test 6

Someone suggested this was buried in my earlier post , so here it is again. Dr. Tiller was the 4th abortion provider, and the 8th person overall, murdered by anti-choice terrorists in the US since 1993. The victims, in order of their deaths: Dr. David Gunn Dr. John Britton James Barrett, clinic escort Shannon Lowney, clinic receptionist Lee Ann Nichols, clinic receptionist Robert Sanderson, off-duty police officer working as a security guard Dr. Barnett Slepian Dr. George Tiller

I never met Dr Tiller personally, but I knew him by reputation, and the reproductive rights community I was a part of had worked with him on several desperate occasions. He was a man of great moral and physical courage. He put the right of women to control their own lives ahead of his own safety, and he paid the ultimate price. In Dr Tiller's honour, I am re-posting what I wrote for this year's Blog For Choice . (I'm omitting a few paragraphs that are not relevant here.) It's a reminder for all of us: never stop fighting. Never stop. The struggle for reproductive rights is the struggle for freedom and equality. Dr Tiller lost his life in this struggle. We can honour him by continuing his work. * * * * In 2002, in New York City, I joined a network of activists and volunteers called The Haven Coalition. I worked with Haven in some capacity until a few months before we moved to Canada. My work with The Haven Coalition was by far the most challenging, exciting, exhausting,

Media statement from the family of the late Dr George Tiller, assassinated this morning in Kansas. The statement was issued through his lawyers, at the request of his widow, Jeanne Tiller and the Tiller's four children and ten grandchildren. Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients. This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace. We would like to express the family's thanks for the many messages of sympathy from our friends and from all across the nation. We also want to thank the law enforcement officers who are investigating this crime. Our loss is also a loss for the City of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality heath care despite frequent threats and violence. We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a

A hero of reproductive freedom has been murdered. Dr. George Tiller of Wichita, Kansas, was shot dead this morning as he walked into church. That's all I know so far. Local story here. Dr. Tiller was the doctor of last resort for many American women and girls who needed to terminate pregnancies and were unable to obtain procedures elsewhere. He was a steadfast supporter of women's control over their own bodies. Now he is dead. *** New York Times: Wichita police said that the shots were fired from a handgun in the church lobby during the morning service. The authorities gave few details, but said they were searching for a powder blue Taurus made in the 1990s that had been seen leaving shortly after the shooting. They said witnesses had described seeing a white man departing. ... In 1993, he was shot in both arms by an abortion opponent but recovered. * * * * Shooter's description: The suspect fled the scene and authorities are still investigating. His car is described as a

From the one and only Katha Pollitt, writing in The Nation . On May 6 Johanna Justin-Jinich, a Wesleyan University student, was gunned down in the school's bookstore, almost certainly by 29-year-old Stephen Morgan. My daughter is a senior at Wesleyan, and so I got to see part of the aftermath close up: young people stunned, scared, in tears, confined to their rooms because Morgan was still loose. News accounts make Justin-Jinich seem outstanding in many ways: altruistic, brilliant, full of life, much loved. But in one way, she was far from unusual. She was a woman killed by a man because she was a woman. We are so used to violence against women we don't even notice how used to it we are. When we're not persuading ourselves that women are just as violent toward men as vice versa if you forget about who ends up seriously injured or dead, or pointing out that most murders are of men by men, we persuade ourselves that violence against women just comes up out of nowhere. Murder

The Bush-Clinton demo was great! The weather was gorgeous, and people started gathering in Simcoe Park (next to the CBC building and across from the Metro Convention Centre where Bush and Clinton were appearing) long before the 3:00 start time. There was music, food, information tables, an art area where people were painting, and signs galore. A huge canvas with Bush's face was unrolled, and people were invited to take turns throwing shoes at it. When the kids present took their turn - children of US war resisters and some little girls in hijabs - the cameras were rolling. The festivities went on for about two hours before the main rally began. Two "prisoners" in orange jumpsuits - heads covered in hoods, wrists shackled - were led to the stage. We all donned latex gloves smeared with red paint, symbolizing the blood on Bush's hands. The organizers - mostly people from the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War with an assist from the War Resisters Support Campaign - did

I'm excited about the Bush protest today . There should be a strong turnout and a fair amount of media. War resister Joshua Key, in town for his court-ordered IRB hearing next week, will be among the speakers. Tonight, I'm attending the kick-off event of " Global Crisis, Global Resistance ," this year's Marxism conference, an annual event organized by International Socialists Canada . I'll be working on the weekend, as always, but I'm very glad that I can attend this one event. Speakers include: Matthis Chiroux, a US Army Sergeant who refused to deploy to Iraq, Darshika Selvasivam, a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka, and recently-elected Vice President Campaigns & Advocacy at the York Federation of Students, Nikos Lountos, a graduate student from Greece, and a participant in the mass movement sparked last December, John Cartwright, President, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, and Virgnia Rodino, a US anti-war activist and socialist. It promise

There's an excellent op-ed in today's Toronto Star . Writer Mary Jo Leddy is a theologian and activist, well known for her work on behalf of refugees. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney called US war resisters "bogus refugees," prejudicing what is supposed to be an independent, apolitical process. But people who work with refugees disagree. Let Iraq war resisters stay here Mary Jo Leddy Jeremy Hinzman was a soldier in the United States Army's elite infantry division, the 82nd Airborne. In 2002 and 2003 he served in Afghanistan in a non-combat role after applying for conscientious objector status. His application was refused and he learned that he would be deployed to Iraq. In January 2004 he drove to Niagara Falls, crossing the border with his partner Nga Nguyen and son Liam. Hinzman was the first American Iraq war resister to seek refuge in Canada. Since then many others have joined him here realizing that were they to stay in the United States, they would be pu

There are several things you can do to help war resisters stay safe in Canada until we can get rid of this anti-democratic government, enact the will of the people and of Parliament, and Let Them Stay. First, you can watch part of a past event. I was unable to attend the public forum last Friday, May 22, "Why George Bush Should Be Charged With War Crimes," but I heard it was terrific. There were two speakers: Michael Mandel, a renowned expert in international law and war crimes, and Chuck Wiley, a 17-year veteran of the US military, who refused to participate in human rights abuses in Iraq, told the soldiers in his command the truth, and came to Canada rather than submit to punishment for exercising his own conscience. I'm told that Chuck cautioned the audience that Canada is not as far from the US as we might like to think - that the country is headed in the same direction and it's up to us to pull it back. Michael Mandel's talk is available on YouTube: Part One

Some weeks back, I was invited to join The Mark , a Canadian news and opinion site recently launched by Torontonians Jeff Anders and Ali Rahnema. It looks like an excellent site, covering a wide range of news and views, with a clean, uncluttered look and an impressive roster of writers. I was very flattered to be asked, especially since the site will echo wmtc posts of my choice, and not require writing new material. Many of the group sites Allan and I have both been contacted by expect writers to crank out original work in exchange for the privilege of being featured at a new, still-unknown site. No thank you! But the people behind The Mark seem to have a more realistic view of what writing entails. It does seem like a quality site, and I agreed to join. While I put off submitting a photo and bio until I finished my grad school application, I was surprised to see this story about the site in the Globe and Mail . Whether it's a fundraiser or a news and opinion website, success can

I haven't been blogging about the epic battle between Knowledge and Ignorance currently being waged in Alberta . (It was mentioned in comments in this post about schools still fearing Harvey Milk.) Never having lived in or yet visited the province, anything I could write would be merely the obvious. But be assured I've been reading about this madness, and mentally holding my breath. I recommend this post from the four strong winds blog: In the battle over evolution in the classrooms, Alberta's Minister Lindsay Blackett claims to represent the silent majority (whatever that is) .

I attended the Federal Court hearing for war resister Dale Landry yesterday. I'm not sure I can reproduce the same level of detail I did for Jeremy Hinzman's hearing , but I'll try to relate the highlights. A handful of core campaigners showed up at the court for the vigil, but everyone had to go to work, except Newfie Campaign Friend and I. Refugee lawyer Geraldine Sadoway, who was Alyssa Manning's mentor at the Parkdale legal clinic, was there with another young lawyer, and a group of people were there who might have been law students. But mostly it was just NCF and me. And as the hearing was very long and I had to catch a bus, during the Crown arguments, I scurried off and left NCF alone. * * * * Dale Landry was an airman in the United States Air Force. He served as a loadmaster in Afghanistan, which means he was involved in transporting detainees. There, he developed a strong moral objection to his military duties. Dale was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq, where he

Everyone is reeling from yesterday's Proposition 8 decision, as the California Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on same-sex marriages. It's a terrible decision. It's especially crazy in light of good news in Iowa, where the Supreme Court ruled it is unconstitutional to prohibit some citizens from marrying, and legislative victories in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and New York. But as stupid and wrong the California Supreme Court decision is, I hope we can all keep the larger picture in mind. All struggles for equal rights are marked by setbacks and disappointments. But the opposition is on the wrong end of history. One day these anti-equal marriage decisions will look as foolish as the old laws prohibiting inter-racial marriages do now. The struggle continues, and it will not end, and it will prevail.

Ride For Sight is an annual motorcycle fundraising event that takes place in cities and towns all across Canada, supporting research into cures for blindness. This year, a small group of people have organized a complimentary green event: Cycle For Sight . On June 20, participants will cycle 133 kilometres from Toronto to Collingwood, Ontario. Two friends of mine, Phil McDowell and Jamine Aponte, are among the riders. Phil and Jamine came to Canada when Phil refused to participate in the war in Iraq. Phil volunteered for the US Army after 9/11, and was sent to Iraq. He served a full tour of duty, and was disgusted by the human-rights violations he saw there, and by discovering that the war was based on lies. When he came home, Phil separated from the Army with an honourable discharge. He was then involuntarily re-enlisted: stop-lossed. After exploring all his legal options - and finding he had none - Phil came to Canada, and Jamine followed. They have been living and working in Toronto

Sarah Lazare, Project Director of Courage To Resist , has an excellent piece on Common Dreams about war resister Matthew Dobbs. "I felt like I was being robbed of everything," Matthew Dobbs said over the phone from his home in Houston, Texas. "I had visions of military police banging down my door and dragging me back to war." Dobbs, a 26 year-old former soldier who served a tour in Afghanistan from 2003-2004, was recounting a story that has become familiar in the ongoing Global War on Terror. It is the story of a soldier who, after serving a tour overseas and being discharged from Active Duty, received involuntary orders to re-deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan years later. Dobbs was not a victim of stop-loss, the policy of involuntarily extending a GI's term of service, sometimes after multiple tours in combat zones. This practice has recently garnered widespread negative attention and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates claims that it will be phased out. Rather, Dob

Tomorrow, May 26, Toronto-area supporters of US war resisters will gather outside the Federal Court to show support for former US soldier Dale Landry. Dale was granted leave to appeal the IRB's negative decision in his refugee claim. Dale is a principled and outspoken activist on behalf of peace, and for all other war resisters. He lives in the Parkdale section of Toronto and works at reBoot Canada , a nonprofit company that provides computers, training and technical support to charities and low-income people. Dale is an active member of the War Resisters Support Campaign, and a terrific guy. If you're in Toronto on Tuesday, please join us for a vigil in support of Dale, and if you can, attend the hearing. When: Tuesday, May 26, 8:30 a.m. Where: Federal Court Building, 180 Queen Street West (west of University) Subway: Osgoode Why: LET THEM STAY!

This year's wmtc backyard bash is a potluck. It's also on my birthday! Last year, wmtc3 was a fundraiser for the War Resisters Support Campaign. Although we raised a lot of money and it was a big success, I don't want people to start fearing our parties. ("Will we have to watch depressing videos?" "How much will this cost us?") If you're part of this blog community, and you can be in the Toronto area on June 13, and you didn't get an invite, it means I don't have your current email address. Get in touch with me. Don't be shy!

Last week - here and here - I announced my decision to go to graduate school in order to change the non-writing portion of my working life. I've been working on my application and I'm very pleased to announce... it is done! It really wasn't such a big deal. While I was writing the application, the answer to the pressing question - whether to begin this September or in September 2010 - became obvious. I don't feel ready to start this year, but waiting 15 months to begin seems ridiculous. Ideally, I'd start in January, but that's not an option. So ready or not, this year it is. It won't be the first time I accelerate or change my plans in order to take advantage of an opportunity, and I still have a few months to prepare myself, mentally and otherwise. Unfortunately, I'll have to start classes a little late, as we'll be out of town the first week of school. (Note to self: this will not be as nerve-wracking as starting high school three months late, o

This is not topical to any current news story, but my previous post about systemic child abuse in Church-run institutions made me think of the Magdalene Laundries. From Wikipedia: Magdalene Asylums were institutions for so-called 'fallen women', most of them operated by different orders of the Roman Catholic Church. In most asylums, the inmates were required to undertake hard physical labour such as laundry work. In Ireland, such asylums were known as Magdalene Laundries. It has been estimated that 30,000 women were admitted during the 150-year history of these institutions, often against their will. The last Magdalene Asylum in Ireland closed on September 25, 1996. These "fallen women," were often girls who had gotten pregnant before marriage, including victims of rape or incest. Or they were girls accused of being sexually active. Or they were developmentally or mentally disabled, or mentally ill. Or they were outspoken, or strong-willed, or otherwise non-conformi

This has to be one of the more horrific indictments of the systemic abuse perpetrated and covered up by the Catholic Church that I've ever seen. From The Freethinker : Today we learn that a retired Catholic Archbishop in the US is claiming in a soon-to-be-published memoir that he did not comprehend the potential harm to young victims or understand that the priests had committed a crime. Rembert G Weakland: "We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature." Also cogent analysis from Atheist Revolution , tying Weakland's statements to the recent revelations of widespread abuse of Irish children in Catholic-run institutions , and of course, the subsequent conspiracy to cover it up. Back to The Freethinker: Weakland, who retired in 2002 after it became known that he paid $450,000 in 1998 to a man who had accused him of date rape years earlier, said he initially: Accepted naively the common view that it was not ne

[Redsock guest post] At this point, all you can do is bang your head on your desk (my emphasis). The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday [May 20] threatened to sue a San Diego County school that refused to let a student present a report on slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk until her classmates got permission from their parents . David Blair-Loy, legal director of the ACLU of San Diego County, said the principal of Mt. Woodson Elementary School in Ramona violated the free speech rights of 6th-grader Natalie Jones, who was the only student in her class prevented from giving an in-class presentation. According to Blair-Loy and Natalie's mother, Mt. Woodson Principal Theresa Grace concluded last month that the subject of the girl's project triggered a district policy requiring parents to be notified in writing before their children are exposed to lessons dealing with sex. After the principal sent letters to parents alerting them about the "sensitive topic," Nat

The Bush sins are unoriginal. We've always done torture. We've always been at war with a dehumanized (and usually dark-skinned) other . . . The cocky Bush boys were different only in their open pursuit of this agenda. -- Robert Koehler I've written copiously of my disgust for US liberal hand-wringing about how "America has lost her way" under the Cheney Administration, the amnesiac faction of the pseudo-left that insisted on seeing the invasion of Iraq as unprecedented. (Shall we ask the people of Vietnam, Iran, Guatemala, Congo, Cuba...?) These same liberals' willingness to believe a new person in the White House with a "D" next to his name would be the answer to the nation's problems was similarly maddening. It's as if everyone was born in the year 2000 and never read a history book. Now, the willingness of so many Democrat-voting USians to accept whatever Obama does is correspondingly sickening. It's OK if the US doesn't prosecute

From The Raw Story . I've posted only the gist because Muller's language offends me too much to reproduce here. Chicago radio host Erich "Mancow" Muller decided he'd get himself waterboarded to prove the technique wasn't torture. It didn't turn out that way. "Mancow," in fact, lasted just six or seven seconds before crying foul. Apparently, the experience went pretty badly -- "Witnesses said Muller thrashed on the table, and even instantly threw the toy cow he was holding as his emergency tool to signify when he wanted the experiment to stop," according to NBC Chicago. . . . . "I wanted to prove it wasn't torture," Mancow said. . . . The upshot? "It is way worse than I thought it would be, and that's no joke," Mancow told listeners. "It is such an odd feeling to have water poured down your nose with your head back...It was instantaneous...and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture." "

Antonia Zerbisias is pro life. So am I! Aren't we all? Great post here.

Search string of the day: GOD WILL MOVE IN CANADA ON MAY 20 Anybody notice anything different?

On Tuesday, May 26, Toronto-area supporters of US war resisters will gather outside the Federal Court to show support for former US soldier Dale Landry. Dale was granted leave to appeal the IRB's negative decision in his refugee claim. Dale is a principled and outspoken activist on behalf of peace, and for all other war resisters. He lives in the Parkdale section of Toronto and works at reBoot Canada , a nonprofit company that provides computers, training and technical support to charities and low-income people. Dale is an active member of the War Resisters Support Campaign, and I'm honoured to call him my friend. Dale is profiled in this story in the Dallas Observer , and this story from Guelph (he's the one of the left). If you're in Toronto on Tuesday, please join us for a vigil in support of Dale, and if you can, attend the hearing. When: Tuesday, May 26, 8:30 a.m. Where: Federal Court Building, 180 Queen Street West (west of University) Subway: Osgoode Why: LE

If you've noticed a sudden drop in original material on wmtc lately, just imagine me cranking away at this graduate school application. It's funny that I end up working on this right up until the deadline. Under my usual and preferred methods, I'd begin in February for a mid-April deadline. But here I am beginning on May 19 for the extended May 29 deadline. But it's fairly easy and straightforward, and everything is coming together nicely. I'll use this as an opportunity to post a few things that have been sitting in my inbox for a while, and to highlight other people's great writing, like Glenn Greenwald and Greg Mitchell , two heroes for truth and justice. Greenwald: Terrorists in Prison: is there anything the Right doesn't fear? Mitchell: The (Unsurprising) Psychic Toll of the War in Iraq . More soon.

Michael Hass the author of over thirty books on government and politics, and has had a long academic career at US and international universities. His most recent book is George W. Bush, War Criminal? The Bush Administration's Liability for 269 War Crimes . Here's an excerpt from a recent post on his blog Atheo News . The best kept secret of the Bush's war crimes is that thousands of children have been imprisoned, tortured, and otherwise denied rights under the Geneva Conventions and related international agreements. Yet both Congress and the media have strangely failed to identify the very existence of child prisoners as a war crime. In the Islamic world, however, there is no such silence. Indeed, the prophet Mohammed was the first to counsel warriors not to harm innocent children. The first example of war crimes against children, which are well documented, occurred during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, when the children's hospital in Kabul was bombed, its patien

André Shepherd is a US war resister who applied for asylum in Germany in November, 2008. As he awaits a decision from Germany's Federal Office for Migration, he released this statement to his supporters. Dear Friends and Supporters: I want to use this time to extend my heartfelt thanks for everything that you all have done. It touches my heart to see so much love and support that you have shown me. The numerous efforts from some many people around the globe have given me the strength to continue on this difficult path. My appreciation goes out to all of you. Currently we are awaiting a decision from the Federal Office for Migration in Germany, as to the ruling on this case. This could last several more months as they must carefully consider the arguments presented on the legality of this conflict. I as well as my lawyer feel that the law is on my side since the American Government's reasons to the war have been found to be without merit on all levels. Provided the decision is a

This Friday, May 22, join the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War for a public forum: Why George Bush should be charged with war crimes. Speakers will include: Michael Mandel, professor of international law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, author of How America Gets Away With Murder: Illegal Wars, Collateral Damage, and Crimes Against Humanity , and Chuck Wiley, a 17-year veteran of the US military who refused to participate in the Iraq War, is currently seeking refuge in Canada, and is a member of the War Resisters Support Campaign, among others. Join a public forum to hear international law experts and civil liberties campaigners explain the myriad of crimes committed by the Bush administration, and to find out how Bush could formally be charged with war crimes in Canada. Also find out how other US leaders — including former US president Bill Clinton, who will appear with Bush on May 29 — could be charged with war crimes, too. Public forum: Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. Steel

The new Spinal Network is out! The best resource guide for people who use wheelchairs has been re-issued, and it's better than ever. I wrote and edited the Sports & Recreation section of this book, plus a few profiles for other chapters. I edited the Sports chapter of the previous edition, but this time (ten years later) I had more autonomy and responsibility for the whole section. I thoroughly enjoyed the project, and I'm very proud of the results. You can see the beautiful smiling face of Canadian athlete Chantal Petitclerc on the cover here (click to enlarge, it's worth it), and the Table of Contents and Introduction here . I wish I could show you the title page, as it's the first book where both Allan and I are officially listed. He made us all look good with some some amazing emergency proofreading, and our editor was good enough to give him the credit. Spinal Network is a book we all hope we'll never need, but any of us might one day, or we may know so

Our family continues to get our point across in the G&M. John Ibbitison said the Bush era "has returned to haunt" Obama. Allan headed to his keyboard. Your front page headline claims the Bush era has returned to haunt Barack Obama. After only a few months in office, Mr. Obama has argued that photographic and video evidence of torture by the U.S. military should remain a secret, has agreed that any government official who ordered and approved of torture should be immune from prosecution, and has stated he will continue holding military "trials" for inmates at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Obama's lawyers have argued that these inmates, including Canadian citizen Omar Khadr, should not be considered "persons" under the law. Far from being haunted by the Bush era, Mr. Obama seems more than content to continue it. Allan Wood Mississauga, ON

Further to this post about the US's Christian Crusade in Afghanistan, have you seen this? Via ThinkProgress and many other places. In a lengthy article on Donald Rumsfeld's rocky tenure as Defense Secretary, GQ published never-before-seen cover sheets from top-secret intelligence briefings produced by Rumsfeld’s Pentagon. Starting in the days surrounding the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the cover sheets featured inspirational Bible verses printed over military images, "and were delivered by Rumsfeld himself to the White House" to the president, "who referred to America's war on terror as a 'crusade,'" GQ writes. Below are some examples of the Bible quotes (view the images here): "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." [The quote appears over an image of a tank at sunrise] "Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

I have no idea if this observation can be said to accurately compare New York and Toronto, or is peculiar to New York and my Toronto experience is more common. Since becoming active in the war resisters movement in Canada, I find myself part of a community of activists, people who know each other from all different related movements, see each other at all different events, and who regularly socialize together. Political meetings and events almost always have a social component, and people regularly go out together after the event. We never did this in New York. In successive cycles of activism in New York City - reproductive rights, sexual assault, youth issues, sexual assault (different work) and domestic violence, AIDS work (briefly) and back to reproductive rights again - I never experienced this. I always made a friend or two through these various groups, including some close and lasting friendships. But the group as a whole didn't socialize. After the meeting, we all went our

Today at Notre Dame University, President Obama said: So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. For any woman who freely chooses to carry an unintended or unwanted pregnancy to term, more power to her. But she's no better or purer or more moral than a woman who terminates her unwanted pregnancy. "Making adoption more available" isn't going to make abortion go away. No one and nothing is going to make abortion go away. It's not a sin, it's not a crime, and it's none of anyone else's damn business. When we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe — that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground. Memo to Barack Obama. When those people stop trying to control other p

It's been a long time since I've written a post comparing life here in Canada to my former life in New York City. This is no longer "my new life": it's just my life. In a few months, we'll have been here four years. The Transition Complete sign is no longer even visible in our rear-view mirror. Every so often, though, something reminds me that what's become commonplace was once amazing. When we first moved here, I was constantly flabbergasted at how nice everyone was. When you're moving to a new country, there are so many business details to take care of. We had to get our SIN cards, our health care cards, our shiny wonderful new Permanent Resident cards. We had to open bank accounts, buy a car, set up utilities, have cable installed. And on and on and on. Without exception, every person we dealt with was polite, friendly and helpful. Here's a story I always tell. When we arrived at our little rental house in Port Credit - lets see if I can do th