Hearings resume at 09:30 am tomorrow morning (Wednesday 31 October 2007 – Halloween!!).
The first order of business will be the ODE to Dick. That’s an Overview of Documentary Evidence, a process used to present evidence when a ‘key’ witness to the inquiry is not testifying or, as with Dick Nadeau, is deceased.
I don’t anticipate the the gathered throng will be kind enough to allow poor Dick to rest in peace.
Carmen, Dick’s companion, strength and refuge throughout his involvement in the Cornwall sex abuse scandal and cover-up and concurrent ill health, is scheduled to take the stand after the ODE to Dick. I believe that will be around 11 am.
Carmen is quiet and petite. She can be feisty, but on the whole she is a quiet, soft-spoken gentle soul.
I have deep concerns about her tomorrow. They pulled out the steam roller for Charles Bourgeois last week – they are now rolling in overdrive in there and will run down anyone who has ever so much as whispered “cover-up,” “paedophile ring,” or “Perry Dunlop.”
I hope and pray they have the decency and integrity to realize this woman is still coming to terms with Dick’s death. Tomorrow will be hard enough on her as it is without the gathered playing Tick Tack Toe, one knocking her to the ground from one direction, another gleefully backing over her from the other.
She may just rally to the occasion, but I think the whole thing may be exceptionally difficult and draining for her.
My goodness if Dick could be here to see this. I chuckle to think of it. Carmen on the witness stand at the Cornwall Public Inquiry on his behalf. He absolutely would not believe it was possible :).
Such strange twists and turns in this journey through life
Keep Carmen in your prayers.
Good luck Carmen. Stay strong.
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And speaking of steam rollers and gentlemen…
Charles Bourgeois‘s cross-examination wrapped up yesterday. One exchange I really wanted to draw to your attention
John Callaghan (Cornwall Police Service) essentially told Bourgeois he needs his head examined.
I kid you not. That’s how low they go.
Imagine. A witness takes the stand at this huggy-bear-kissy face inquiry and is told he should get checked out to see if there’s something wrong with his head.
What happened was that Callaghan was getting thoroughly ticked that Bourgeois wouldn’t step up to the plate with some damning little morsel. First a seething Callaghan shot out ‘You don’t have any physical problems with your memory do you sir?’
That was followed up with a snarl: ‘Do you have early Alzheimer’s?’
When Bourgeois replied to the latter and said not to his knowledge, Callaghan lost it completely and snarled back: ‘You may just want to get it checked.’
I must say it was the tone as much as the words. Disgusting.
And, credit where credit is due, Callaghan got a well deserved reprimand from Justice Glaude
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I finished and posted Acts of Perfect Charity: A Parody. It dawned on me during Charles Bourgeois testimony that in conjunction with all the other spin and nonsense we’ve been hearing for the past few months – with rapid escalation in past weeks – this is about where we’re at.
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Dr.Mary Lynn Young was very interesting. I found her testimony both informative and intriguing. When the transcripts are up I will link in. It’s well worth a read. I can’t see what relevance this has to the inquiry per se, but it’s interesting and Young certainly seemed to be an informed and objective witness.
The commission commissioned Young to do a research project on media coverage of the Cornwall scandal from the 1986 to 2004. I am trusting and hoping it will be posted on the Cornwall Public Inquiry website. It’s not there yet, but hopefully it will be up over the next few days.
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The search engine on the site is shy a few pages in its index, that means a few articles on the site will not be shown on search results. theinquiry.ca has maxed the 3,000 page limit and will not index a number of pages until I upgrade. i want to look around first before committing to the next level. So far haven’t had the chance but am hopefully as caught up now as I’ll ever be and can do a bit of browsing and research tomorrow.
A little hail here yesterday. Then small snow flurries. Cold today. Winter!
Enough for now,
Sylvia