VANCOUVER - The man whose inquiry findings led former British Columbia premier Bill Vander Zalm to resign in 1991 says he threatened to quit before completing his task.Ted Hughes, a former conflict of interest commissioner, is suing Vander Zalm for defamation over passages in the former premier's 2008 book "Bill Vander Zalm: For the People."Hughes … [Read more...]
Missing Women Inquiry: RCMP failed to save vital Pickton documents
January 18, 2012 by
Canada’s national police force is facing more scrutiny, for failing to save documents linked to this country's largest serial murder investigation. That revelation came during questioning today at the Missing Women Inquiry in Vancouver. Jennifer Evans, an Ontario deputy police chief who interviewed dozens of RCMP and Vancouver Police … [Read more...]
Missing Women Inquiry: RCMP and VPD could have done more
January 16, 2012 by
The latest witness at the Missing Women Inquiry has repeatedly blamed 'systemic breakdowns' for the failure of police in British Columbia to catch serial killer Robert Pickton sooner. Jennifer Evans is a Deputy Chief with the Peel regional police force in Ontario who was asked by Commissioner Wally Oppal to conduct an independent review of the RCMP … [Read more...]
B.C. inquiry asked to weigh fish farms’ risks
November 7, 2011 by
VANCOUVER - The head of the inquiry into British Columbia's salmon fishery must decide whether salmon farms are incubators of disease that threaten wild stocks, or pose no threat to the environment and migrating species.Opponents and proponents of B.C.'s fish-farming industry asked the commissioner hearing evidence into the collapse of the 2009 … [Read more...]
Sex workers who testify at Pickton inquiry to be granted protection
November 3, 2011 by
The names of sex workers who testify at a Vancouver public inquiry into the Robert Pickton case will be covered by publication bans and they'll be allowed to give evidence without appearing in person. Commissioner Wally Oppal has granted a request to offer sex workers and victims of sexual assault broad protections at the inquiry, which is … [Read more...]
Dead missing woman’s birthday marked at inquiry
October 26, 2011 by
VANCOUVER - Sweet memories were entwined with an incredible sadness as a B.C. First Nations leader marked his late sister's birthday and derided the circumstances that led to her death.Ernie Crey told the inquiry looking into Vancouver's missing women Wednesday that his sister would have been 53 on Oct. 26. Instead, her DNA was found on the Port … [Read more...]
Missing woman’s stepmother testifies at inquiry
October 24, 2011 by
It's an emotional day for families of women who disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.They're telling their stories at the Missing Women's Commission of Inquiry. First on the stand was Lynn Frey, the stepmother of Marnie Frey who disappeared in 1997. 10 years later Robert Pickton was convicted in her … [Read more...]
Protest drums greet inquiry
October 12, 2011 by
To the constant beat of drums and protesting eight storeys below, the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry got underway in Vancouver yesterday. Commissioner Wally Oppal stressed that his inquiry will endeavour to find out how serial killer Robert Pickton was allowed to prey on the vulnerable women of the Downtown Eastside for as long as he did and, … [Read more...]
Wally Oppal opens missing women inquiry
October 11, 2011 by
An appalling, immense tragedy. With those words, commissioner Wally Oppal opened his inquiry into the missing and murdered women.Oppal said his inquiry will attempt to answer a basic question: did society's most vulnerable women and citizens receive the same police protection and safety as others?He read from a diary of … [Read more...]
More bad news for the missing women inquiry
October 11, 2011 by
Just one day before before Commissioner Wally Oppal starts hearing evidence, three more groups are pulling out. In an e-mail to the Commissioner, three groups making up The Coalition of Sex Worker-Serving Organizations" writes that their participation is impossible due to a lack of what they call procedural fairness and funding. Not least … [Read more...]
