Motorcycling in Canada - A Ride Through our History - Part 10

While Honda was the first Japanese Motorcycle Manufacturer to open offices in Canada, the true invasion of the Japanese motorcycle into Canada didn't begin until 1973 when Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki came to Canada.

The Yamaha Corporation in Japan began by producing reed organs in 1887 with the name of Nippon Gaki Corporation Ltd. 

The birth of the Yamaha Motor Company Ltd.,  is credited to Genichi Kawakami in 1953. Genichi was looking to make use of idle machining equipment that was previously being used for making aircraft propellers. While the company at that time was already doing well on the financial front, the first president of the Yamaha Motor Company was looking for the next area of business for Yamaha.

He looked into various products before the market and competitive forces led him to focus on the motorcycle market.  

Genichi visited the United States many times during the 50's. In his endeavor he had his research division chief and other managers visit various factories around the country of Japan. On their tour to Europe, Genichi and his team researched and learned how to make a motorcycle that would compete with the best there was in racetracks.  

The YA-1

The first Yamaha Motorcycle was produced in 1955, the YA-1, by 1958, they were distributing motorcycles through Cooper Motors in the US. The YD1 (250cc, 2-stroke, twin cylinder, streetbike) and MF-1 (50cc, 2-stroke, single cylinder, streetbike, step-through) were the models that entered the US market first.

By 1960 the Yamaha International Corp was founded and they began selling their motorcycles and setting up a dealer network.

The 70's were a time of huge expansion for Yamaha, they introduced the XS-1 (650cc vertical twin), their first four stroke machine, and in 1971 they introduced the SR433 high performance snowmobile.

1975 was a ground breaker year for Yamaha as they introduced the first factory produced mono shock bikes - bikes that forever changed the sport of motocross. The YZ Monocross machines.

The SRX440 snowmobile hit the market and quickly catapulted Yamaha to the forefront of the snowmobile racing scene in 1976.

Yamaha continued to expand their line of machines and in 1978 they introduce the XS1100 motorcycle (four cylinder, shaft drive) and the XS650 Special, the first production Cruiser built by a Japanese manufacturer.

The firsts for Yamaha kept piling up, and in 1981, their  first air-cooled, V-twin cruiser, the Virago 750, was introduced and the first production 5-valve per cylinder engine was introduced via the FZ750 motorcycle.

In the mid eighties, Yamaha introduced the V-Max 1200 muscle bike.

The later 80's Yamaha concentrated on increasing their presence in waterspouts by acquiring a number of boat makers and then in 1996, they introduced the first Star model, the 1300cc, V4 Royal Star.

In 1998 the first mass produced 4-stroke motocrosser, the YZ400F four-stroke motocross bike was introduced.

The YZF-R1 sport bike hit the track and set the standard for open class sport bikes for several years.

While a very diversified manufacturer, Yamaha proved itself on the race tracks of the world, not only in motocross but road racing as well.

In 1972, Canadian Ron Keys garnered both the 125 and 500 titles at the motocross races in Chicoutimi QC, beating out two-time 500 World Champion Jeff Smith, on a Yamaha YZ125!

Ross “Rollerball” Pederson of Medicine Hat Alberta took Yamaha to special heights during his motocross, supercross and arena cross career. He is considered to be the best motocross racer in Canada by many.

"Rollerball" dominated Canadian motocross, supercross, and arenacross for more than a dozen years. Between 1980 & 1993 he won an unprecedented 42 National Championships that included all eight of the Supercross Championships held in Canada.

In 1980 Pederson, who turned pro with Yamaha, took the 125, 250, and 500cc machines to three National Championship titles. Rollerball's domination wouldn’t end for 13 years. 

The racers who have taken Yamaha to some of its greatest heights in Moto GP were/are Valentino Rossi and team mate Jorge Lorenzo in the Moto GP.  between them they have racked up an impressive number of wins for Yamaha (Over 80).

Valentino Rossi, Fox Sports

As a corporation, Yamaha Canada has achieved some impressive heights. They are the first non American corporation to sign an agreement with the Cree's of Waskaganish QC. They were named one of the top 100 employees in Canada and were featured in Maclean's Magazine.

Yamaha's Riding Academy has taught thousands of young Canadians how to ride and instilled in them the desire to ride!

Next up we explore Suzuki and some of it's impressive history.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Research for this article:

Legends of Canadian Motocross

Motopark Racing

Motocross Archives

Valentino Rossi

Yamaha

www.waskaganish.ca

Fox Sports
CVMG

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.

Political Correctness - Breeding Resentment, Hatred & Fear

My daughter works for a multinational company that has just handed down the directive that no one is allowed to say "Merry Christmas" and the "Christmas" party is now a Holiday party.

We live in a country that is supposed to embrace Multiculturalism and yet, we who are white and Christian are being discriminated against on a regular basis.

We make allowances for others to celebrate their holidays so why is it that businesses and governments are making it so that we white Christians are being coerced into denying our religious backgrounds and traditions?

Where does any of this make any sense?

I don't get all pissy and cry that I am offended when Muslims celebrate Ramadan, Laylat al-Qadr, Eid al-Fitr, Hajj, Day of Arafat or Eid al-Adha. 

I don't get all pissy or cry that I am offended when Sikhs celebrate Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday, Maghi, Diwali or any of their other holidays. 

I don't get all offended when peoples who came here from countries like Thailand, Japan or other Buddhist countries celebrate Visakah Puja, or when the Chinese celebrate their religious holidays like Qing Ming Jie or Chinese New Year.

I don't get offended when those of Jewish decent celebrate Hanukkah, and you don't hear me whining when those of Mexican decent celebrate the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

I find it interesting and intriguing. I am curious and enjoy watching their celebrations.

BUT

I do not understand how multiculturalism works obviously.  Apparently if you are white and Christian, you are not a part of the multiculturalism that creates the fabric of this country.

I am unsure as to why it needs to be this way.

I have contract employees who live in India, and I ensure that my work schedule for them does not conflict with their sacred holidays and other traditions, the same for those who are Canadian and American and of different faiths who contract with me.

I respect their right to celebrate their holidays and observe their faiths.

When Jehovah Witnesses come to my door, I thank them for caring and express that I have my own faith.  They respect that and leave peacefully and I peacefully shut my door.

Why can we not learn to live and let live?  WHY is it wrong to be white and Christian?

Why are our governments and the business community shunning us?

Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on?

I am truly becoming resentful of those who would change my way of life in an effort to push their will, religions and traditions.

I do my best to accept everyone, to see the good in everyone I can, but it's becoming harder and harder to be tolerant when we are constantly discriminated against.  

I can empathize with the First Nations peoples of this country and how our ancestors tried to rob them of their traditions and beliefs.

I am heart sick - completely heart sick.

When are we ever going to learn that we are all just people and that we can agree to disagree?

When are we ever going to just learn love, tolerance and acceptance?

Sometimes I wished I could just hide from all of the ugliness and the hatred.

I don't want to be hate filled.  I want to be loving, kind and accepting.

Can someone help me understand why it is so wrong to be white?  To be Christian?

Are we simply paying the price for the sins of our forefathers?

I pray that one day, we will all learn to respect each other and celebrate our differences.


CHALLENGE to ALL MY FRIENDS - for the next 24 hours, I want you to share with me posts about people helping other people. I figure if we ‪#‎LOOKforLove‬, ‪#‎Kindness‬, ‪#‎Helpfulness‬, ‪#‎Consideration‬, ‪#‎Tolerance‬ and ‪#‎Compassion‬ - we might start actually seeing it instead of all of the violence, hatred and abject sadness.

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.

Going Back to Our Roots - an exciting time!

A number of months ago while I was dealing with a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue and benign tumours I was struggling with how to manage Belt Drive Betty Media and everything we provide for riders.
On top of the work load, 2015 has been one heck of a year, my mother died, I said goodbye to an aunt with brain cancer, my husband crashed his truck, I lost several good friends to a variety of things like motorcycle crashes. The court case with Sturgis North/Canada is dragging on and on with zero movement....

I have been tired, worn out and feeling used up for quite a while...

We do a lot of charitable and non profit work in this community and I love doing it.  I live to do it.
I needed to find a better way of balancing things. Being a small company with only 2 staff, it has become harder to do and with me so sick, well let's just say it's been a rough, rough go. (Poor Ali)

BUT  THEN I HAD AN EPIPHANY!

I am a dreamer, a determined dreamer.  I know that what you focus on is what you get and I also know that there is an answer to every challenge.

One night, after meditating on the issue before me, I had a dream that changed my outlook on everything.

In the dream I relaunched the Busted Knuckle Chronicles in print format, going right back to the roots of the paper.  The dream held all the answers to the challenges I had faced in the past with distribution and printing issues...

With a renewed sense of purpose, I set about learning all about how to provide a team of territory publishers the content, the tools & the resources to print the community news that would pertain to their region. I figured out how to make it financially viable  and rewarding for everyone who wanted to be a part of it.

And then Ali and I set about getting everything put together....

And so, I am proud to announce that "The BKC News Bytes" is ready to launch!

Beginning in December of 2015 The Busted Knuckle Chronicles News Bytes will begin hitting a pub, coffee shop or waiting room near you!

Here is the Sample Paper on the left....

This is how we started out - EXACTLY!

All those years ago (14 to be exact), I could not wrap my head around distribution or the right method of print, after all I was just learning.  But now, well, I have learned a lot, met a lot of people and have finally been able to put together a win, win, win package that serves everyone well.

With a national print agreement with Staples and territory publishers who are on contract that can earn great income, we now have an even bigger, broader way to serve the riding community.

The BKC News Bytes is filled with small news bytes of the bigger stories provided by the national paper, The Busted Knuckle Chronicles.

These small stories are of local, regional, national and international flavour covering topics from motorcycle charity events and the good works that riders do every day of the week to information on new products, motorcycles and a more!

The Thoughts to Ponder section of the paper is filled with things that will make you go HMMMM...

The upcoming events for YOUR community and region are powered by our National Events Calendars at www.canadianmotorcycleevents.com

"All Things Canadian" by my beaver mascot, Road Trip Rita provides you with interesting tidbits on Canada and its people.

 The Funny Bone is jokes, family friendly jokes that an 8 year old can tell his grandma without getting his mouth washed out with soap!

Belt Drive Betty's Word Search, put pen to paper and occupy yourself while you are waiting for your meal, you car, your appointment!

We have currently have 7 territory publishers, (the 5 below plus one new person who is being trained and myself).
Between all of us we are slated to be opening 64 distribution territories by the end of March 2015!

Our goal is to be in 200+ territories by the end of March 2016.  
(A distribution territory is 50,000 people or more in size)

Our first distribution regions are: All of Vancouver Island (10 territories), 13 territories in the Fraser Valley, 15 territories in Alberta, 16 territories in Saskatchewan and 10 territories in Ontario!

Just like in the old days when the Busted Knuckle Chronicles was in print here in GP before Canada Post and huge distribution issues forced us to go on line...riders will once again be getting the news they need in a nice quick read, non riders will be learning about all of the good things we riders do...advertisers will be getting benefit of local marketing to an appreciative audience (after all, who wants to be bored while waiting for a meal or an appointment).

If you would like to know more about how to become a contracted territory publisher please contact me, I'd be happy to share this opportunity with you.  bdbetty @ gmail.com  (fix the spaces)

If you want to know more about being a distribution location or about advertising in the paper in your community or region contact one of our territory publishers today!

We at Belt Drive Betty Media are all looking forward to this new direction and the expanded opportunities it provides to our company and the people who join us!

Have a BLESSED Day everyone!

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.

Fear breeds Hatred and Perpetuates Violence

As I read the comments on my Facebook statement where I ask for courage, strength and love to prevail, comments that are spawned from hatred and fear, I am afraid for this beautiful country that I love with all my heart.  

As a female of Irish, Scottish, Polish, English and French decent I want to remind very Canadian that our forefathers all came from somewhere else.  

As I look back at the history of my family, I realize that some fled the potato famines, some fled persecution and all came here looking for opportunity and a better life, I am sure you can look at your family's past and see similar things. 

Even our First Nations people came from somewhere else before they settled in Canada. Our First Nations peoples have inhabited this country for some 10,000 years. 

I ask you to look at the beginnings of this country we call Canada….. First Nations people were slaughtered, and treated horribly by those who came here seeking a better life, not by all, but by some.  And see the divisions, the misunderstandings, the hurt and yes hatred this has caused for many.

I believe that we need to continue to strive to be better people than our forefathers were.

Did we learn nothing from our past?  Is history always going to repeat itself?

I believe with all my heart that our government needs look after those who already live here much better than they do.  I believe we need stronger immigration policies that help us weed out the bad apples BEFORE they arrive here. I believe that we need to look after our veterans, soldiers and their families better than we do. We need to hold our politicians and bureaucrats accountable far better than we do.  

I believe ALL OF THAT – HOWEVER…I have some questions to ask of those who are overcome by fear and hatred….

If I said that all Irish Protestants are violent because of the actions of the IRA or some members of the Orange party in Toronto between 1867 and 1892, would I be right?  My great grandmother’s family was Irish Protestant ; none of them was party to any of that, as far as our family history allows us to know.

If I said that all Canadian Frenchmen are divisive and ignorant because of the politics of men like Gilles Duceppe would I be right? My uncles and aunts that I just came home from visiting are for the most part, pretty open minded Frenchmen.  They accept this English speaking westerner and between my broken French and their broken English we get along quite well.

If I said that all Polish people were members of organized crime because of the conduct of those who were members of the Pruszków mafia would I be right?  My great grandma’s family on my dad’s side was Polish, but in none of their history can I find any reference to them being party to organized crime.

If I said that all Protestant Scotsmen were gang members and criminals because of the conduct of members of the Billy Boys of Brigton Cross, a  Scottish Protestant gang, would I be right?  Far as I know my great grandfather and grandfather, Scottish Protestants, were farmers, loggers, but no where in their history can I find a connection to the gangs that divided Scotland in the 1920’s and 30’s.

If I said that all Cops are drunks and murderers because of the actions of people like Monte Robinson would I be right?  My uncle Serge was a cop for over 35 years; he was and is a moral man, the same with my adopted uncle, Rick.

If I said that all priests were pedophiles because of the conduct of Father Eric Dejaeger, would I be right?  My great uncle Armand Plourd was a priest.  As far as I know he never molested anyone and was in fact a good man.

If I said that all Grey Friars were child molesters and pedophiles because of the conduct of Brother Stephen Baker would I be right?

My uncle Christopher was a Grey Friar, and as far as I know, he was not a child molester.

If I said all who ride motorcycles are criminal in nature because of the actions of some members of some clubs, would I be right?  I ride a motorcycle; I do not view myself as a criminal. 

You see if I bought into any of the above statements, my entire family, from every nationality, every walk of life would have to be condemned as “BAD”; myself included. 

We can’t say all Italians are mobsters or all Germans are Nazis.

We can’t say that all Muslims are extremists and murderers.

Generalizations, profiling cause a lot of harm to those who do not fit the generalization or profile. We as riders fight it all the time.

What we CAN SAY is that we, the human race, are composed of people who commit acts of kindness and acts of brutality.  We CAN SAY that there are good people and bad people in every walk of society, all around the world.

Organizations like Isis, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda etc. win when we let fear take over. When we profile, the cowards & bullies win. When we generalize, the cowards & bullies win.

When we use generalizations to describe any group of people we do a disservice to all people including ourselves.

You see they, ISIS et al, want the moderate Muslim to turn to them when we “Westerners” start targeting the moderate Muslim as if they were the same as the offenders.  Through our hatred and fear, violence perpetuates and we will add to their numbers until they become powerful.

Again I will state: I believe with all my heart that our government needs look after those who already live here much better than they do.  

I believe we need stronger immigration policies that help us weed out the bad apples BEFORE they arrive here. 

I believe that we need to look after our veterans, soldiers and their families better than we do. 

We need to hold our politicians and bureaucrats accountable far better than we do.  

I am not saying open our doors wide to all, I am saying open our doors after a thorough screening, do everything possible to protect our country and its values but don't close the door on all because some are assholes.  If we closed doors to all because we are afraid of a few, I wonder how many Germans, Poles, Jews, Irish, Scottish, French and English people would live in this melting pot we call Canada.

We need to remember that above all, be you black, red, white or purple, be you Christian, Jew, Muslim, Protestant or Catholic – we are all people first and to generalize, to profile is wrong. 

We riders know that better than most.

WE NEED:

Courage - we need to have courage, to exhibit courage.

One definition of courage is: "strength in the face of pain or grief."  Another is
"the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation."

Tolerance - we need to have tolerance, to exhibit tolerance.

One definition of tolerance is; the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behaviour that one does not necessarily agree with.

Caution - we need to be cautious, to be protective.

One definition of caution is: care taken to avoid danger or mistakes.

A wise man once said:

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it-always. Mahatma Gandhi

He also said: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

That's how I see things, what say you?

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider 


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.

The "Wailing Wall" A Book Review

The "Wailing Wall" by Deedra Climer is an examination of one woman's life and all of its turbulence.

Deedra Climer is a woman like so many others.

She lived a life that brought her to emotional places, dark emotional places.

Raw and poignant this short, 89 page book is anything but a light read. From the first page, she sucks you into her life.

Raised by a single teenage mother who suffered a brain injury after a car crash when she was only 1 year old, Deedra lived in a drug addled and neglectful environment.

Physical love was a substitution for the emotional love she was denied as a child. As she put it "There was always someone who wanted me, at least for a little while."

Although she herself repeats the cycle and becomes a teenaged mother, she was determined to become a different parent from her mother.

Having a child out of wedlock in Memphis Tennessee in the mid 60's, the young Deedra was ill prepared her for how hard it would be raising a Mullato baby girl named Kimberly with a hearing impairment.

Her brief marriage to an illegal Mexican immigrant produced a son named Joshua, and an abusive relationship with a man named Ramon produces another girl, Claudia.

Finally she finds a loving relationship, marries and moves to Michigan. Things start looking brighter, but life has another body blow or two waiting for this woman. When her son Joshua dies in a motorcycle crash, she is forced to go back to Memphis and it is there that she relieves her life in her mind's eye.

Loosing her son at the tender age of 23, she takes you through the wild ride that is the grieving and self examination process.

Deedra Climer, tells her life story in painful detail that pulls you in.
She makes you feel it all, the raw pain, the fierce love and pride, the extreme anger, confusion and feelings of being inept and conflicted. The "Wailing Wall" is a life's story worth reading for if nothing else, you discover your own empathy.

Wailing Wall: A Mother's Memoir by Deedra Climer  is published through Inkshares

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.