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VOL. 27 NO. 4
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Date set for MLA’s slander suit By MARGARET SPEIRS A CIVIL lawsuit filed by a politician over comments made at an all-candidates forum during the 2013 provincial election has been set for a trial in July. A 10-day trial by jury has been set to start July 13 for a supreme court justice to hear from plaintiff Skeena NDP MLA Robin Austin and defendants James Lynch and Michael Brousseau. The justice will decide if
damages should be awarded to Austin for allegedly slanderous words spoken by Lynch at the meeting and believed to be influenced by Brousseau, a political opponent of Austin’s, according to Austin’s civil case notice of claim. In another notice of trial filed with the court Austin and Lynch “agree that not more than 10 days is a reasonable time for the hearing of all evidence and arguments in this action. The de-
fendant Michael Brousseau has not provided an estimate.” Brousseau also had a deadline of March 31 to provide documents he may use at trial to Austin but failed to do so. In Austin’s civil claim, first filed in the BC Supreme Court Jan. 9, 2014, Austin said Lynch’s comments at the April 2013 all candidates meeting, in which he alleged Austin abused a foster child, characterize Austin as a sex-
ual predator and not worthy of his standing in the community and of his position as a public official, are not only false but libelous. Austin is claiming general, aggravated, punitive and special damages against Lynch and also against Brousseau, who ran against Austin as a BC Conservative candidate in that election and in the previous 2009 provincial election. The original suit filed against Lynch included a
“John Doe” who was then described as Brousseau in the amended suit, filed Oct. 2, 2014. In Lynch’s amended response, he denied having any plan or scheme between himself and Brousseau when he made the statements or at all. It goes on to say that Lynch acted “entirely on his own in making the statements” and that Lynch does not know Brousseau, other than from minimal contact
from when Brousseau was campaigning. Brousseau has also maintained he did not know Lynch nor scheme with him and that Austin’s claim against him is politically motivated. Speaking late last year, Brousseau said he encountered Lynch once when he was out door knocking in support of his candidacy during the 2013 provincial election period.
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Licence buy called reasonable By JOSH MASSEY THE $18 million paid by a provincial crown corporation to buy out a joint venture’s coal licences in the Klappan area in northwestern B.C. was reasonable, says an official from one of the companies in the joint venture. The purchase of the 61 licences from the Arctos Anthracite Joint Venture owned by Fortune Minerals of Ontario and POSCO Canada, a Korean subsidiary, by BC Rail ends for now what has been more than a decade of controversy over development in the region. Also known as the Sacred Headwaters, the Klappan is within Tahltan traditional territory and the Tahltan have objected to attempts at industrial development in the area used for an array of cultural practices. Although Fortune had been working for years at getting environmental approval to develop a large-scale open-pit anthracite coal mine in the Klappan, company official Troy Nazarewicz called the $18 million pay out “a reasonable solution for all parties.” Nazarewicz says his company’s interest in the Klappan was on the wane anyway because of the stalling market for anthracite coal and because the environmental process was dragging on longer than the company wanted.
JOSH MASSEY PHOTO
■■ Getting a move on with mayor Leclerc MAYOR CAROL Leclerc rallies walkers for an exercise walk down the Millenium Trail for Move for Health Day done the week of May 10. Activities are held across the province and is aimed at inspiring people to get out and get moving.
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Sweet relief
River death case
‘Bout it, ‘bout it
Terrace students raise money to help victims of the Nepal earthquake \COMMUNITY A10
Driver and passenger of truck crashed in Skeena face several charges \NEWS A13
Northcost Nightmares continue their stellar year with first home win \SPORTS A27