SQLFusion - Priests passing a loss for the community

Priest's passing loss for community

Gary Ostler was the quintessential poster boy for ecumenicalism

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

07 June 2008

Posted By CLAUDE MCINTOSH

We counted Gary Ostler as not only a comfortable spiritual armrest, but a good friend, one whom we knew for some 40 years, going back before he joined the priesthood -- when he was a solid student at that great pillar of learning, Cornwall Classical College.

His sudden passing was a shock to his legion of friends, not only in the Roman Catholic community, but for those who followed other faiths.

He was the quintessential poster boy for the ecumenical movement.

He loved the Church and the military. And his parishioners and comrades in arms loved him.

Gary was a gifted preacher with strong administration skills. The perfect pastor package.

At a time when the local clergy ranks are tenderly thin, his loss is beyond measure, something Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher knows all too well.

It is a pity that this wonderful person had the dark cloud of Project Truth lingering over his head for so long.

Like so many other good priests in the diocese, he was slandered by rumour and innuendo, particularly on a vicious website that took a perverse delight in slandering the clergy.

This concerned him.

It was something we often talked about over the years.

It had a detrimental effect on his health, both mentally and physically.

His high-blood pressure problems, he confided, were a direct result of the deliberate smear campaign.

He passed on before his time, but we can say that our loss is heaven's gain.

COFFEE GRINDS

You have to hand it to the McGuinty government. It is doing its part in fighting corporate poverty.

General Motors, one of the world's wealthiest corporations, got $535 million from the Fiberals in 2005, a little gift from the taxpayers to tide them over.

With it came a GM commitment to keep its Ontario workers working. On the flipside, it bought votes for Liberal candidates in southern Ontario.

Some payment. Some commitment.

About the same time as it was fattening GM's bank account, the Fiberals were telling hard-pressed municipalities that the cupboard was bare. Hospital boards, Cornwall included, were told that money for restructuring was on back order.

David Lewis, the federal New Democratic Party leader, a man of immense integrity who coined the phrasecorporate welfare bums,must be rolling over in his grave.

* * *

Nothing new about this: labels on "Canada" T-shirts in local department store say "Made in Malaysia".

But hold the phone, reader Peter Leger sends along an e-mail saying that he actually purchased a toy for his cat that was made in Canada.

* * *

The provincial government came to the conclusion that the public needed to be protected from pesticides, so it banned their cosmetic use.

(Note: They aren't dangerous enough to be banned from golf courses, however).

Meanwhile, there is no question that tobacco is a dangerous product that kills thousands of Canadians each year and disables thousands more.

We are told that the health costs for treating smoking-related diseases can be measured in the billions.

So why has the McGuinty government banned the cosmetic use of pesticides, but won't even talk about outlawing tobacco products?

It all comes down to dollars and cents.

The government can live without the taxes generated by pesticides. It can't live without tobacco tax revenues.

* * *

For obvious reasons, Don Cherry doesn't rant (as much) about Europeans taking jobs away from "good, hard-working Canadian boys."

Little wonder.

Try to imagine the NHL without Europeans.

* * *

Note to former mayor Nick Kaneb, who lost his long-time soulmate, Charlene, last month and is not feeling quite up to par: Get better Nick. Looking forward to you bringing in some of those delicious apples and pears from he Kaneb orchard come September.

* * *

The pricing policy that the oil barons use as a guide to raise and lower pump prices is a one-way street.

Oil prices rose two weeks ago, and pump prices soared.

Then this week, oil prices plunged.

But nothing happened at the pumps.

And come Friday, crude oil prices started to climb and in many jurisdictions, so did pump prices.

The government says there is no evidence of collusion by oil companies.

Apparently it is just a coincidence that pump prices, set by HQ, around town go up within hours of each other.

Unexplained too is the policy the oil barons use to set the price.

Actually, there is one. It's called gouge 'em.

* * *

If Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union czar Buzz Hargrove had been able to convince General Motors to backtrack on closing the Oshawa truck plant, I would have said "Buzz for Prime Minister".

* * *

According to the wire story, Buzz and his comrades had a one-hour meeting with GM brass.

One hour, eh. There's a name for that --it's called getting the bum's rush.

Article ID# 1063473
Comments on this Article.

MacIntosh - there is no way YOU should be reporting on this!!! AT ALL!!!

I don't know what your relationship is with anyone nor do I really care but YOUR BIAS is clearly evident in your reporting!

For the sake of Cornwall - Back OFF! Let your OTHER reporters/editors handle this issue!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #1 By RealityChecker,

MacIntosh I agree with RealityChecker, you should not be reporting ANYTHING about the Cornwall Inquiry. I understand where you came from and some of your past, YOU were my ex brother-inlaw and I confided in you back then when my father sexually abused me and all you had to say was "oh well, it happens in every family, it's in the past, get over it". I charged my father back then in 91/92 and he was charged and convicted in Cornwall. Victims just can't "get over it" memories and flashbacks can't be ignored. The victim has to experience the pain all over again then in time learns how to live with it the best way they can. YOU don't know personaly what happened to anyone from the past with sexual abuse involving a priest and or priests. You say slandered rumour and innuendo and I say victims who are trying to bring forth the truth. As a reporter you are suppose to bring forth BOTH sides of the story and then the people of Cornwall choose to believe what they want to believe,(Cornwall knows the truth!) I don't think your opinion would be fair to write if you only believe on one side. It's hard to believe Claude that sexual abuse happened in Cornwall but it DID and it wasn't stoped back then but maybe now it can be. To keep on admitting Claude that it didn't happen you are only prolonging the pain of victims and there will never be healing if more people like you continue to believe in "denial" If Ace in cards represented the truth, then at the end when ALL the cards are face up everyone will know each others hand and the Ace will be the "TRUTH" I would like to ask a question to anyone out there. Suicide is a very very sad thing and it is to me a very serious thought. I have attempted it many times because of the pain that was stronger then life itself, but I came to understand that if I did that the perpertrators in my life would win and that my life was worth more then that. No one likes to question suicide or why someone would do it, in my opinion there is only two reasons for it and one is to free yourself from pain that was done to you or to free yourself from guilt and shame. I see here that these two are related to each other, the victim and the perpertator. I pray for ALL the victims and their families for the victims that couldn't hold on for just a bit longer..to maybe see that justice would prevail and their truth was brought out, but I hope that there are other victims here that will be strong enough to come and tell their story to the people of Cornwall in writing like me here or telling anyone who will listen...WE are NOW the voices of our lost victims, we could have been where they are now, but we are still here TODAY and we have voices "please use them". To the ones that have committed suicide because of guilt and shame I pray for their families in hopes that they find freedom in the TRUTH and that the perpertrators will come forward to free themselves of their guilt so that suicide for them would not be an option. The world is in alot of pain and I believe we need to understand each other and maybe have compassion for each other. We have always taught our children not to lie and always tell the truth that in the long run the truth will always come out. Well here we are "those children" So let's work together to bring forth the truth and maybe the word suicide will no longer be in our dictionaries.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #2 By marieangel,

Amen on this issue folks I agree with the two previous commentors.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #3 By dodger,

This man clearly has no sympathy at all for the victims of abuse.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #4 By dodger,

Like I said before in MY Post#1, ashes to ashes and dust to dust and then ya make reeeeeeeeeeeeeal good worm food!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #5 By armagedon,

Claude lay off the comments about anything to do with the Inquiry Obviously you are very biased in this matter!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #6 By dodger,

I urge you Claude, don't "fan the flames"!!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #7 By JAMES "SPEAK OUT",

Marieangel, I'm sorry to hear about what a wonderful help Claude was in the past when he had an opportunity to help you but he chose to remark "oh well, it happens in every family, it's in the past, get over it". It's because of people like him with attitudes like he had that caused all of this to continue on for decades. As for him being your ex brother in law, I don't think that's anything I'd admit to unless it aids in getting his butt sacked and maybe also investigated if what you say is so. As for waiting for the perpetrators to turn themselves in, well they were spineless when they abused the kids and I would imagine they're just as spinelss now. Anyone who could take advantage of kids doesn't worry about the trauma or suicides or lives that they ruined, they just keep on keeping on. Just a question for you, did you go to the cops or did they turn a blind eye to you as they have for so many others? I know the suicide route, I survived it much to the chagrin of some but others didn't and still it goes on. I'm sorry for what you went through and it must be just like being abused AGAIN to read what Claude wrote in this rag, I wonder if Mr. Ed knows or are his eyes blinded as well.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #8 By armagedon,

Hello Armagedon, Yes it is people like Claude who have their eyes closed and are in deep denial. I can't hide the fact that he WAS my ex brother-inlaw and I am happy that I am away from him. It did hurt me when he responded like that because at that time I hadn't told many people what had happened to me, it took a long time before I could trust anyone else again, because if a family member couldn't or wouldn't care or maybe even believe me then why would I trust anyone else. Talking about abuse from then on was not mentioned in that family anymore after I had told him. This is why I truly believe he should NOT be reporting ANYTHING about the Inquiry, "that could seriously damage the victims" I know this because when I read alot of HIS comments on the Public Inquiry it upseted me very much! I am sure alot of people out there know what I mean. For the victims to finally open up and tell their story (taking alot of courage)only to be told it never happened or people saying it's made up or their mentally sick, or maybe even saying they can't recall the incident or their false memmories " PLEASE, LOOK AT THIS, HOW MANY EXCUSES DOES ONE NEED TO KEEP "DENIAL" IT HAS HAPPENED, IT IS THE TRUTH, THEY ARE NOT FALSE MEMMORIES OR MADE UP! I just wish back then I could have told Claude how he hurt me and that it was meen for him to act like that. Claude I would not have brought this up but because I feel that it is a serious thing the comments that YOU are making on the Cornwall Public Inquiry I feel you definitely should NOT be commenting. ( THIS IS MY STRONG OPINION )As for the perpetrators...maybe it is my hope that some would come forward maybe get help and find out why they did the things they did and maybe ask the victims for their forgiveness. I know this is a long shot and for myself I don't even know if saying their sorry would even help me, because my Dad use to say that all the time and yet the same day or next he would still sexually abuse me. I guess that is why I still go for counciling, it's been now over 15 years of it. The good thing is though I am still alive. I did go to the police and it was NOT what I had thought, the officer tried to convince me NOT to lay charges " that I would not be believed and the cross exam would run me through the coals, and do I still want to press charges" let me tell you that at that time my family was disowning me, ( I was on my own )and to have the police then say to me not to go through with it, well let me say it was very very emotionally to the point of self-mutilation and being commited into the hospital. I was then diagnosed as having multipal personality disorder ( to this day I still have this and I am NOT CRAZY ) it is a way of survival for me, compliments of my abusers. When the abuse happened at the time my body and mind could not experience the pain so my mind left the body so I didn't have to experience the pain, as becomming an adult parts of me was left in the past and started to show up in the present. I did not understand any of this until intense therepy and trying to notice where these memmories and flashbacks were comming from. It's a long process and hard to explain, but to anyone out there who is now saying that I am crazy or nuts please look into the pain of a victim and the causes of their mental distress, the seriousness of sexual abuse and maybe they will understand before judging someone. I have been sexually abused by priests and one higher up and let me say to you Claude this is why I say," YOU don't know what happened to victims from the hands of priests"! The police NEED to BELIEVE in the victims and STOP protecting the perpetrators! Don't make the VICTIMS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE THE PERPETRATORS! In my Dad's case that is exactly what they did, they were good to him and treated me like I was a pest and a problem! The victims and the people of Cornwall HAVE TO MAKE A STAND AND SAYING "NO MORE!"

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #9 By marieangel,

Marieangel, to have multiple personality disorder in NO way means you're crazy and if anything, you should be applauded for coming forward in the most personal of things and talking and surviving. I too went to the cops, they neither wanted to investigate the sexual abuse nor did they want to investigate the HWCAS and I think the "method to madness" is that it has happened so MANY, MANY times to so many children that the public would be absolutely shocked if they only knew. Bad enough that when I went to the police that I had to explain every little thing that was done to me and the most intimate of details about the abuse that happened to me, that I even have difficulties dealing with in my own head for years and cops and the "ordinary" (people who haven't been abused) wonder why more people don't come forward. With the way that they have treated us ALL across this Province, it's no wonder nobody wants to come forward and why the cops, judiciary, CAS, CCAS, some RC priests and God only knows who else gets away with the negligent (or non)investigation of child abuse. Going to the cops is as bad as being abused again or pretty close to it after you've gathered the strength and sanity to go after those who did it. I would allege that it is more of a conspiracy within these groups ALL across the Province and neither the Ministry of Children's and Youth, the Ministry of Public Safety and Corrections, the Attorney General's office, the offices of the crown AND the Premier are involved in one way or the other. And don't even bother going to the OCCPS as it's just a "lap dog" to cover the cops butts and as far as the OPP and the RCMP, they're just as bad when you see the use or non use of "time constraints" and or the Askov ruling. It's basically a "get out of jail free" card for the law enforcement in our Province and it and the cops are basically a joke and I fully would allege that it is being used to their own advantage time after time after time. Justice in this province only happens it would appear, only if you have connections but if you have none, then you can kiss your butt goodbye as you and I and the rest of us are less than another number to them.
AND YES CLAUDE, I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD THAT YOUR BUTT SHOULD BE CHARGED AND YOU SHOULD BE TOSSED IN THE TANK IF YOU INDEED TOLD MARIEANGEL WHAT SHE SAYS YOU DID ABOVE. And after reading this rag, I have absolutely NO reason to doubt ANYTHING she says. Hey Adolph, did you know this about your "prize winning" reporter or did you know more than we know or JUST WHAT DID YOU KNOW IN FOR THAT MATTER? With all the censorship in this rag, I find I am now beginning to get a better picture of why all of this continued to be hidden and not talked about like it should have.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #10 By armagedon,

I made a misquote in the following: "I would allege that it is more of a conspiracy within these groups ALL across the Province and neither the Ministry of Children's and Youth, the Ministry of Public Safety and Corrections, the Attorney General's office, the offices of the crown, AND the Premier are involved in one way or the other." It should read: "I would allege that it is more of a conspiracy WITHIN these groups ALL across the Province that NONE will answer to it and the Min. of C&Y, Min. of Public Safety and Corrections, the A.G.'s offices, the judiciary, the offices of the crowns AND the Premier are ALL part of the PROBLEM and NOT part of the solution!"

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #11 By armagedon,

Armagedon, I am sorry you had to go through such abuse...it really saddens me to hear this. I sense that you are a strong person and to have survived the abuse and still living today makes me feel that "YOU ARE GOING TO BE OK":)it's a struggle every day I know, but we learn to cope the best way we can, and to me it is people like you who help me to see that there is HOPE! I thank you for sharing such personal things, just writing the last one my husband came over to comfort me, it can get difficult if you know what I mean? Yes, the Justice System does have to change, with the victims TRYING to come out, that is a possitive step in the right direction so long as the police and CAS start to listen and believe the victims "We will be alright"

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #12 By marieangel,

Marieangel, if it will help any, I have had the Hamilton police in front of the Privacy Commission where I am in the process of and have proven in the past that in fact there is a cover-up going on in Hamilton too. This process is in its 2nd FOI Request in which it has and is going into Adjudication for the 2nd time. Also, you might well be surprised to know that the IPC is also part of the problem as there are loop-holes galore in the FOI procedure, in the fact that there are many things that the cops AND citys use to try and put off the victims and that the IPC knows about. I have put in a call to the IPC from whom I will be hearing from tomorrow about how I would go about lodging a complaint about the screw-ups involving the IPC knowingly making decisions based on things that have been proven to be lies and screwing the public again. If anyone thinks that the IPC will stand up for you, they're sadly mistaken as they too are not to be trusted. Just one example of MANY that I have found just in the last 3 years alone and that is this one. When my lawyer got my files from the HWCAS, the HWCAS also included in a separate stack to me my BROTHERS files filled with his private info which included reports by case-workers, shrinks, workers, the courts and the abusive foster home we were in. When I contacted the IPC, they told me to return my BROTHERS files to the owner and when I asked them who that was, they couldn't give me an answer. I said even though the HWCAS were the "possessors" of HIS information, the information was about HIM, so who is the OWNER, the HWCAS who had the files or my brother whose personal info which was sent to me that is HIS? Again, no answer, no penalty and NO USE. If I have to start a war with them all, I don't have any problems with that at all. And just out of curiousity marieangel, have you considered going to the police even though they seem as useless as "you know what" and bringing to their attention OFFICIALLY what Claude either knew or didn't know or said what he said or not? It's just a thought and not just a "conspiracy theory". The problems with the police and CAS is that I would allege the cops don't want to investigate the CAS because of the Horror stories that would come out AND also the public might be a little p*ssed if they knew that the one social safety network that was formed in the 1890's to help and protect children is in fact more interested in covering their own butts and the cops too because of the abuse that went on right in front of their noses and had been reported time and time again. Just a thought, that's all. And just how can we now believe ANYTHING this Claude guy writes after we've just read what you have let us in on. I wonder how he'd like it if as you say he said "oh well, it happens in every family, it's in the past, get over it" if it happened to him and then his tune would be different OR is he in fact inferring that it did in fact happen to HIM and he doesn't have the parts to come forward and maybe that answers a few more questions as to why there doesn't seem to be the leeway to make comments our be given room to make "Comments" when it regards certain elements involved in this debacle Dave

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #13 By armagedon,

Your Comment: Marieangel, if it will help any, I have had the Hamilton police in front of the Privacy Commission where I am in the process of and have proven in the past that in fact there is a cover-up going on in Hamilton too. This process is in its 2nd FOI Request in which it has and is going into Adjudication for the 2nd time. Also, you might well be surprised to know that the IPC is also part of the problem as there are loop-holes galore in the FOI procedure, in the fact that there are many things that the cops AND citys use to try and put off the victims and that the IPC knows about. I have put in a call to the IPC from whom I will be hearing from tomorrow about how I would go about lodging a complaint about the screw-ups involving the IPC knowingly making decisions based on things that have been proven to be lies and screwing the public again. If anyone thinks that the IPC will stand up for you, they're sadly mistaken as they too are not to be trusted. Just one example of MANY that I have found just in the last 3 years alone and that is this one. When my lawyer got my files from the HWCAS, the HWCAS also included in a separate stack to me my BROTHERS files filled with his private info which included reports by case-workers, shrinks, workers, the courts and the abusive foster home we were in. When I contacted the IPC, they told me to return my BROTHERS files to the owner and when I asked them who that was, they couldn't give me an answer. I said even though the HWCAS were the "possessors" of HIS information, the information was about HIM, so who is the OWNER, the HWCAS who had the files or my brother whose personal info which was sent to me that is HIS? Again, no answer, no penalty and NO USE. If I have to start a war with them all, I don't have any problems with that at all. And just out of curiousity marieangel, have you considered going to the police even though they seem as useless as "you know what" and bringing to their attention OFFICIALLY what Claude either knew or didn't know or said what he said or not? It's just a thought and not just a "conspiracy theory". The problems with the police and CAS is that I would allege the cops don't want to investigate the CAS because of the Horror stories that would come out AND also the public might be a little p*ssed if they knew that the one social safety network that was formed in the 1890's to help and protect children is in fact more interested in covering their own butts and the cops too because of the abuse that went on right in front of their noses and had been reported time and time again. Just a thought, that's all. And just how can we now believe ANYTHING this Claude guy writes after we've just read what you have let us in on. I wonder how he'd like it if as you say he said "oh well, it happens in every family, it's in the past, get over it" if it happened to him and then his tune would be different OR is he in fact inferring that it did in fact happen to HIM and he doesn't have the parts to come forward and maybe that answers a few more questions as to why there doesn't seem to be the leeway to make comments our be given room to make "Comments" when it regards certain elements involved in this debacle Dave

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #14 By armagedon,

Sorry about that, the CornHole Standard-Freeloader still hasn't figured out how to run a blog any better than they know how to run a rag! My posting was only meant to be posted once!

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #15 By armagedon

I don't know how long this will stay as it is so, I "copied" and "pasted" the whole thing to the Inquiry just in case and I'll keep a copy for me as well.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #16 By armagedon,

I was wondering what IPC and FOI stand for? I am sorry, I don't know much about this. I know what the system has done to my husband when he was in foster care and the abuse he went through by the hands of CAS (he wanted me to mention this)they would not even let him look at his file. They labeled him a bad guy and they are far from the truth. If only people knew what he went through. My husband said he certainly can understand where you are comming from. I wish there were some way I could speak to you personaly but that is hard to do on here. As for Claude, to your knowledge should he have reported what I had said to him because he was a reporter? I hadn't mentioned anything to an official because I didn't know reporters had this type of obligation (if they do?)I mentioned Claude because I don't think he should be commenting on the Inquiry because of what he told me back then. It just really upsets me...Claude if you read this I hope you know how hard it was for me to tell anyone about my abuse after I spoke with you, you made me feel ashamed of myself and embarrassed and I wish I had NEVER told you. In my strong opinion you are cold and only care about yourself and you certainly don't care about other people's feelings, try to look within yourself and find your inner child and maybe then you will find who you really are. Mean and selfish, cold and just plain miserable people are people who are hurting within and lash out at the outside world because they are lost and don't know where to look. "LOOK WITHIN"

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #17 By marieangel,

IPC stands for the Information Privacy Commission and it is "independent body" set up by the Legislature to handle issues regarding privacy and the ability to access information. You can use the FOI (Freedom of Information Requests) and a fee of $5 to obtain or complain or correct information within the various police or municipalities files. It gets kinda tricky from there-on as I've found the police to be liars, lousy investigators but great at covering things up, kinda corrupt to be rather subtle about it concerning my case. If you and your hubby wish to get a hold of me and maybe I can help you out and get you going in the right direction with both your husband's case and yours as well. My e-mail address for you and your husband is usmc.g1@gmail.com and if you can send me a quick e-mail just to say hello, I'll block all others after that. We'll have to try a few things just to make sure and also, type in the time that you sent it so I can verify it in gmail. Dave

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #18 By armagedon,

What I almost forgot was for you to type the time on this blog too that you sent the original e-mail to me.

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #19 By armagedon,

Hello, I hope I am doing this right, the time was 12:13am

Reply | Report | Page Top Post #20 By marieangel