Saturday, April 20, 2019

Willard A. "Podunk" Davis, recipient of the Medal of Bravery for saving the life of Nurse Warburton

Eight years ago, while rummaging through the North Vancouver Archives' newspaper "division" we came across this article:

The Review - North Vancouver - 1927


 Royal BC Museum:  Medal of Bravery recipient

Willard A. 'Podunk' Davis

BC Archives

The editor of The Summerland Review has asked for a little information in respect to "Podunk" Davis.  His first query is on behalf of a lady admirer of "Podunk's" heroism, residing in Port Alberni, and concerns his financial rating.  She thinks that while the medal for bravery may be alright, his circumstances may be such that a more tangible expression of appreciation might not be out of place, and generously offers to contribute if steps should be taken to raise a fund in his behalf.  The second question is prompted by the editor's own curiosity and has to do with how Mr. Davis came by the nickname "Podunk."

Snip

.... the sheriff gave all the credit to the boy (ten or eleven), referring to him as "Podunk" Davis.  The allusion was to "Deadwood Dick," familiarly known to the miners, for whom he had rendered some splendid service in the detective line, as "Podunk."  Sheriff Simdback had been reading of the exploits of "Podunk," hence the soubriquet which he attached to his little accomplice -- one which has stuck for a half century.

Mr. Davis appeared to have a very clear recollection of all the circumstances of the case.  The burglars, whose names were Lindemyer and Stull, received long terms of imprisonment.  Henry Day was the name of the jeweler, whose store had been robbed, and "Podunk" still cherishes a ruby and ring with which he rewarded him for the recovery of the stolen goods.

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Vancouver As It Was
https://vanasitwas.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/fates-temptress/

Nurse Mary Warburton

 
Mary Warburton (ca1871-1931) was a Vancouver nurse with a penchant for walking where she needed to go, regardless of distance or season. Two of her trips were reported in the news – one from Hope to Princeton in 1926; the other from Squamish to Princeton in 1931. Both trips were made in autumn.

On August 25, 1926, Warburton, age 56, left Hope for Princeton, a 65-mile journey. On foot. According to the account of Warburton’s trip as related by Michael Kluckner, she had finished a lengthy nursing stint with a terminally-ill patient and was heading to the Okanagan to take a working vacation as a fruit picker. She set out wearing a light khaki hiking outfit and supplied with food which would last four days: “4 packets of RyeCrisp, a half pound each of bacon, butter, and cheese, a pound of raisins, 2 oz. of almonds and some tea. . . . A frying pan, a billy [cooking pot], a spoon and a single-bladed pocket knife, plus a sketch map of the area and a compass, completed her it.”


The Search for Mary Warburton  - Michael Kluckner  
On September 16, three weeks after she'd last been seen, a four-inch snowfall covered the mountains. Eventually, after becoming hopelessly lost in the Paradise Valley area, she stumbled onto the cabin -- "a rough cedar slab shelter"--of a Princeton old timer known as Willard Alfred "Podunk" Davis.  He had left matches inside a piece of paper in a tobacco tin in the cabin. Desperately wet and cold, she lit a fire but managed to set the shack alight. Evidence of the recently burned cabin rekindled the search for her (sorry about the pun), and eventually she was found by Davis and Const. Dougherty of the Provincial Police.


Google Search Criteria:  Podunk Davis


UBC Historical Collections

"...... It (Concord) was driven by Mr. W. A. (Podunk) Davis, who says he is a mere chee-chako who came to the Similkameen in '85.  ......"

Page 23:  1905 Concord built by Henderson & Sons of Stockton, Calif, used only on the Penticton - Hedley route and later through Princeton.

Wheels that won the West
 chee-chako: a person newly arrived in the mining districts of Alaska or northwestern Canada.

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E. C. Manning Park ....

Dewdney Trail

Photo of Dewdney trail near Daddy's Pond Edgar Dewdney constructed this heritage trail in 1860 on the request of Governor Douglas. This trail was originally called “Mule Road to the Similkameen” and later known as the “Canyon Trail”.

The left fork or Warburton Trail is a 6km loop trail ending at the Tulameen horse camp. On this portion you will gain some elevation and you will see the last remaining building of the old Evans family cow camp. The family used to run cattle through here in the 1950’s. Warburton horse camp is located 3km from Snass View camp. The cabin was built and donated by Chuck Chesnut around 1980. The camp and prominent peak is named after nurse Warburton who after being lost for 7 days was found by Willard A. Davis aka “Podunk Davis”.  A further 3km brings you to the Tulameen horse camp where Snass Mt. at 2310m can be seen to the south.


Monday, April 15, 2019

Canadians Meet "The Deep State" (Part Three) Robin Mathews



Canadians Meet 'The Deep State'


(PART THREE)
                        

FROM SNC-LAVALIN TO THE WORLD



Sheri Meyerhoffer has been elevated to the position of watchdog on Human Rights abuses by Canadian overseas corporations and has expressed her desire to take a collaborative approach to the activity.



Collaborating on Human Rights abuses as Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise might leave observers breathless and they might think the activity is a little like shutting down Criminal Charges in a case (SNC-Lavalin) and replacing them with a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.



Which, too, may be thought of as a collaborative approach: both the alleged criminals and the responsible policing authorities deciding to grease the operation in all directions, drop criminal charges, and exact a promise as one Christian prayer has it - never to sin again!



It may well, too, be a sign of the Justin Trudeau forces doing politics in a new way.  The idea would be not to hit vicious corporate wrong-doers between the eyes and make an example of them.  (That has never been done.) But as an initiative, - to sit down with them, collaboratively and try to make reason prevail. (Such a sitting down with, is in fact the declaration of a Deep State at work: the barely visible Outside Operatives making (quietly) policy, practice and law with the visible (apparently independent) government or State.



Certainly, the exposure by people like Yves Engler (and others) of Canadian corporations viciously violating fundamental Human Rights abroad has sharpened the awareness of many Canadians.  And perhaps that awareness (more than the savage violations themselves) is alerting the present government-in-power to the need for something like the application of band-aids across deep, gaping, festering wounds.



The intricate relation Canada has with the U.S. Master Violator of Human Rights (especially, historically, in its back yard) - has grown over decades.  Itself a Colonial Dependent under the U.S. whip, Canada has worked NOT to take the part of the savaged victims and to build an organized force against U.S. inhumanity, but to develop its own mini-backyard violations of human decency, one might say collaborating taking a collaborative approach to U.S. savagery.



On the political level "proving Canada can be a dirty political player/helpmate to the USA", opens the door to U.S. approval of Canadian rape of the unprotected in the economic sphere.  Thus Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister for Global Affairs, can speak for, and affirm the 14-country Lima Group (of Canada and South American sell-out countries) in order to savage Venezuela on behalf of the U.S.A. (and, thereby, get a silent OKAY on Canada's own Human Rights violations).



Perhaps there is poetry in the fact that Chrystia Freeland's grandfather is alleged to have collaborated with the Nazi forces in Poland/Ukraine almost eighty years before she took on a similar role for the USA in relation to Venezuela.  More or less spear-heading the fourteen nation Lima Group "parrots of U.S. policy" Freeland even copies U.S. language, saying Venezuela is in our neighbourhood.  (Since the Monroe Doctrine of the 1830s declaring U.S. interest in the whole Western Hemisphere, the U.S. has considered Venezuela and other such countries to be in its backyard (implying ownership of the area) and so wide open to U.S. interference.)



With Colonial delicacy, Freeland doesn't imply possession by the word neighbourhood. Rather, she shapes the language to accommodate Canada's fronting for the U.S. rape of Venezuela.



One face of the Deep State is visible when Canadian authority sits down (privately) with Corporations to make laws that circumvent criminal doings by top Corporation actors.  Another is visible when Canadian authority sits down with Canadian corporations overseas to discuss,
collaboratively, their violations of Human Rights.



Still another face is shown when Canada backs the political/imperial enormities of the USA in its attempts to destroy the government of Venezuela and pretends the operation is undertaken in the defence of Democracy, not in the furtherance of the Corporate Enterprise to ravish Venezuela in
order to increase the riches and influence of (mostly) U.S. Corporations.



The persistent Canadian Mainstream Press and Media reporting of the Venezuelan crisis has been a lie-filled apology for the Imperial attempt to efface a legitimate government and replace it with a system of repression and exploitation: with in short - its occupation by the Deep State  (to be faintly obscured by the mockery of a legitimate government).



Those who say the Deep State is everywhere are not far from truth, and what they are saying, in short, is that so-called democratic governments across the Western World are mostly the hand-maidens of criminal activity. The active criminals agree to a surface freedom for the home population as long as major criminal repression and looting abroad are not interfered with (or are dealt with collaboratively).




Robin Mathews


Sunday, April 14, 2019

Canadians Meet "The Deep State" (Part Two) Robin Mathews

Canadians Meet "The Deep State"


(PART TWO)


SNC-Lavalin Vs. The People of Canada


'The Deep State' is a force which, in fact, serves the interests of very rich, private entities, and 'very often' serves those wishing to operate criminally (whether making fake Wars or bribing through gigantic infrastructure projects or engaging in dubious activities “like the drug trade) the world over.  The Deep State is usually a combination of unseen forces and the apparent (independent) government or State.


A Reactionary Smoke Screen is being laid down as part of Deep State action to dissolve, if possible, any serious attempt to address what most Canadians would call Corporate Crime.  At present, the conflict revolves around SNC-Lavalin, its chequered 'lawless' past, its efforts (against Canada's Chief Prosecutor, Kathleen Roussel, and recent Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould) to extinguish criminal charges and replace them with what is called a 'Deferred Prosecution Agreement'.  That is a device under which both sides agree upon fines, corporate cleansing, and promises of future virtue. No criminal charges are laid, normally, against high-level wrong-doers.


(Readers should underscore in their minds the 'aristocratic' motivation involved in the push for DPAs. Top level Corporate Actors have a deep fear of having to spend time 'behind bars' to be convicts.  Such treatment, they believe, is for common, low-life criminals, not for un-common criminals like powerful, wealthy, 'connected' corporate movers and shakedown artists.)


Thus, there is an immense effort being expended (by very rich people) to build a region of special laws for the wealthy in powerful corporate positions exempting them, in fact, from the Rule of Law that governs other (in this case) Canadians.


The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently expressed dismay about Canada's failure to control bribery matters.  Another recent Report chastised Canada for weak anti-corruption action.  We hardly need to be told.


In an Opinion column (Globe and Mail, Sat. Mar. 30, 2019, 011) revealing those facts Konrad Yakabuski makes what I call the 'Reactionary Case'.  He tells readers (not all of what follows is necessarily true) that we need Deferred Prosecution Agreements because (1) we lack financial resources (2) white collar crimes are complex, often committed abroad (3) our legal system is wastefully slow (4) statistics show DPAs have been used frequently in foreign bribery cases logged by the OECD.


In the United States, a study revealed fully 96% of all foreign bribery prosecutions since 1999 involved non-trial resolutions (meaning a lot of Deferred Prosecution Agreements).


Obstacles to success in crime cases Yakabuski claims are costs, complications, delays that strike down actions, etc.  He does not suggest legislation and revisions of legal process be employed to end those kinds of  problems.  Instead he recommends a degree of expediency and DPA's provide that.   Expediency, alas, may be fairly defined as form of quick-fix which ignores the core problem involved.


It may, in fact, describe nearly all Deferred Prosecution Agreements.
Yakabuski writes: "It remains a mystery why director of public prosecutions Kathleen Roussel refused to enter negotiations with SNC-Lavalin to conclude a deferred prosecution agreement."

Canadians can say, instead, with perfect credibility: Why hasn't Canada legislated a faster, just, catch-the-criminals system?   (Doing so, as the saying goes - is not rocket science.) That, of course, has not happened.  Instead what has happened is that SNC-Lavalin held 89 (eighty-nine) lobbying meetings with top Cabinet and other government officials.  More or less together (we may assume) they manufactured Deferred Prosecution Agreement legislation, over many months.  The Trudeau Liberals slipped it into an Omnibus Budget Bill in 2018 and quietly got it passed by the legislature.


All that happened in a space of time in which the Trudeau Liberals could have sharpened, clarified, streamlined, and, in fact - created effectively briefer trial times to deal with corporate crimes, including the ones with which SNC-Lavalin is charged!


The arguments made by (such as) Konrad Yakabuski, looked at carefully, are embarrassing to say the least. He doesn't say: the criminal trial system is clogged; fix it.  Rather, he says (as I read him) practice expediency; use a system that exonerates criminals from criminal charges!  Paper over the cracks with dollars and promises of virtue.


As the full-scale, top-level, appointed-as-well-as-elected-persons-attack on Jody Wilson-Raybould and allied others, shows the Deep State is well-represented at high levels of the present Liberal government.  And only an awakened and angry population will be able to shift the power balance towards fair, just, timely court processes for those involved in wrongdoing under a universal Rule of Law that protects all Canadians from the vicious inroads of the Deep State.



            *  *  *



[The Liberal government's recent creation of an 'Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise' to watchdog Human Rights abuses by Canadian overseas Corporations showed its real face when Sheri Meyerhoffer, appointee, made clear she wants to take a collaborative approach with the Corporations.  What would a collaborative approach be with a Canadian Corporation guilty of Human Rights violations overseas?]


 Contact: Robin Mathews


Monday, April 8, 2019

Ironic? Canada spent $1 Billion for a new RCMP provincial headquarters in Surrey which is now severing the RCMP

The 2013 built, New and Improved RCMP "E" Division headquarters, with a price tag of $1,000,000,000, housing 2,700 employees, had to be located somewhere, locally, to serve Metro Vancouver (except Vancouver), British Columbia, and Canada.

 Surrey!
2018  Municipal election result:
The City of Surrey has appointed a new manager to lead its transition from using the RCMP to a city-run police force — one of the first details Mayor Doug McCallum has offered into how the change will look.-  CBC


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CBC:

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Will the RCMP Headquarters be providing space for the independent law enforcement agency?  Has Surrey Council made their own arrangements?
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Backgrounder

Google Search Criteria:  Surrey RCMP 
RCMP is getting ready to move into its new $1 billion headquarters in Surrey, federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced on Tuesday. About 2,700 RCMP employees from 25 different "E " Division units will start moving into the new facility this month according B.C.'s Commanding Officer, Craig Callens (Retd).  Jan 8, 2013.
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 2017

The RCMP is pleased to announce that Assistant Commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr has been appointed as the Commanding Officer for the RCMP in British Columbia, following a selection process jointly undertaken by the RCMP and the Province. Assistant Commissioner Butterworth-Carr replaces Deputy Commissioner Craig J. Callens, who is retiring after 32 years in the service of Canadians, including five years as Commanding Officer.


Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters info

  • The RCMP ‘E’ Division Headquarters Relocation Project is considered a major Crown initiative that relocated and consolidate existing RCMP headquarters units throughout Metro Vancouver to a new site in the City of Surrey.
  • The project is a public-private partnership (P3) between the Government of Canada and Green Timbers Accommodation Partners and represents PWGSC's largest federal accommodation project in Pacific Region to date and the first P3 for the Government of Canada.
  • The new 76,162 square-metre facility meets current safety and security standards and provides office and purpose built accommodation for over 2,700 ‘E’ Division Headquarters personnel.

PS:   SNC-Lavalin did NOT build this facility

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Canadians Meet ‘The Deep State’ (Part One) Robin Mathews


Canadians Meet ‘The Deep State’


(PART ONE)

Everything about the SNC-Lavalin Scandal is bad except it brings Canadians face-to-face with ‘The Deep State’ which, normally, is a vague, dark uncertainty to them. 

'The Deep State' is a force which, in fact, serves the interests of very rich, private interests, and 'very often' serves those wishing to operate criminally (whether making fake Wars or building gigantic infrastructure projects or engaging in dubious activities  - like the drug trade) the world over.  It is usually a combination of unseen forces and the apparent (independent) government of a State.

Strange, and irrelevant as it may seem, let us start with Michael Wernick, 'top Civil Servant in Canada, who acted as a political errand-boy for Justin Trudeau and SNC-Lavalin.  Canada's Civil Service is noted quite widely as one of the best.  What does that mean?  It means that it works to implement legislation passed by governments in power as a function of government, not as political activity. And, indeed, the top Civil Servant in Canada is famous for being non-political, that is to say for advising government on what will work functionally. 

A prime minister, like Justin Trudeau, might approach the top Civil Servant to tell him the government is considering passing legislation of a certain kind.  The last thing a Michael Wernick should do is comment on the political desirability of the undertaking.  He is there 'with long years of experience' to say, perhaps, that was tried three governments ago, and was found to be unworkable or the Civil Service has the personnel and expertise to make that possible, consider the following problems of implementation.

That Michael Wernick found himself acting as a political errand-boy for SNC-Lavalin and Justin Trudeau in an attempt to influence the decisions of the Attorney General of Canada is almost beyond belief, and may reveal the extent to which The (criminal?) Deep State has a hold on the Canadian government now.

What was the Justin Trudeau Liberal government of Canada doing allowing SNC-Lavalin 89 (eighty-nine) lobbying meetings in which they obviously fashioned the (very low-key) legislation (which was passed  tucked into an Omnibus Bill) to make possible Deferred Prosecution Agreements then pressed upon the Attorney General of Canada who had decided one was not available to SNC-Lavalin.

And how did the Trudeau Liberal government enroll Michael Wernick, Canada's top Civil Servant, as a political errand-boy to attempt to influence the Attorney General of Canada on behalf of SNC-Lavalin? What relation did he/does he have to former Civil Servants in SNC-Lavalin, if any? Serious questions are there to ask.

Deferred Prosecution Agreements have been used in the U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands which doesn't mean they are desirable.  They have the efficacy, it is said, to clean up bad Corporate Entities, to assess them large sums for misbehaviour, and it is said, to be able, still, to charge corrupt top-level actors with crimes.  Except with Deferred Prosecution Agreements top level criminals in large private Corporations always seem to escape prosecution.

What better way to describe the reality of The Deep State: a system of government that permits major criminals in big Corporations to have a permanent card (as in the game appropriately called Monopoly) they can flash that says: 'Get out of jail free'.

That seems to be the logic in Deferred Prosecution Agreements. Their very popularity among Big Private Corporations should make them highly suspect among the voters of Canada. And those voters should probably demand that DPA's (Deferred Prosecution Agreements) be unavailable and outlawed in this country.



Contact: Robin Mathews