everything. That is the exact opposite of what Dianne Watts actually does and wants. She is not right wing so don't even pretend she is. By their definition she is a leftist tax and spend kook. That is why I keep saying we have to lose the old left and right stereotypes because they do not hold up to public scrutiny. We need to debate issues and leave the false stereotypes behind because they are being used to promote a very dishonest campaign that says one thing and does the exact opposite.

They are not cracking down on the drug houses in Surrey. McCallum did that while Dianne Watts rode his coattails. She is spending all the city's resources busting grow ops. She is doing nothing to stop crack dealers selling on the street in Whalley or Newton. She is stopping it outside her new Ivory tower but letting it continue unbridled in Whalley outside the Front Room and in Newton.

That is the truth. Spinning that truth is a lie. Just ask the businesses in Newton and Whalley as well as the residents of Newton and Whalley or the residents outside the illegal booze can there was a homicide in.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Body found in Lynn Creek



CTV is confirming a body has been found in Lynn Creek earlier this evening. An extensive search was conducted in the area recently for missing British tourist Tom Billings, but there is no indication the remains are his. OK so Lynn Creek runs under the Lynn Canyon suspension Bridge in North Vancouver.

The missing British hiker was reported to have embarked on a hike from the Lynn Headwaters trying to do Crown mountain then over to Grouse mountain. That's further up stream in Lynn Creek thus the name Lynn Headwaters. It's physically possible to hike to Grouse mountain from the Lynn Headwaters. It's long and flat except for the last part up the other side of Dam mountain which you then climb down to get to the top of Grouse. Doing Crown mountain before that is possible but it is one long ass hike. You have ot go all the way up Crown mountain, all the way down it again, then all the way up Dam mountain only to climb down it to get to the gondola on grouse. It's a summer hike not a winter hike. I've done Coliseum mountain from there and that is a all day hike.

Durring the summer lots of people drown in Lynn Creek. They go swimming and get swept under by an undertow. The only safe spot to swim is the 30 foot pool. But even there you have to be careful wading across the creek in the spring melt off. The water is higher and faster then. The 30 foot pool part is fine for diving in but the rest of the creek is a bit dodgy that time of year.

The Vancouver Province also reported that a woman's body was pulled out of the Fraser River near Knight Street Bridge Thursday morning. Police have not identified the remains or learned circumstances of death but claim there is no indication of a suspicious death at this point. How on earth can you say that when you haven't determined the cause of death? We'd be a little more confident it's not a suspicious death when they release the id of the body.

It's like all those human feet that were washing up on shore but they said they weren't suspicious. What the hell isn't suspicious about a human foot washing up on shore? They all committed suicide and wore shoes that floated. Yeah right. Suicide is not new. Feet washing up on shore is.

Abbotsford Homicide - Red Scorpion Dead



Global is reporting that a man in his thirties walked into the Abbotsford Automall with a stab wound to his neck 3:45 PM on Tuesday. The man died in the hospital from his injuries. A blog reader sent in a page load of stabbings from Scan BC we don't even hear about if there's no fatality. CTV is reporting a source claims the victim is a well known local gang member.

Global is reporting the name of the victim is Matthew Campbell. Kim Bolan is confirming the gang link and refers to him as the "leader" of the Red Scorpions. The puppet club the Bacon Brothers took over for the Hells Angels in the Surrey Six.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

The Vancouver Province nails it



Front page of today’s Vancouver Province was the headline “It’s Just Not Safe” and the caption “Newton residents and business owners say their Surrey neighbourhood has become plagued by drug dealers and violent criminals. Not even Laura Balance’s bullsh*t machine can spin that.

Inside the paper they expound a bit more on an interview with a local business owner in Newton that has expressed frustration with the city’s lack of response to the drug dealers killing her business. We don’t need a task force to figure out what the problem is. We know what the problem is. The problem is Dianne Watts and her Surrey First political party’s refusal to do anything about it.

In the article “It's just horrible, the things we see” Diane MacDermot, the local business owner in Newton describes the struggle she had with drug dealers outside her business. “For a couple of years, Diane MacDermott had battled a drug dealer who had set up shop outside her popular gift store, Beach Basket Giftware, across from the Newton bus exchange and Newton Wave Pool and Recreation Centre.”

She had politely asked him to leave because he was blocking the store door and scaring off customers. He didn’t like that. “He said this was his turf and his territory and he wasn’t going away.” This went on for years. The only thing that got rid of the drug dealer was the fact that he started using the product and turned into a crackhead then disappeared on his own accord.

This is not a new problem. The businesses have complaining about it for years just like the residents were complaining about the illegal booze can in Surrey that the city refused to do anything about which resulted in yet another homicide. What’s new is the fact that the media are now finally reporting it. Up until now if you had any criticism of Dianne Watts you were censored.

In contrast the Vancouver Province ran another article about how Kingsway in Burnaby had similar problems and explains how they solved the problem. One local activist said business owners and residents had to be prodded to report each and every crime they saw. The reason is two-fold. You can’t let criminals get comfortable. And it is statistics that count with authorities. There is a sad truth in the adage, ‘the squeaky wheel gets the oil.’

“It’s your backyard, so you can’t turn a blind eye,” Kumagai said. “Basically you have to take back your area, and get people out walking and going into shops. When everyone comes together, that is when you see the big impacts.” That is what I’m talking about. That is the New York model. That is what we are not doing in Surrey. Remember back in the day we used to have Block Watch and ideas like crime prevention? Those are gone because people have given up. They call the police and the police don’t do anything because city hall has given them different priorities.

If drug dealers are selling drugs outside a business and that business calls the police and the police don’t do anything, that results in criminal negligence. It is inherently hypocritical to pretend that Dianne Watts’ political party supports business when in reality that is the last thing they do. They support flipping agricultural land into industrial for dirty developers that contribute to their campaign. That’s the only business they do.

We need to arrest the crack dealers that are selling crack in public. It is that simple. Failing to do that creates a flood of drug related crime and violence which is what we are now seeing.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Year Homicide in Surrey



A tragic start to the New Year. News 1130 is reporting that a woman fell to her death from a tower in Surrey and that the police are treating it as a homicide. The tower is located on 100th Avenue off Whalley Boulevard and the woman fell to her death at 1:00 AM New Years day. News 1130 is reporting that an arrest has already been made. Another homicide one hour into the New Year. Another blog reader said other cities focus on the first bay of the new year while we in surrey focus on the first homicide in the year. Very sad indeed.



I took some pictures from the scene and a man asked me what happened so I told him what I knew. Someone asked what floor she fell from and I said I didn’t know. The man said the 26th floor and I asked who said that. He replied I did. I kind of hesitated as he kept repeating I did. Then as he got into his car he broke down in tears and said it was his daughter. I was stunned and said I’m sorry for your loss.

I spoke with some reporters on scene and they confirmed it was from the 26th floor. This is absolutely tragic. Another horrible loss. Another horrible tragedy. This was a really nice man who really cared about his daughter. I am so sorry for your loss.



IHIT was on scene later on in the afternoon.



The first flowers showed up this afternoon to pay their respects.



More flowers and candles by early evening. Let's hope the city doesn't take these ones away. We need some of these at the Newton Arena site. Looks like they already have.



Update: Global is reporting that the victim was 19 years old and that police were on their way to a domestic dispute call at the apartment between the woman and a 23-year-old male when they saw her fall to her death from 26th floor. Seemingly it wasn’t the first time the police had been to the apartment.

The 23-year-old male is currently in custody but police have not laid any charges in the incident yet. Global is reporting that the police claim “We have gotten cooperation from one person who was inside,” said Dan Splinter, Surrey RCMP. “We believe there were more people inside at the time and would like to speak to them.”

New Years Day: Another Blood Red Sky



I'm not much of a New Years eve kind of guy. My father used to be an elementary school principle in North Vancouver. When I was very young, I remember my father and I stopping off at his staff Christmas or New Years party. When he saw what it was like we quickly left. My father was not a drinker. I saw an older man chasing a younger woman around the house with a shoe and they were both drunk acting like idiots. I remember being in shock. These are adults? I thought to myself. Then I thought these are teachers? God help us. Even a primary student could see that.

I'm more of a New Years day kind of guy. There's nothing like snowshoeing up a mountain with a headlamp before dawn only to catch the first sunrise of the year from the peak of a snow covered ridge. For me the new year doesn't begin at midnight new years eve. It begins at sunrise new years day. Today it's another blood red sky.

The build up to dawn was dark and dreary. Yet behind the dark clouds, the sun is still shining. A new day has dawned and a new year is before us. Last year was pretty much the same as the year before that. Even worse. Only now the data has revealed some root causes of the violence. Last year Surrey had a record number of homicides while Vancouver had the least ever. Something is wrong in Surrey and I'd be happy to tell you what it is.

Everyone knows whenever a crack house moves into town the whole neighborhood goes to pot. Well it's the same thing when you let them sell crack publicly in a particular area. The trickle down violence from that act is off the hook. One activist recently complained about Dianne Watt's trips to Israel and enforcing the law around her new city hall when they don't do the same thing in Newton. Whalley is still a problem that is not being addressed. All they care about is crime in their little bubble. It's as though they made a deal with the crack dealers telling them you can sell in Newton and at the Front Room as long as you don't sell outside the new City Hall. Surely they would never make a deal like that but when you see that happen it sure makes you wonder.

Deal or no deal, they are clearly letting them sell crack in Newton and outside the Front Room. They have prioritized their policing and clearly think that containing it to those areas is OK when it most certainly is not. I can't stress this enough. Letting them sell crack in Newton and outside the Front Room is the problem. All the talk forces and media spin doctors can not change that simple fact. Until we address that issue, we are wasting our time.

A lot of people have been complaining about Dianne Watt's genefication of the city centre. I don't have a problem with genefication. Genefication is part of the New York model but so is enforcement. Enforcement is a vital part of the New York model just like it is a vital part of the Four Pillars program. Extremists quote the Four Pillars and cry about a distorted definition of harm reduction while they completely ignore and oppose enforcement. Those lunatics are not supporting the Four Pillars program. Their twisted definition of harm reduction is in opposition to the Four Pillars program and is in opposition to public health and safety.

I oppose Dianne Watt's selective genefication and selective enforcement. In Whalley the businesses were complaining about how the crack addicts were destroying their business from theft. In Newton the businesses are complaining about how the drug dealers are destroying their business by taking their customers away. Not arresting the crack dealers in Newton and Whalley is destroying business there. That is what we see happening. The businesses need to sue Dianne Watts and Bill Fordy civilly for not enforcing the law equally. They have suffered business losses as a result and have thereby incurred legal damages.

It's not a matter of kicking the cat. Bullying the homeless is not part of the New York model. Arresting the predatory drug dealers is. I saw it. Spreading chicken manure where the homeless live is not part of the New York model. It's kicking the cat by bullying the bullied. We need to arrest the crack dealers. It really is that simple. Nothing has changed from the crime prevention meeting in Surrey years ago Mike Farnworth and Bruce Ralston hosted back in 2008.

Something needs to change because the city of Surrey and the RCMP aren't listening. It is the public that pays their wages. The public is the one that has to pay for Dianne Watts new ivory tower and all her extravagant trips everywhere promoting herself while she neglects the city that elected her. The residents of Whalley where Janice Shore was murdered refer to their neighborhood as the dead zone because police tolerate crime there. That needs to change.

E-mail Campaign:

One blog reader who expressed a mutual frustration with the political corruption surrounding this issue suggested we launch an e-mail campaign to encourage city council to address the issue. They weren't sure if I'd support an e-mail campaign given the fact that I have obviously given up on Diane Watts after she bullied me at the mega casino meeting.

I think an e-mail campaign is a good start. She flipped when she saw the public outrage about the mega casino in a residential area she gave to her dirty developers. Maybe she'll cave in on crime and get Bill Fordy to start enforcing the law equally in Newton and outside the Front Room. Sadly she just turned around and approved the casino locals opposed for Newton instead of Semiahmoo to oppress the seniors there.

Personally I think we need to elect a new city council who aren't clone drones of the mayor's financial self indulgence and we need to trade Bill Fordy and Don Ray for someone else. Anyone else. Trained monkeys perhaps who don't steam roll over the democratic will of the people and the local businesses. As the blog reader pointed out, "Don't tell your dog to shit in your neighbors backyard so you won't have to pick it up. That is not proper nor political etiquette. Even In Surrey!"

Update: Another homicide in Surrey as we speak.