Unwilling hosts among IESO approved projects

Ontario East British Home Child Family working in conjunction with the Chesterville & District Historical Society is pleased to present “British Home Children in Eastern Ontario” on September 5 at 7pm at the Chesterville Heritage Centre, Victoria Street Chesterville.   

OEBHCF member Tom Brownell of Lombardy will speak on how the discovery of a British Home Child in his family was a catalyst for the increased awareness and recognition of this subject throughout Ontario and beyond.

Tom’s grandmother, Mary Pearson, was a young girl when she and her sister became wards of Quarrier’s Homes in Scotland.  Within a few years she was sent to Canada, eventually settling in Eastern Ontario.   She worked, married and raised her family, but like many of her fellow British Home Children did not speak in any great detail of her part in the Child Migration Scheme of the British Government. 

Brownell will speak on his grandmother, how her grandson Jim Brownell discovered her story, which became  the  catalyst for increased awareness of the British Home Children and the resultant adoption of September 28 as “British Home Child Day in Ontario by the Ontario Legislative Assembly which led to subsequent events being held at Upper Canada Village and other locations in Eastern Ontario.  Their sister, Judy Neville, has been instrumental in the organizing of various events, facilitating the organization of volunteers which has led to the formation of the Ontario East British Home Child Family group.

Like many families who have a British Home Child in their family tree, the members of the Brownell family have worked tirelessly to promote, preserve and educate the public about this most important aspect of our Canadian culture.  Come join these two historical groups to hear the stories and break the silence that has existed about this subject for decades.  Who knows – perhaps you will find out that you have a connection to these children yourself!

There is no cost for attending this event, but donations will be shared between the two organizations and light refreshments will be served.  For more information please contact carol.goddard@sympatico.ca or jneville0@gmail.com.

 

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Press Release – October 4, 2011

The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge an officer of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) with a criminal offence in regards to the death of 52-year-old Judith Fleury in a collision in Morrisburg in July of this year.

The SIU assigned four SIU investigators and two SIU forensic investigators (FI) to probe this incident. SIU FI investigators videotaped and photographed the scene and forensically mapped the collision site and the surrounding environment. 

The Crash Retrieval modules from both vehicles were also collected and examined. 

Pertinent information was also requested and received from the OPP. One officer was designated as a subject officer and six officers were designated as witness officers. The SIU also located and interviewed six civilian witnesses.

The SIU investigation determined that in the early hours of July 31, 2011, the subject officer was driving alone westbound on Hwy 401 in a marked black OPP Suburban SUV canine vehicle with a police dog in the back. The SUV was equipped with emergency lights in its grill as well as a siren. The officer was responding to a call to assist other OPP units regarding a suspect apprehension pursuit of an alleged impaired driver who was traveling northbound on County Road 31 just north of the town of Morrisburg. 

The officer activated his emergency equipment, turned onto County Road 31 and began accelerating. County Road 31 has a posted speed of 80 km/h. Ahead of him were two other OPP vehicles with their emergency equipment activated and involved in a suspect apprehension pursuit.

Ms. Fleury was driving a white Chevrolet Equinox van northbound on County Road 31. She had three passengers in the back seat of her vehicle that she had agreed to pick up from a social event being held on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Morrisburg. 

She saw the first two OPP vehicles involved in the pursuit and pulled her van over to the side of the road to let them pass. She then continued in a northerly direction on County Road 31. 

The subject officer saw Ms. Fleury’s vehicle in the distance and moved over to the southbound lane in an attempt to pass it. 

It appears that Ms. Fleury decided to make a left turn across County Road 31. According to the accident reconstruction report, at a speed of approximately 17 km/h, she turned directly in front of the Suburban driven by the subject officer at the driveway of 5120 County Road 31. 

The front of the Suburban collided with the two left side doors of the Equinox with one second of pre-collision braking on the southbound side of the road. Just before braking the speed of the Suburban was in excess of the posted speed limit. 

Both vehicles were pushed approximately 105 metres northbound into the west ditch of the county road. The right front corner of the Equinox struck a pole and came to rest immediately to the west of that pole.

The collision caused the death of the Ms. Fleury, and significant injuries to the two male passengers, while the third, a female passenger suffered minor injuries. As well, the subject officer sustained minor head injuries.

Director Scott concluded that, “While the subject officer was driving significantly over the speed limit seconds before the collision, pursuant to s. 128(13)(a) of the Highway Traffic Act, compliance with the speed limits does not apply to police officers in the lawful performance of their duties. 

Here, the subject officer’s assistance in a suspect apprehension pursuit was a lawful execution of his duties and accordingly his speed alone cannot be considered to be unlawful. 

Further, by all accounts, he had his emergency equipment activated. He could have reasonably concluded that Ms. Fleury would have seen the emergency lights and would not turn into the southbound lane. 

Unfortunately, she turned directly into his path and the collision caused her death and significant injuries to two of her three passengers. 

While this incident is a great tragedy, I have no grounds to believe the subject officer committed a criminal offence because he was in the lawful execution of his duties as he was attempting to pass Ms. Fleury’s vehicle.

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The South Williamsburg Recreation Association requested financial assistance from the Township of South Dundas under the Dollar for Dollar Capital Funding Program for the group’s outdoor rink at the Riverside Heights location.

At the June 26th council meeting, chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald said that “there are some concerns with this request,” which include the fact that it was submitted well after the November 30th deadline.

However, McDonald also pointed out that the request was for a “very limited amount of dollars” and the “test” rink they set up last year was well used. 

Councillor Jim Graham said, “it’s probably one of the most utilized recreational facilities in all of South Dundas” and councillor Archie Mellan agreed.

“Everybody uses it. I think it’s great. I’d support it 100 percent,” said Mellan.

Councillor Evonne Delegarde voiced concern with whether the request constituted an actual capital project. 

Either way, McDonald replied that the group would receive funding only the one time.

Delegarde highlighted the group’s assumption that the outdoor rink in Riverside Heights is necessary due to a shortage of rink space, pointing out that “there’s going to be an outdoor rink in Morrisburg this year.”

McDonald clarified that “if we can find a satisfactory location, it is certainly our intention to have an outdoor rink in Morrisburg this year.”

With deputy-mayor Jim Locke’s support for the request, mayor Steven Byvelds closed the discussion saying “if they can make it happen for that (amount of money), so be it.”

Council approved McDonald’s recommendation that the South Williamsburg Recreation Association be given 50 percent of eligible costs up to a maximum of $1,325.

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