Trouble Out West: PGIB Moves To Take Over Wild Rose Alliance?

Writing yesterday, I noted that the Separatist Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA) had thrown its support behind Mark Dyrholm as leader of the Wild Rose Alliance. This prompted an email from Craig Chandler, Mark's Strategy/Coalition Outreach guy, pointing out that there were Western Separatists on all sides of the WRAP leadership race.

And I thought: Chandler, Crutcher, Dyrholm...where have I heard all these names together before? Turns out this gang go way back. For example, when the Wildrose & Alberta Alliance parties first merged, one of the slates for party executive of the new entity consisted of

Craig Chandler - VP Fundraising
Mark Dyrholm - VP Policy
David Crutcher - VP Membership
Harley Shouldice - Southern Regional Director
Don Leonardo - Southern Regional Director

When Crutcher ran for MLA under the banner of the Alberta Alliance, Chandler served as his campaign manager; when Chandler ran as an independent, Shouldice served as his campaign manager.

But the most important link between these gentlemen, and between the WTBA and Wild Rose Alliance, seems to be the The Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB). Here is a list of the folks on both the PGIB National Advisory Council and the Dyrholm campaign team:

Mark Dyrholm
Craig Chandler
Sid Helishauer
Harley Shouldice

And, as a bonus, it looks like WTBA policy guy Rob Allen is also A) a Member of PGIB, and B) on the Dyrholm team.

Interestingly enough, there's an Eastern connection here. The PGIB was born in Ontario during Chandler's university days. Its motto is "less government, lower taxes and political ccountability" , and it has at times taken credit for aspects of Mike Harris's Common Sense Revolution.

(Note: Mr. Chandler tells me I've got several things in this next bit wrong. For example, he is no longer associated with CCCI, and it was the CCCI that intended to launch a HR complaint on his behalf. I will leave the wording below as is, but go here for the correct account)

As for Chandler, who seems to be the driving force behind all of this (no matter what his official position in the various campaigns), one of the spin-off groups he founded is Concerned Christians Canada Inc. The infamous Stephen Boisson was once a member of this group (although I believe he was later disowned), and the letter that got Boisson in dutch with the AHRC was also published on the CCCI website, before Chandler settled with the commission and had it removed. He's also been in trouble with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

And perhaps most odd: although Chandler has complained vociferously about the HRC persecution of Christians, he himself filed an HRC complaint against the Stelmach Tories for...wait for it... their alleged bias against Christians. Although, to be fair, in his recent email to me Mr. Chandler says he has dropped this complaint on the grounds that it would be hypocritical for him to employ a government body that he does not approve of. Further, the CCCI is participating in Boisson's legal challenge against Alberta's hate speech laws.

Finally, the PGIP has been in the news recently, after Collingwood Ethanol, owned by Craig's father Bruce Chandler, got into trouble for its odoriferous emissions. The PGIP was called in to conduct what appears to have been a campaign of intimidation against anyone criticising the facility..a campaign that apparently backfired:

It's not that Craig Chandler and his buddy David Crutcher were loud and obnoxious: it's that they generally flooded the local airwaves with largely inflammatory and in some cases, grossly inaccurate statements.

However, held against the light of day, it was clear their comments were full more of bluster than fact. The first time I interviewed Crutcher, for instance, he claimed the mayor was "trying to get rid of all industry in Collingwood."When I challenged him on it, he backtracked and tried to put the focus on the mayor's perceived hate-on for the ethanol plant.

Outside of the glare of the media, these two, uh, 'gentlemen' persisted, through two phone messages and a letter to the community. A website, www.collingwoodpgib.ca, still lingers on the Internet (sadly, however, without a peep about the apology.)

Anyway, once again, good luck Mr. Dyrholm. With such allies, you will probably need it.

Western Separatists Support Mark Dyrholm For Wildrose Alliance Leadership

Finally, some movement out of the Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA), "whose six point plan" includes

1) Create separatist network that will strengthen the businesses of separatists and help them prosper so they can in turn donate to groups like the Separation Party of Alberta and / or any other party that may come along in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia

[...]

6)Provide training in Campaign Management, Candidate Development, Fundraising, Media Training and more for those that want to organize for elected office or to promote the separation agenda across Western Canada or in their provinces specifically.

Here's an email from Executive Director David Crutcher:

Dear Friends of Alberta,

I just received this information from Wildrose Leadership Candidate, Mark Dyrholm.

I am supporting Mark and I encourage you to go to his website at www.markdyrholm.ca and join up so you can vote in this one member, one vote mail in ballot vote.

David Crutcher
Executive Director
Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA)
Phone: 403-456-3549
Email: executivedirector@itstimetogo.ca
Websites: www.wbta.ca www.itstimetogo.ca

Good Luck Mr. Dyrholm!

Its Time To Go...But Not Just Yet

Buckets points out that the founding convention of the Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WTBA), Canada's latest Western Separatist group, was supposed to have been this weekend. However, if you check out their website, you will see that the convention and indeed the organization have been inactive for the past several months.

I fired off a quick email to Executive Director David Crutcher on Thursday, and he responded that the convention had been delayed for "personal reasons", but that the organization is "getting back on track". Once a new date for the convention has been set, you will of course hear about it here.

Tories: "Canadian Heritage" Includes Western Separatism

As D. Atkins notes, the Harper Tories have given $27,000 to Report Magazine to support its contributions to "Canadian Heritage".

Report Magazine? Never heard of it. Let's zip on over and take a gander!

Whoa! Look at that cover story!

David Crutcher – accomplished engineer, proud family man, energetic political activist and happily ensconced Calgary resident speaks with a barely noticeable accent reflecting the land of his birth, Great Britain, as he calmly states that, after 131 years, Canada should no longer exist.

David Crutcher is Executive Director of the Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA), one of the latest manifestations of Western Separatism. I've written about these guys a couple of times, if you remember. They were the gang that wanted to use the Calgary flag for their new Alberta-centered state, and that (briefly) had a B.C. representative that wanted to help American sniper teams target Liberals in the event of a U.S. invasion of our country.

Hey! Look who else gets positive coverage in this same story:

"Our ultimate goal is the union of all four Western provinces into one country," says a resolute Doug Christie, a Victoria, B.C., lawyer who heads the Western Block Party. "It's been shown time and time again that reform is impossible," Christie continues. Recent events in Ottawa have only underlined that fact, he says. "Many of us have come to the conclusion that we don't wish to extend any more futile time and effort trying to reform a system that can't be reformed. We're not interested in wasting any more effort on it."

Yeah, that's this Doug Christie (not this Doug Christie).

Also, a nice piece on the magazine by Paul Wells from a couple of years ago. Apparently, Harper is a subscriber, and Report has been helping "push" the Tory line over the past several years.

What's Up At The WTBA?

Well, they're still looking for bodies to fill out their executive council:

*** Please note*** We are still searching for members to fill the positions of President, Urban Membership Chair, Fundraising Chair, Alberta Chair, British Columbia Chair and Maintoba Chair. If you are interested in serving on the volunteer council of the WBTA doing so executivedirector@itstimetogo.ca.

Long-time separatist Bruce Hutton has stepped into the Alberta Chair slot. I wonder if the Separation Party of Alberta will be a recipient of any funds the WTBA raises?

And they've removed the Calgary flag from their "Capital of the New Country" Page. Smart move, that.

The WTBA's New Policy Guy

The Western Business and Taxpayers Association(WTBA), Canada's latest and greatest Western Separatist group, has had some trouble establishing its Executive Committee. Ernie Slump stepped down in December, and Sheldon Johnson's resignation from their Policy Chair Position was confirmed earlier this month.

The WTBA's new Policy Chair, Rob Allen, is an interesting fellow with an interesting CV. For example, he says that he has graduated from "Canterbury University". Where is that exactly? There are 3 possibilities.

There is the University of Canterbury, in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. There is the Canterbury Christ Church University, in Canterbury, Kent, England. And there is Canterbury University, incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles.

In an effort to determine which of these institutions Mr. Allen attended, I contacted the WTBA's always helpful executive director David Crutcher, who informed me that Rob Allen had gone to school in "Cheshire UK", which is where Canterbury University claims to have been established in 1974.

Here's what wiki says about Canterbury University:

Canterbury University has been discussed in the article "Fighting Credential Fraud" in World Education News & Reviews, published by the non-profit World Education Services, as being towards what the article writer calls the "no acceptability" end of a continuum of acceptability and the "illegal" end of the continuum of legitimacy, though it should be emphasized that the institution's operations themselves are not illegal per se within the jurisdiction in which Canterbury University is chartered.[3]

And here's a story in the U.K Guardian that mentions Canterbury University:

It might be thought that "Canterbury University" could be confused with that city's two recognised higher education institutions, the University of Kent at Canterbury and Canterbury Christ Church University College. That doesn't prevent it operating from a mail address in Cheshire.

A call by Guardian Education to the address was answered by a man who said he was "just a retired chap walking down the passage" and was unable to give any information. The establishment issues official-looking transcripts of marks to students who have then been turned down by an accredited university and told their credits would not be recognised.

And here's another one from The Guardian:

Talking of forwarding addresses, did you know that there is a "Canterbury University" with an office at 193 Market Street, Hyde, Cheshire, which also happens to be the address of Mail Accommodation Office Services? "Canterbury University" claims accreditation from "the United Congress of Colleges", whose headquarters are said to be in the Irish Republic.

[...]

But of course these outfits [like Canterbury University] are really nothing to laugh about. The fact that they are able to operate in the UK within the law is deeply worrying. The law needs tightening as a matter of urgency.

The term that comes up a lot in association with Canterbury University is "diploma mill", and even mentioning such unaccredited entities on your CV would be illegal in at least 10 U.S. states.

H/t PJL

WTBA Moves On Slump

Buckets has a letter from Vice President Dan Doherty:

Dear Readers

The Western Businesses and Taxpayers Association has contacted Ernie Slump (BC Chair) for clarification of his questionable comments. Consequentially, Mr. Slump and the WBTA have mutually decided to dissolve the relationship based on incompatible philosophies.

I would like to clarify our position on this matter; our policy is one of inclusion therefore the Western Businesses and Taxpayers Association does not support any offensive remarks and or actions, particularly regarding ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

The Western Businesses and Taxpayers Association is not a political party but an association formed to gather information and garner support for a political party yet to be selected.

Warmest Regards
Dan Doherty
Vice President
WBTA

Well, good on Mr. Doherty and Co. The WTBA wants to be treated as a "serious" organization, and this kind of move will go some ways towards achieving that end. Now they might approach their policy chair Sheldon Johnston re some of the apparently inaccurate statements in his CV.

More From WTBA Vice President Dan Doherty

Hello All

Because of various comments appearing on blogs I thought it would be prudent to answer some questions about me and my relationship with the WBTA.

In 2004, I ran for the Separation Party of Alberta in Calgary Shaw against Cindy Ady, in 2008, I ran for the Wildrose Alliance in the constituency of Highwood. I am a conservative who believes that liberal and conservative principles should co-exist in a spirit of bi-partisanship, hence strengthening and unifying democratic principals.

I joined the WBTA because I believe that Eastern Canada has marginalized the West politically for too many years. I have seen little change in the two decades that I have lived in Western Canada. I have however, heard many politicians from Eastern Canada express their desire to dismantle Western Canada’s economy vis-à-vis taxes (Stephan Dion Green Shift platform) and other schemes such as Cap and Trade (supported by Gilles Duceppe). I believe one must approach this from a balanced perspective. Any drastic shift either way will undoubtedly cause drastic effects in our economy. In the interests of keeping this entry short, I will not go into detail on this subject except to say I have and will always support better care of our environment.

The prospect of Western secession has both Conservative and Liberal overtones. From a Liberal perspective, the potential social programs we Westerners have compromised to support Eastern programs are staggering. I lived in Montreal for roughly 20 years and I am well aware of the social programs of Quebec.

A few weeks ago, CJAD in Montreal did a radio poll and one third of those Quebecer’s polled believe Quebec supports Western Canada including Alberta. My goal, put quite simply, is to open a dialog of what is BEST for Western Canada. Addressing this question in a candid forum is in everybody’s best interest. One question you could ask yourself now is, “If Western Canada were already a separate nation, would we be negotiating to become a part of Canada?”

In closing, the WBTA is NOT a political party; it is an association to gather support for a political party yet to be selected. I look forward to all your comments. You may email me at vp@itstimetogo.ca

Warmest Regards
Dan Doherty
VP Western Businesses & Taxpayers Association

Doherty On Slump

This letter is in response to the recent comments circulating regarding Ernie Slump. The Western Businesses and Taxpayers Association do not support any offensive remarks and or actions, particularly regarding ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. David Crutcher and our Council have contacted Ernie to provide him with a forum to explain his comments.

Our policy is one of inclusion and we deeply apologize to anyone this may have offended. I will keep you up to date of any new developments.

We greatly appreciate you bringing this to our attention and I look forward to any comments or questions you may have.

Warmest Regards
Dan Doherty
Vice President
Western Businesses & Taxpayers Association.
Email: vp@itstimetogo.ca

Background here and here.

More From Ernie Slump, B.C. Chair For Western Business and Taxpayers Association

You've read about the WBTA's B.C. Chair Ernie Slump here and here. Well, it turns out Ernie is a bit peculiar even for a Western Separatist. For one thing, not all of B.C. is even being invited to the Western Separatist Party:

Guess what ! Greater Vancouver and the Island will not be a part of the New West ! Albertans hate that part of BC as much as they hate your part of the country [Ontario]. Too many free loading NDP'er's and socialists. ! ! ! And: Too many third world immigrants and refugees, the Liberals deliberately allowed into Canada and the west, to overwhelm and destroy the western Canadian Conservative vote.

For another thing, watch it if the yankees ever crash the place!

Someday the Americans may decide to invade the west. Should it happen while I am still alive, I would identify Liberal and NDP targets for the U.S.Marine sniper teams. I am a lot more pro-American than I am pro-Canadian...

Some rather conflicting loyalties here, I think. If the U.S. army ever invaded Edmonton, Ernie might be riding the lead tank!

And A Trucker Shall Set Them Free

Contra my post from earlier this morning, it looks as through The WBTA is rolling out some of the people on its Executive Council today.

A quick search tells me that B.C. chair Ernie Slump publishes Truckspeaker Magazine: The Voice of The Western Trucker, and was particularly incensed Western Separatist-wise at the appointment of Michaëlle Jean .

Jane Morgan tells me in the comments that:

[Glen] Dundas used to be with the SPA [Separation Party of Alberta]; then he went onto the Republic of Alberta, which seems to have morphed into the Republic of Western Canada.

So, the same old same old separatist crew?

Other names on the list at this moment include Dan Doherty and Sheldon Johnston, who I know nothing about.

Update: Mr. Crutcher tells me that the WTBA will encompass Manitoba.

BCLSB Exclusive: Delays At The WTBA

David Crutcher, Executive Director of the Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA) has been in touch with me via email. I won't reproduce the exact contents, but I am assuming Mr. Crutcher is okay with the gist of his email becoming public. So here goes:

1) Due to website issues, the WTBA Executive Council will not be announced on until late Wednesday (Dec. 17). At that point, at least five of the positions, including Policy Chair, will have been filled.

2) The founding convention has been pushed back until April.

Mr. Crutcher claims almost 200 Members at this point and several $1,000s in funding. He also has invited sceptics like myself to debate the movement in a "serious manner". Once their white paper appears, I shall be happy to do so.

Until that time, there are a few scraps of interesting information in their "six point plan":

1) Create separatist network that will strengthen the businesses of separatists and help them prosper so they can in turn donate to groups like the Separation Party of Alberta and / or any other party that may come along in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

[...]

3) We will fund any and all who share our vision of a new nation.

[...]

6)Provide training in Campaign Management, Candidate Development, Fundraising, Media Training and more for those that want to organize for elected office or to promote the separation agenda across Western Canada or in their provinces specifically.

So: not a political party, but a network that would fund political parties. And note once again that Manitoba seems to be absent from their plans.

Has Western Separatist Leader Distanced Himself From Only Supporter?

I've written about the Western Business and Taxpayers Association (WBTA) several times here and here. This Western Separatist group consists of, at the moment, one confirmed member: old time Reform Party Stalwart David Crutcher.

Here's a screen cap of the WBTA's Executive Council from a couple of days ago:

Now, Buckets has also been keeping tabs these guys, and recently spied out another possible WTBA Member: Erik Gregson, another long time Reformer and associate of both Crutcher and Craig Chandler. Erik has been tasked with chairing WBTA's January convention and, since his email is policy@itstimetogo.ca, Buckets logically concluded that Mr. Gregson was slated for the position of "Policy Chair" on the WTBA Executive Council (note arrow above).

But wait! At the latest version of the WTBA EC page ,the position of policy chair has been entirely eliminated!!!

So are Crutcher and Gregson already on the outs? Has the nascent WBTA already begun to fragment along ideological lines--like who gets to be Supreme Commander on Tuesdays--or did they merely quarrel over who sits at the head of the official WTBA coffee table?

I'll be following this one closely in the days and weeks ahead.

As an aside, if you've ever wondered why these separatist groups tend to leave Manitoba out of their definition of The West, here is Mr. Crutcher on the topic:

Which division is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in?

David

And these guys wanted a separate Alberta to have its own fleet of nuclear submarines.