McGuinty says Ipperwash report will be 'helpful'

Wed, May 30, 2007

Results of inquiry to be released tomorrow

By CP

TORONTO — A decade-long crusade for the truth behind the fatal police shooting of Dudley George culminates tomorrow as the inquiry into the aboriginal protester’s death releases its final report and provides guidance on how similar occupations can be handled without bloodshed.

It has been almost 12 years since George, 38, was felled by a police sniper’s bullet during the botched raid on Ipperwash Provincial Park in September 1995.

Still, Commissioner Sidney Linden’s report comes at a pivotal time as the Ontario government continues to grapple with a 15-month occupation in Caledonia. Aboriginal leaders across the country have warned of similar protests this summer, starting with a national “day of action” June 29.

Linden is expected to report on what influence, if any, then-Conservative premier Mike Harris played in the fatal police response to the occupation — but also on what future governments can do to avoid a similar tragedy.

For the George family, Linden’s report brings a 12-year nightmare to a close.

Many, including aboriginal leaders and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, are looking for the report to provide a blueprint on how to handle the mounting frustration among Canada’s aboriginal communities given the slow pace of land-claim talks.

“The country will be able to profit from this advice given the heightened tensions between an impatient aboriginal community, which is seeking to have settlement of over 800 outstanding land claims,” McGuinty said.

“I expect that the advice will be very helpful.”

More than a decade after George was shot, there are conflicting stories about what happened the night of Sept. 6.

A group of aboriginals from the Kettle and Stony Point reserve had occupied the park for only two days, saying they were protecting an ancient burial ground that had been expropriated during the Second World War, when the police moved in.

During the inquiry, lawyers for the George family argued that Harris’s desire for a quick end to the occupation filtered down to officers on the ground at Ipperwash.

Some of the most stunning testimony came from former attorney general Charles Harnick, who said he heard Harris utter an obscene slur in reference to the aboriginal protesters during a meeting attended by several cabinets ministers and provincial police officers.

Harris denied the accusation and contended there was no political interference in the standoff. Both Harris and his lawyers declined to comment until the report is released Thursday.

The inquiry also heard extensive evidence on the role of the police and it’s expected much of Linden’s report will focus on that.

Witnesses described poor communication among officers, faulty intelligence and bad planning.

The officer who fired the bullet that killed George, acting provincial police Sgt. Ken Deane, was later convicted of criminal negligence causing death.

Deane was killed in a road accident before he could testify at the inquiry.

Ontario’s current Conservative Leader, John Tory, distanced himself from the fatal incident, saying he wasn’t around at the time. Although Tory has been harshly critical of the Liberal government for letting the current occupation in Caledonia drag on for over a year, he said he’s prepared to learn from Ipperwash.

“You’ve got to learn from things that have happened in the past and take steps to make sure they don’t happen again,” Tory said.

For Sam George, who has fought since the night his brother was shot for a public inquiry, Linden’s report is an integral part of his brother’s legacy.

Everyone from all walks of life “should read this report closely,” George said, so politicians and aboriginal protesters alike can learn something from his brother’s violent death.