Oct. 2, 2017
Ottawa Citizen – Aedan Helmer
Wounds ‘fresh again’ in Wilno as Basil Borutski murder trial begins in Ottawa
This article fascinatingly and powerfully captures the poignant complexity of the way the criminal justice process works against the healing of the victims and witnesses. “No one here believes the court proceedings will bring any closure, or return any sense of normalcy to the wounded community.” Basil Borutski who murder three women two years ago in Wilno (Renfrew County, ON) comes to trail this week. Borutski will act as his own attorney and no one in this small town doubts but that many of the 2 year old wounds will open again. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/wounds-fresh-again-in-wilno-as-basil-borutski-murder-trial-begins-in-ottawa
CBC News – Jean Paul Tasker
Far-right, anti-fascist protesters temporarily shut Quebec border crossing – Amid protests, St-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing in Quebec closed to passenger traffic
On Saturday, about 300 far right wing protestors and a 100 anti-fascist counter-protestors were separated by a column of Securité de Québec officers in riot gear and heavy weapons at the St. Bernard de LaColle border crossing, a confrontation that closed the border for some time. There were no injuries and no violence as a second demonstration took place on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. In St. Bernard, the Storm Alliance and a second group called La Meute (The Wolfpack) led the anti-immigration group while in Ottawa the anti-immigration protest group was called the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCCC), itself led by an immigrant. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/far-right-antifa-clash-across-canada-1.4315053 Related article: Global News – Rahul Kalvapalle Edmonton terror attacks: Police discourage backlash against Muslims https://globalnews.ca/news/3779286/edmonton-terror-attacks-police-discourage-backlash-against-muslims/ Related article: Global News – Rahul Kalvapalle Edmonton terror attacks: What we know so far https://globalnews.ca/news/3779096/edmonton-terrorist-attack/ Related article: Toronto Star – Michelle Shephard Suspect in Edmonton attack faces terrorism, attempted murder charges https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/10/01/edmonton-police-investigate-acts-of-terrorism-after-cop-stabbed-and-van-hits-pedestrians.html Related article: CBC News Edmonton attack suspect had ‘genocidal beliefs,’ says former co-worker who reported him to police – ‘He had major issues with polytheists. He said they need to die’ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/abdulahi-hasan-sharif-somali-edmonton-1.4316074
Toronto Star – Nicholas Keung
Asylum-seeker sues federal government over ‘humiliating’ 5-year imprisonment
The controversy about immigrants and refugees held long term detention in maximum security prison continues with this latest lawsuit. Abdirahmaan Warssama was held five and one half years because, he says, he would not sign a voluntary repatriation to his native Somalia. The review panel kept sending him back to jail until a federal judge ordered Ottawa to explore sending him back and ordered release from prison to some alternate resolution. In Warssama’s lawsuit, the federal government never attempted to deport him but simply kept sending him back to jail for the five years. The list of as yet unproven allegations against the prison authorities is long and scary. https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2017/09/28/asylum-seeker-sues-federal-government-over-humiliating-5-year-imprisonment.html Related article: Toronto Star – Nicholas Keung Raising immigration levels would benefit Canada, study finds – Conference Board of Canada report looks at how different immigration levels affect population size, workers-per-retiree ratio, GDP and health-care costs. https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2017/10/02/raising-immigration-levels-would-slow-aging-population-raise-gdp-study-finds.html
Toronto Star Editorial (Oct. 1, 2017)
Gradually reintegrating prisoners is a good goal, even for bad people
Marco Muzzo killed three children and their grandfather in a drunk driving incident in Vaughn in 2015. He was more than three times over the legal limit and was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The monstrous nature of the offence has again become the focus as he is moved to minimum security and becomes eligible for unescorted day pass as of Oct. 18. As opposed to an apparent public clamour for greater harshness the Star supports the view of John Howard: “In other words, allowing inmates such things as passes to visit with family makes our communities safer, not more dangerous. Reintegration is a crucial component of community safety.” https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/10/01/gradually-reintegrating-prisoners-is-a-good-goal-even-for-bad-people-editorial.html Related article: John Howard Society of Ontario and Guelph University Reintegration in Ontario: Practices, Priorities, and Effective Models http://johnhoward.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Reintegration-in-Ontario-Final.pdf Related article: Globe and Mail – Sandra Martin Even behind bars, aging prisoners deserve proper health care https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/even-behind-bars-aging-prisoners-deserve-proper-health-care/article36437126/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&