Sunday, March 31, 2013

EASTER SUNDAY & AYN IS STILL NOT HOME


WHEN AYN WAS TAKEN AWAY
By Derek Hoare


On June 12, 2011 at 1:00 PM the Abbotsford Police were called by family members of a missing 9-year-old girl. The girl, Ayn Van Dyk is autistic and is non-communicative was last seen playing outside of the family residence in the 1800 block of Mt. Lehman Road at 12:30 pm. Ayn was reported as being 4 foot 5 inches tall, weighing 80 pounds and with short blond hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a brown long-sleeved shirt with grey shorts and white shoes. Search and rescue teams consisting of police patrol, canine and air units were activated. She was found in three hours at a neighbour’s back yard. She was returned to her home, safe and sound. Four days later the family’s nightmare began. Derek, Ayn’s father, tells his side of the story below. He shared this on that day. This piece was written in summer of 2011. She remains in Ministry custody and living in a foster home today Easter Sunday 2013.

“My name is Derek I am a single father of three wonderful young children, aged 9, 10 and 11; my youngest two have both been diagnosed with severe autism. Though a constant and challenging struggle, I have done my best to protect and nurture them, as I love them so much and have dedicated my life to their achievement of happiness.
 
My youngest child is a bright and beautiful little spitfire named Ayn. She has and is blossoming so well here at home and has come so far to overcome her obvious disability, she does however continue to struggle and outburst when in other environments, particularly at school. Ayn is naive and unaware of the dangers that exist in the world at large, so when on Sunday she escaped the backyard we were very worried for her safety.

With each passing moment the likelihood that something terrible had happened increased, as Ayn should stand out from other children easily and should have been quickly spotted. Fortunately Ayn was discovered two doors down playing in a neighbours backyard, the neighbour had taken an afternoon nap which provided Ayn with the ability to play undisturbed.

The challenges I have faced in caring for my daughter have been encompassing and life altering, these challenges are very dynamic and new challenges arise as fast as the old one depart. Now with her discovery of the neighbours nearby trampoline and pool, she will undoubtedly seek to return there, vigilance will be required to face this new found challenge, but it is one which I must now face just as I have with each prior challenge and as I would have to with our future challenges as well.

As it stands today I may never get that opportunity. This morning two workers from CPS arrived at my home to request that I “voluntarily” give Ayn over to them (she was at school at the time); if I refused they would simply coercively remove her. There should be no illusions here when someone approaches you and says, “give me your child or I’m taking her,” you should not pretend that any such choice would be done “voluntarily”.

They do not argue that she was abused. They do not argue that she was un-nurtured. They simply say that as a single father I have an overwhelming amount of responsibility and workload, and that Ayn’s naivety renders her a danger to herself, and due to me having so much to deal with they should remove her in effect to lighten my workload.

It is not argued that Ayn was not thriving here. It was not argued that Ayn was failing to improve at home, but that her behaviour was self-endangering. My little girl is autistic, I am aware that she does not understand the dangers that lurk, I love her and I protect her. When Ayn has a tantrum at school it is me they either call on to calm her or to whom they send her home. When she is injured it is to me whom she turns because she “needs a bandage”. The greatest successes this little girl has had were nurtured in the home. She loves it here. She loves her brothers and she loves her Dad, please help me get my little girl back.
 I would be forever in your debt,
 Derek.”

Saturday, March 30, 2013

MOMMIE'S LATEST REPORT ON HER VISITS WITH AYN

Amie Van Dyk, Ayn's mom sees her regularly now and her recent March 24th update is an encouraging one. Ayn is the ten year old girl who was taken from her father's care in June 2011 and still remains the custody and care of the Ministry of Children in B.C. She is a girl with autism. YOU WILL WANT TO HEAR WHAT HER MOM SAYS SO PLEASE READ ON.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Guiding Principles in Doug Christie's Life

Doug Christie's Guiding Principles:

"Freedom of Speech is the one gift you must give to your worst enemies in order to keep it for yourself"

Audi Alteram Partem (Hear Both Sides)

"Pass it on"

I will provide to you hear a link to Marc Lemire's 'The Freedom Blog' which has provided a commendable and moving pictorial and audio tribute to Doug Christie with special reference to his memorial mass. 




Wednesday, March 13, 2013

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT & THE HISTORY OF A GOOD MAN

Douglas Hewson Christie is survived by his wife Keltie Zubko and their children, Cadeyrn and Kalonica. He was a companion of joy to Keltie, loving giver of guidance and encouragement and support to his children, a kind and humorous man, and as a lawyer, the embodiment of the spirit of 'pro bono publico', and inspirational speaker for freedom. Prayers will be held at McCall’s Downtown, Johnson and Vancouver Streets at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14th. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Andrews Cathedral, 10 a.m., Friday, March 15th, with private interment to follow. There will be a reception at the Laurel Point Inn, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. All those who wish to share their memories or who were moved by his life, are welcome. Condolences may be offered to the family below. 

DOUG CHRISTIE, CTV NEWS TRIBUTE



You may appreciate this news item concerning the death of lawyer and Freedom of Speech Champion Doug Christie, and the manner by which it was presented as a tribute to this special man.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

DOUG CHRISTIE, HUSBAND, FATHER, FRIEND & LAWYER - DEAD AT 66


He was a defender of Free Speech.

Christie is one of the most recognized and provocative lawyers in Canada.

Doug Christie died on Monday at Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital at the age of 66. “I am heart-broken to say that Doug passed away this afternoon in Victoria Hospice,” his wife Keltie Zubko announced in a public statement. She said that Doug’s family was with him and were “able to say all that was in our hearts to say before he let go of the pain and suffering to leave us with the immense gifts of his love for us and the lessons of his life.”

I had difficulty understanding why he defended the people he did. Then I met him, spoke with him, watched him within the context of his legal work done for Paul and Zabeth Bayne as they tried for four years to recover their children from the Ministry of Children and Family Development of British Columbia, and my appreciation for the man began to develop. He represented the Baynes pro bono and that benevolence spoke volumes to me. I am sure that some of his motivation derived from his Roman Catholic convictions. I liked him. I am saddened by his death. The Bayne family is together today in large part because of his dedicated assistance to their campaign for justice.

Monday, March 4, 2013

LIBERALS DECIDING ABOUT CLARK



Ministers left an emergency cabinet meeting at Canada Place on Sunday afternoon, showing support for Premier Christy Clark even though there are increasing calls for her resignation over the ethnic voter scandal. Hundreds of Liberal party members in Surrey met at Sikh temples around the city Sunday to discuss the scandal, which has precipitated four high-profile departures from Surrey riding associations. Viewed now as an extension of the Liberals’ strategy to woo ethnic voters in advance of the May election, a group of 89 predominantly Indo-Canadian members of the B.C. Liberals have taken issue with Ms. Clark’s decision to spend taxpayer dollars to bid for the Times of India Film Awards. In a Sunday news release they called for Clark’s resignation, saying she had made the ethnic vote a joke in B.C.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH SCANDAL & LIBERAL PARTY EMERGENCY


This is Sunday March 3, 2013 and B.C.’s Liberal Premier Christy Clark will either decide or be told what the near future holds for her as the party leader and provincial premier. Today at 4PM an emergency meeting of her Cabinet may offer her three options: 1) Clark steps down; 2) Clark stays but the cabinet distance themselves from her; 3) Cabinet manages all issues from now on.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

RAY FERRIS' RESPONSE TO TURPEL-LAFOND's COLONIST ARTICLE

Photograph by: LYLE STAFFORD, Times Colonist
Today, the Times Colonist newspaper published Ray Ferris's most recent letter to the editor. He writes in reference to Sunday, February 24th's Colonist article entitled, "EVERY CHILD DESERVES A HOME," which was written by B.C.'s Representative of Children, Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond. Ray's letter was published with the subject heading, 'Provide foster parents with long-term guarantee'. Ray gave me permission to print it here in its entirety without alteration.