McGuinty’s Ipperwash Cover-up: The Caledonia Legacy

The Caledonia-based Regional News has become the first media outlet in Canada to publish the full story of our Ipperwash Papers project, and the legacy of the inappropriate application by McGuinty of the Ipperwash Inquiry’s flawed recommendations.

The story was published in a two-part series between Feb 18-25/09.

Two versions of the series are available, each with links to extensive supporting evidence and references: 

• CANACE Report – McGuinty’s Ipperwash Cover-up: The Caledonia Legacy – HTML
• CANACE Report – McGuinty’s Ipperwash Cover-up: The Caledonia Legacy – PDF

Thank you to the Regional News!

The authors would like to thank publisher Chris Pickup and reporter Bill Jackson for allowing us to tell this important story in our own words. The Regional News has been a bastion of free speech as well as a fierce watchdog for the people of Haldimand County, and we are very grateful to them.  As I once said:

From the perspective of someone who has risked my safety, reputation, freedom and financial security to keep native thugs, corrupt police and politicians from destroying everything I value about my country I’ll take one Bill Jackson and The Regional over the Spectator, Expositor, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and CBC combined.

When the politicians and police finally realize that no realistic landclaim solution is possible if they continue to ignore the innocent victims of landclaim lawlessness it will be due in no small part because one courageous newspaper and a gutsy reporter held true to the highest and finest ideals of journalism in a town where fear has silenced so many.

VoiceofCanada, July 23/08: Ryerson Review of Journalism: McHale & Vandermaas important news sources for Caledonia dispute

VoC Comment

March 14/07: Mary-Lou LaPratte and Mark Vandermaas meet in Hamilton before driving to Queen's Park for their Ipperwash Papers news conference w/Gary McHale.

March 14, 2009 will be the second anniversary of the day Mary-Lou LaPratte, Gary McHale and I held our news conference at Queen’s Park and released the 400+ pages of documents that show how the people of Ipperwash suffered due to native crime, race-based policing and the suppression of their evidence by the Ipperwash Inquiry.

It saddens and angers me that, even during the current debate over the petition calling for a new inquiry into OPP conduct in Caledonia, not one MPP has risen in the Legislature to denounce the Inquiry’s flawed recommendations or the McGuinty government’s application of them to justify the continued victimization of innocent people.

Still, there is hope. I believe that the truth always rises to the surface. Co-author of McGuinty’s Ipperwash Cover-up Gary McHale wisely told me back in 2007 that the true strength of the Ipperwash Papers project will be recognized over time for its unique historical perspective from the point of view of Ipperwash residents, and for the legacy of its lessons for past, present and future victims of racial policing. He was right.

The Regional News has now told the story to 22,000 households in Haldimand County. A history professor has met with us and agreed to write the preface for our planned book about the Ipperwash Papers. And, now, we have a concise, fully-referenced report available for future journalists and students of history. 

Our political leaders have known the truth about the Ipperwash Inquiry for two years as have various media outlets who have refused to print the story or even meet to discuss the evidence.   

One day they will be questioned about their silence, but they will never be able to say in defence, “We didn’t know.” 

Mark Vandermaas, Editor
Voice of Canada
Project Leader, The Ipperwash Papers  www.ipperwashpapers.ca