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Thursday, March 22, 2018
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Stanley firearms charges adjourned By John Cairns Staff Reporter
Debbie Baptiste, the mother of the late Colten Boushie, sits in front of the North Battleford provincial courthouse amidst the signs she brought to Gerald Stanley’s court date for firearms storage charges. The case was adjourned to April 16. Stanley did not appear. Photo by Averil Hall
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Gerald Stanley may be acquitted of murder charges, but two charges of unsafe storage of firearms remain unresolved. Those charges came up in provincial court in North Battleford on Monday afternoon before Judge Dan O’Hanlon. Stanley’s lawyer, Scott Spencer, appeared by phone on Stanley’s behalf to request an adjournment to April 16. Judge O’Hanlon quickly agreed to the April 16 date, at 1:30 p.m. in North Battleford provincial court.
Grand Slam of Curling returning By Lucas Punkari Sports Reporter
With the success of their first trip to the area, it felt like it wouldn’t take long for the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling to make another visit to the North Battleford. The return engagement at the Civic Centre will take place from Jan. 8 to 13 next year as the Meridian Canadian Open will once again be held here. “In the six years that Sportsnet has been involved with the Grand Slam of Curling, the crowds we saw in North Battleford and the entire week there made it by far
the best event we’ve ever done,” senior event manager Kristi Petrushchak said. “We’re coming back to work with a very experienced and well connected organization committee that’s connected to the community, and those strong ties made it such a huge success the first time around. We’re looking to have some more engagement with local sponsors, but other than that, it’s more about making things even better than they were in 2017.” Unlike their last visit to North Battleford in 2017, which took place just from Jan. 3 to 8, there will be more of a gap from the hol-
expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Another big difference from the last Meridian Canadian Open, which was won by Brad Gushue and Casey Scheidigger, will be with the teams themselves. With the latest four-year Olympic cycle coming to an end, a number of the top men’s and women’s rinks in Canada and around the world have made changes to their lineups. “Everyone’s already looking towards 2022 and the different dynamics will see from the new rinks, along with those that are going to be staying together, will make things really exciting.”
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iday season to the opening draw of the event. “We never want to have our events happen at the same times as the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Tim Hortons Brier or the major events in Europe, as we want to make sure the top teams in the world have a chance to play here,” Petrushchak said. “That extra week after Christmas works out well for us as it gives us an extra kick when it comes for fans to purchase tickets. We might have to figure out a way to sneak in some extra seating though, as it was pretty much packed for every draw in 2017.” Tickets for the event are
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It was a very brief court appearance, with Stanley himself not present in the courtroom. Prosecutor Chris Browne appeared for the Crown. Even though proceedings Monday were brief, there was still a large turnout of media and of supporters and several family members of Colten Boushie, the young Indigenous man who was shot and killed on Aug. 9, 2016, at Stanley’s property in the R.M. of Glenside. It was clear feelings were still raw after Stanley’s acquittal of second-degree murder in February in Battleford. Boushie’s mother, Debbie Baptiste, attended outside the courthouse with placards including one that stated: “Blood’s on your hands, Gerald Stanley.” Boushie’s uncle, Alvin Baptiste, was disappointed Stanley did not show up for the day’s proceedings. “The coward that he is, he didn’t show up for his charges,” said Baptiste. “Racism is what killed my nephew.” He once again reiterated his disgust with the justice system. “Our battlefields are no longer in the prairies, but are in the justice system now, in the courts, is where our battlefields are now,” said Baptiste. “We will continue fighting colonialism that still exists today.”
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