Despatch Riders, Thinking Ahead to Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day

Throughout its brief 155-year history, Canada has participated in many wars and conflicts across the globe. From 1867 to the modern day, hundreds of thousands of brave Canadian military personnel died defending Canada’s sovereignty or serving other nations threatened by invaders. Though the sacrifice and service of the men and women who served in Canada’s military are honored by millions every day, whether in grand gestures or quiet moments of respect, there are holidays observed in Canada dedicated to remembering the fallen. Two of these holidays are Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. 

When you read the names engraved in stone or metal at memorial sites, graveyards, and military museums, you likely assume that these names belonged to members of the infantry, navy, and air force. Most of the fallen Canadian military personnel whose names have long since been immortalized fell while engaging the enemy on the front lines. However, there are plenty of unsung heroes whose actions played a crucial role in maintaining communication among different branches of the Canadian military. Would you believe that these unsung heroes were Canadian motorcycle riders? They were known as despatch riders. 

Despatch Riders

Despatch riders, or motorcycle couriers, were military messengers first utilized during World War I and continued to be in service during World War II. Though some despatch riders rode on horses, many preferred to travel via motorcycle. They were responsible for carrying important messages, urgent orders, confidential packages, and detailed instructions between and to the military higher-ups and their subordinates. Occasionally, they would also be required to transport carrier pigeons partway. Due to despatch rider motorcycles being able to handle all types of terrain, they also were handy in performing reconnaissance, spying, and reporting on enemy movements and positions. Despatch riders were essential since long-range communications were not as reliable or secure during the early 1900s, ensuring messages were hand-delivered and could not be easily intercepted. 

Just like any member of the Canadian military, becoming a despatch rider required going through a rigorous training process. Despatch riders had to learn how to ride a motorcycle, perform quick maneuvers on training courses, navigate and map out multiple routes, apply repairs if necessary, and travel across rough terrain for extended periods. While despatch riders were not suited for intense combat, their job was still as dangerous as any soldier’s since they risked being shot or captured while traveling along or to the frontlines. Many Canadian despatch riders met such fates in Europe during both World Wars. 

Indigenous Veterans Day

Indigenous Veterans Day, or Aboriginal Veterans Day, was first celebrated in 1994 and has always been celebrated on November 8th. This Canadian holiday celebrates the sacrifice and service of Aboriginal Canadians who protected Canada and its allies, especially during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Many of the indigenous veterans that are honored include members of the First Nations, the Inuit, and the Métis. 

During World War I, many able-bodied Aboriginal Canadians wanted to join the war effort. However, years of suffering in poverty and being exposed to diseases on the reserves made it difficult for many of them to pass medical examinations. The few hundreds who were allowed to head over to the trenches in Europe died either in combat or succumbed to diseases. When World War II began, a little more than 3,000 indigenous soldiers from Canada took part in the defense of Canada and the European nations under siege by German forces. 

Unfortunately, despite their contributions, Aboriginal Canadians were not treated as part of the honored fallen on Remembrance Day. Thus, Indigenous Veterans Day was founded as a separate holiday in defiance of the Indian Act that prevented indigenous people from being allowed to place wreaths on the National War Memorial. Aboriginal Canadian veterans were finally given the recognition they deserved in 1995. 

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day was first celebrated in 1931 and has always been celebrated on November 11th. This Canadian holiday is a day meant to remember and show appreciation for all the men and women of the Canadian military, both past and present, who fought and served their country during times of war and peace. 

Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday was meant to mark the end of World War I. From 1919 to 1930, this holiday continued to be called Armistice Day, celebrated every Monday during the week of November 11th. After its name was changed to Remembrance Day in 1931, this holiday would only be held on November 11th going forward. 

Remembrance Day involves a moment of silence for the 2,300,000 Canadian soldiers who have served the nation throughout history and to remember the 118,000 fallen Canadian military personnel who died in the line of duty. Veterans and other individuals who celebrate this holiday wear a poppy, the symbol for this event. 

How to Celebrate Indigenous Veterans Day & Remembrance Day

Though an obscure part of Canadian military history, despatch riders shed no less blood and sweat than soldiers during many of the world’s most pivotal conflicts. They are just as deserving, if not more, of admiration for risking their lives on behalf of Canada. With Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day coming soon, these two holidays are the best occasions to show your appreciation for the memory of Canadian despatch riders. 

On Indigenous Veterans Day, you can plan an exciting motorcycle trip visiting notable locations related to Aboriginal Canadians or despatch riders that served during World War I and II. As there are no previous tours, you would have to be responsible for planning the routes and locations you would visit, such as the Bény-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetary, Manitoba, and the National War Memorial. You also may want to consider customizing your motorcycle with aftermarket parts or luggage to be better suited for such a trip.

On Remembrance Day, you can witness the National Memorial Ride, a procession of motorcycles being ridden by military veterans and associated individuals to the Canadian National Military Cemetary in Ottawa. If you happen to be a family member or close friend of a member or veteran of the Canadian military, it is possible to ride along the ranks of the procession. If you want to learn more about other notable motorcycle events or routes, take time to read articles and blog posts. 

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Remembrance Day at Harry Balfour School in Grande Prairie AB

Last week I received a beautiful scroll like parcel in the mail from the kids of the grade six class over at Harry Balfour School.

Their principle, Christian Gee invited me to their Remembrance Day service after I had phoned him to thank him for the most beautiful of gestures from the grade six students at his school.

I have only ever been to Harry Balfour School to vote and so I was taken aback when I got there today.

It's a much different place when it is filled with children. This school has amazing energy, it's a very peaceful and yet joyful place.


I can't tell you how incredible their ceremony was.

Taps were played, poems and letters read, videos and music were played, all themed with Remembering.

They laid their gorgeous home made wreaths at their own makeshift cenotaph and I must say their entire ceremony went off with military precision that would make any commander proud.

It was truly well done and would have made any soldier or their family feel the love, respect and pride these children have in our veterans, military and our country.

What struck me as I watched these young people, was the concentrated focus and attention that every participant gave the service. From the youngest to the oldest, these children were well and truly engaged and showed so much respect.

After their service was over, I took the mic and as a neighbour who has no children in school, I thanked them for the scroll with the letter and newspaper and told them what it meant to me to receive it.

I thanked young William who wrote the letter that was part of the scroll and their teachers for the wonderful gesture of Remembrance.  I also made sure that their principal got the kudos he deserved for supporting and encouraging his staff and students.

When the gymnasium was almost cleared, a teacher brought young William over to meet me.

He is a wonderful young man with a very large heart. I'm not sure that he had really understood how I felt about the gesture until we met. I am so thankful to have met this young man and to have shared a tearful hug with him.

The young ladies who ran the ceremony thanked me for coming as did some of the teachers and Christian Gee and I spoke a little about the school and the administrations and faculty's goals for their students.

I can't tell you how impressed I was by him.

This is an educator with compassion, empathy and a genuine love of his job and pride in his faculty and students.

Equally important, this man has their respect and genuine admiration.

I have never been more gratified to attend a school function than I was today.

I hope to see lots of people from Grande Prairie attend at the cenotaph tomorrow and later to join the ANAVETS Unit 389 for soup and a sandwich at the clubhouse:

10117 93 St, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 1Y1
Phone: (780) 532-2623

Belt Drive Betty,

Editor & Rider

My heart swells with pride in our Youth & their Teachers here in Grande Prairie

Today, 8 days in advance of Remembrance Day, I got something very, very special placed in my mailbox.

It was a newspaper, wrapped in a letter, tied with red ribbon. It almost looked like a scroll.



When I opened it fully and read the letter I started to cry. I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

Here's why:

The Grade 6 students at Harry Balfour School know the importance of Remembrance Day and want to share this small gift with you. What Remembrance Day means to me....

It means take a moment of silence and bow your head. Remember all the soldiers that gave up their lives for us.  We are thankful for a country without war.

November 11 means respect.

William

Well William, I want to thank you, your fellow students, your teachers and who ever gifted you with the newspapers to give out.  

You all represent what is good in and about our country. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Proud Supporter Member of the C.A.V.

Member, Ladies Aux, Unit 389 ANAVETS

The Veterans MC and Remembrance Day

Before I share with you the information regarding conversations with Inge Kruse of the BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion and the journalist who wrote about the situation in Ladysmith BC, I want to discuss the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms - A Double Edged Sword
(Get a beverage, cause this is along winded one, basically two articles in one!)

Under the Charter, we all have:

a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

(d) freedom of association.

I am a firm believer that our veterans fought to protect these fundamental freedoms and that if we take them away for some, then we all risk loosing them.

Many believe that some members of the Veterans MC conduct themselves in such a way as to allow or create a perception that they are 1%ers and not just a traditional outlaw club.
Even if it is true that some of these members are less than forthright about their conduct and beliefs, their conduct of today does not negate that they are veterans and have served their country.

Just because I have taken the stance that the Veterans MC has the right to attend Remembrance Day services, to march and lay a wreath in their cut, does not mean I condone illegal conduct, if there is any.

On the contrary.  

What it means is that I believe the Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to everyone.  
If we attempt to strip them of their rights based on belief and not fact, then we are no better than the countries of the world who suppress their peoples.

If the RCMP and other police services do their jobs properly and gather the proof that these men are not who they say they are, if the courts convict the offenders, and the offenders serve time and pay their debt to society, great. This becomes a non issue.  While in jail, they have most of their rights and freedoms stripped from them, but when they get out, they are once again citizens and the Charter applies to them again.

I do not like the way a lot of people dress these days, but, under the charter, they have the right to dress the way they want. I do not agree with various religions, but again, under the charter people are allowed their choice on religious belief and affiliation.

What you like and don't like has very little to do with the essence of the fundamental rights & freedoms in our country.

We live and let live. It's what our soldiers have fought to preserve for all of us.

You can't preach/scream charter rights & freedoms and then exclude someone because you don't like them or their ideologies, unless their ideologies go against the charter.

The members of the Veterans MC are citizens of Canada and veterans who served this country.
No matter what else they have done or are, no one can take away their rights to freedom of association, freedom of peaceful assembly.
It's illegal to do so and to do so would be a crime against all citizens of this country.

The good news is, with great freedoms and rights comes great responsibility and consequence.

The offending members, if there are any, will eventually be caught for their offences, tried and convicted and they will pay the price for the way they chose to exercise their freedoms.

And no organization anywhere in the world, is comprised of ALL good people.
In every walk of life, in every organization, you will find those who break laws, do criminal things.
Let me remind you that the RCMP has had its fair share of "bad apples", but we don't go around condemning every cop as a result.
In case you need some reminding of the misdeeds of some police officers visit this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_controversies_involving_the_Royal_Canadian_Mounted_Police
or this one: http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/canadas-bad-police-officers/

We need to remember that in a court of law, the individual who commits the crime does his own time.

The whole police force did not go to jail for the crime of Const. Desmond Sandbox who admitted to beating a prisoner in a cell at the Lac La Biche detachment on Sept. 13, 2009.

It is NOT our job to decide if the members of the Veterans MC are who they say they are.

It is our job to decide if we want to associate with them or not, if their values align with ours or not, and nothing more.

What we must not do is allow anyone to take away their Charter Rights & Freedoms, for if we do, we risk loosing them for ourselves.

Now, on to the topic for today...

Who is telling the truth, will we ever really know, and does it even matter?

Yesterday, late in the day, I finally got a chance to speak to Inge Kruse, the executive director of the BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion.

In my conversation with Ms. Kruse, she says that she was "misquoted and that one statement was not hers at all. She, however did not want to take the writer on, she said she wanted to focus on the veterans and Remembrance Day." 

She expressed that "this experience has taught her a lot about the motorcycle world." She says she has spoken to members of the Veterans MC and has expressed that the Legion has NO DRESS Code when it comes to who marches or lays wreaths and all branches have been provided with the same information:

This is the official statement from the BC/Yukon Command of the RCL:

BC/Yukon Command does not have a policy regarding who may or may not attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies. The Legion strives to be a welcoming environment for all - particularly Veterans whether young or old. In that spirit, we encourage and welcome all Canadians – regardless of affiliation - to attend a ceremony in their local communities this Nov. 11th, and we hope to see Veterans and active duty service people of all ages marching to honour our fallen. What one chooses to wear while paying tribute to those that served our country is a personal choice, and the Legion takes no stance on this issue, and we apologize for any confusion.
We would also like to point out that BC/Yukon Command has invested heavily in programs to help a new generation of Veterans. These programs include the Veterans Transition Program which helps those suffering from PTSD, Cockrell House which provides shelter to homeless Veterans, and the BCIT Military Skills Conversion Program which helps advance the civilian careers of former and current Canadian Forces personnel.
- BC Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion

Here are the comments attributed to Inge Kruse in BCLocal and the Nanaimo Daily News: 
(To read the article for yourself please visit: http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/341906341.html)


"Branch president Gary Phillips won’t comment publicly but Inga Kruse, B.C./Yukon Command executive director, said Veterans MC members are “more than welcome to participate, it’s just inappropriate that they wear motorcycle patches.”
She said the issue is one of respect.

“Let’s say you’re part of a Lions Club and you were your Lions Club uniform with medals — it’s frankly a bit tacky,” Kruse said. “It’s not that veterans can’t march, that’s ridiculous. It’s that there’s a lot of baggage that goes with motorcycle patches, especially when they are the one-per cent patch.”

The reference is to the patches of outlaw clubs. Asked if the Veterans MC is an outlaw club, Kruse said “I don’t know everything about those guys. All I know is my branch has asked them to take off their patches and their vests.”

A message on the Veterans MC club website says: “We are not a 1% club, nor do we have the intention of becoming one.”

Veterans MC club members planned to wear their colours to Chemainus if Ladysmith blocked them, but Kruse said Legion Command has send the same message to every branch.

“This is the stand of the branches and the RCMP,” Kruse said. “When the RCMP make advice, we’re not going to just shake it off.”

I wanted to get to the bottom of the comments that were attributed to her in the BCLocal, Nanaimo Daily papers.  I reached out to the reporter who wrote those articles, Darrell Bellaart, because without his comments regarding his integrity as a journalist this article would incomplete. 

He refused to speak with me as he did not want to become a part of the story. He wanted to retain his neutrality. He did however make this statement: "As I've stated elsewhere, everything I directly attributed to her, she said. Period. Anything within quotes is a direct quote. Word for word."

According to the above referenced article written by Mr. Bellaart, Staff Sgt. Ken Brissard, stated that he met with the Legion Wednesday about the upcoming parade and “they were not asked to exclude anyone.”


I have reached out to the Staff Sgt. Ken Brissard who is a very thoughtful and eloquent man and he unequivocally requests that, "All Canadian citizens come out and take part in Remembrance Day services."

So, what is the truth? Who started this mudslinging fest that hurts the Royal Canadian Legion, our veterans, the motorcycle community and the citizenry of this country at large?

We'll never know, not with any certainty.

And in the grand scheme of things does it even matter?  What matters is things have changed for the better.


Tomorrow is Remembrance Day.  

Please go to a cenotaph near you, wear what makes you feel proud, thank a Veteran for the freedoms and rights you have, and be grateful that there have been and continue to be those who are willing to put their lives on the line to defend our rights and freedoms.

At the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, We Will Remember Them.
(Armistice Day, November 11, 1918 the day WWI ended.)

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Disclaimer:


All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

A Burning Question About Service to One's Country

The controversy over the Veterans MC and their alleged ties to 1% clubs has caused some heated debate.

So much so, I have a question to ask you....

If a man or woman served their country, they did 1 tour or many tours and was honourably discharged but became a criminal because of his/her behaviour after the fact, does it nullify his/her service?

I feel very conflicted - I am passionate about our charter rights, I am passionate about our veterans, our soldiers and believe they deserve to be treated with dignity.

And yet, there are those who after they have gotten out of the service for whatever reason, PTSD that caused addiction issues, violence, homelessness because of mental health issues etc., have gone on to commit crimes....maybe they became adrenaline junkies and couldn't settle into the relative quiet of civilian life and they went down a wrong path as a result, does that mean their service meant nothing and that they should be discriminated against and what if they have paid their debt to society for their wrong acts? Should they not be allowed to feel pride over having served? Should they still be shunned?

I ask because I am conflicted.....deeply and truly convicted for all though I can see the other side of the coin, part of me says you can't take away the good that they did any more than you can take away the bad....

My personal belief is that if you served this country, that for 1 day of the year, Remembrance Day a day to remember those who have fallen (and because there is no Veteran's Day to celebrate the service and sacrifice of those who did not die in battle), you deserve some measure of respect for that one good thing regardless where life's circumstances took you afterwards.

Am I wrong?

I'd love to know.

Belt Drive Betty 

Editor & Rider

Disclaimer:

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Another Remembrance Day - Another Controversy

It seems that every year, some motorcycle organization is singled out by the RCMP, OPP or other municipal police services and/or the Liquor Boards in the various provinces, as undesirable and undeserving of the right to march in and attend Remembrance Day services/parades or attend Legions in their riding regalia.

The Veterans MC on Vancouver Island has been locked in a battle with the local Legion, Branch 171 in Ladysmith BC.

Click this link to read the Nanaimo Daily article...

This is a battle undoubtably caused by the RCMP.  Read further and you'll understand why I say that.

Because this club, the Veterans MC, wears a 3 piece patch, they are being discriminated against.
And yet....Every member of the club HAS SERVED THIS COUNTRY by donning a Canadian Forces Uniform, and is an honest to GOD veteran.

We saw it in Cumberland at the Motorcycle RoundUp, the club was singled out by the Liquor Board & the RCMP as one of 7 clubs who were not supposed to wear their colours into licensed establishments.

In Ontario, we have heard of members of various RC's and MC's being asked to leave the Orangeville Legion because of their patches - some like C.A.V. wearing simple one piece patch, because the Legion didn't know who was who or what was what, regarding patches.

We saw it in Medicine Hat with the Falcon's MC and their poker run a few years back.

Because the police forces concern is that this MC is going to be absorbed by or is somehow already working with 1% clubs, they are being told they can't participate in Remembrance Day services.

The "request" however, never comes directly from the RCMP - OH NO....

The RCMP bring pressure to bear on those who control the establishment or function, in this case the RCL branch president.

You see the police feel that because most MC's follow COC protocol and go to the dominant club with their mission statement and their proposed patch to ensure the dominant club approves their patch and to show that their club as not interfering with any of the 1% clubs, that somehow that approval process means they are now in bed with or tied to the 1% club.

Clubs that have police officers as part of their membership are not allowed to attend COC meetings nor do they meet COC "guidelines" and therefore seldom go to the dominant to "ask for permission" to fly their colours.

It is considered a sign of respect, to let the dominant club know who you are and what your intentions are, if you intend to sport a 3 piece patch.  The dominant club either believes you or they don't. They either deem that your patch does not conflict or misrepresent who you say you are or it does in their eyes.

If you are "allowed" to wear your cut/colours that does NOT mean you are a 1% club, it means you are an MC that does not grate against the Confederation of Clubs and their protocols.

If you don't go to the dominant club to introduce your club, then in the eyes of the COC clubs, that means you allow police officers among your ranks and you are not a real MC in their eyes.
This aspect of the COC protocols creates a lot of discord/disagreement in the motorcycle community.

Of course the club that allows police officers in it, generally have a police officer who is a member who can smooth out the path so to speak, regarding the law and their ideas on special attention.

In the case of the Veterans MC, unlike many Veterans Clubs, they hold true to the core principle that you are not a veteran unless you have worn a MILITARY UNIFORM.
Unless you have worn the Canadian Forces Uniform and have been prepared for battle via basic training etc. you are not a veteran. Remember WWI, WWII, Korea, Afghanistan etc., were wars fought by soldiers not police officers. No one is discounting the fact that the RCMP serve their country, but they are not veterans who have been prepared to go to war and that is the mindset of the members of the Veterans MC.

Being an RCMP officer does NOT MAKE YOU A VETERAN in their eyes and so they do not allow police officers in their membership and therefore, they are fair game for special attention in the eyes of the police.

They (The RCMP) deem that to be the case with the Veterans MC because two their members have gone over to a 1% club. And yet, the rationale is not totally valid.  2 members left their club to go join a 1% club.  These veterans who went to a different kind of three piece patch club decided the "rigours" of being part of the Veterans MC no longer served them. They wanted to be a part of something different.  You don't see the entire membership moving over, being absorbed, patched over.  Two members....however.....

Here's where things get really muddy....

They left their club in good standing and while they will probably never be able to wear the Veterans MC colours again, they are still brothers at arms - they served in the Canadian Forces with the guys who make up the Veterans MC. So the Veterans MC gets invited to parties, events or the homes of these men who are now 1% MC members.

That's where the RCMP feel they are justified in connecting the dots if you will.  Although they no longer ride together as a club, the Veterans MC and the 2 members who moved to a 1% club are still friends, they were friends and comrades before they were MC members, but it's that very friendship the police look upon as suspicious.

At least that is how it was explained to me by a gang task force officer last year at the Vancouver Motorcycle Show.

The thing that truly makes this a sad situation is that the Veterans MC have donated substantial monies to the Ladysmith Branch of the Legion and now they feel abused and betrayed.

I called the RCL Branch 171 and asked to speak to their president, Gary Phillips, but as of this moment in time, he has not contacted me so that I could understand and pass on the specifics of this situation to you.

I do however already know in my gut how this played out.

I have heard it enough times...I have EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF, back when I used to host motorcycle shows.

Police officer tells the event coordinator, in this case, the Legion president that if they allow the Veterans MC in the Legion or to be a part of the ceremonies, they, the RCMP will pull out.
They also mention liquor licenses and how they can be affected by non compliance. They tell the Legion they are protected by the petty trespass act, and they, the RCMP will come and ask the "offensive" people to leave when they get the call.

The Legion becomes scared by the perceived intimidation, they cave in and do not defend the very veterans they are sworn to serve, they go against the Charter of Freedoms and Rights, they deny these people the right to be involved in a public ceremony on public land, they deny them access to a private club meant to serve military veterans and members and the veterans become hurt, indignant and angry.

Public opinion goes badly against the Legion because the citizens of the region do not understand the bullying tactics used on the Legion, the Legion decides that the RCMP are wrong minded in their "requests", the RCMP have no legal leg to stand on and so, the Legion reverses it's decision AFTER the damage is done.

OR, the Legion out of fear, stands firm because they would be embarrassed if the RCMP did not attend the service.

That's what has transpired, time and time again all across this country. Some Legions stand firm with the RCMP, usually out of fear of reprisal OR they stick to the Charter of Freedoms & Rights and protect the rights & freedoms of those they have vowed to serve.

Sadly too often, ill feelings become entrenched and their is a lot of anger on all sides of the equation.

In this case, the RCL Branch 171 in Ladysmith BC, has apparently, although not publicly, overturned their initial decision and have decided to allow the Veterans MC to attend.

Their decision is too late though, as the Veterans MC has decided to go to another Legion, the one in Chemainus and have vowed to not support the Ladysmith Branch.

In my personal humble opinion, there needs to be a full push to have motorcyclists recognized as a visible minority, because we are. We are very distinguishable from other motorists, other persons and we are a true minority, our community is only 700K+ strong. (Washington State was successful in having motorcyclists recognized as a visible minority).

My rights as a citizen, taxpayer and rider have been trodden on several times by the RCMP with regards to hosting events and banning patches. I lost almost a 1/4 million dollars standing my ground against them. They damned near broke me financially by blocking entrances to my show in Olds and it took me years to recover.

The RCMP will cripple you, financially and every other way they can so that they can get their way.
They do not care that what they are doing is not only immoral but bordering illegal.  It is profiling and at the very least it is subversive. They are in a battle with the 1% Clubs and sadly think that everyone who wears a patch, 3 piece or not is a 1%er unless there happens to be a police officer as a member, then the treatment tends to be different. Not always, but most times.

And so we find ourselves in this position time after time after time.

There are no rights and freedoms in this country as it pertains to motorcyclists, but somewhere there must be lawyers who will challenge the charter and people willing to force the point. Money and desire being the two strengths that are needed to get something like this done.

That's how I see this situation, what say you?

I'd dearly love your feedback on this topic.


To express your feelings to the RCL on how this situation has unfolded please contact:
Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 171
Gary Philips - President
621 First Ave, Ladysmith, BC
Phone:(250) 245-2273

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Belt Drive Betty 

Editor & Rider

Disclaimer:

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.