Standard Free Holder Apologies to Councilor Andre Rivette Over Claude McIntosh Hatchet Story – Cornwall Ontario

Claude McIntosh with Ed Lumley

CFN –  Imagine waking up to phone’s ringing and reading in the paper that you somehow abused your power of position and did wrong doing?  Imagine the impact on yourself and family?  That’s exactly what happened when Standard Freeholder writer Claude McIntosh wrote his usual weekly piece

Councilor Andre Rivette and his family have some justice today as the Standard Free Holder printed “For the Record” statement of apology which categorically pointed out some of the inaccuracies  that Claude McIntosh wrote in his hatchet job on the Councilor and esteemed member of the police board.

The Coffee Break column of July 14th carried several inaccuracies regarding a traffic stop by a city police officer.

more…

Coun. Andre Rivette, a respected member of the police services board, was a passenger, not the driver, he was not asked to show his driver’s licence and ownership.   There was no verbal disagreement between the councillor and the officer.

and finally…

We apologize to Coun. Rivette for any embarrassment the inaccuracies in the column may have caused him.

There was no McIntosh column on the Free Holder’s website as of 7:50 AM.  (it’s usually posted Friday nights.)   It was in Saturday’s print edition.

Speaking with Councilor Rivette this morning he had the following to say:

I’m very happy with Editor Brian Dryden’s actions to rectify this unfortunate situation that impacted myself and my family.

This of course is not the first time Mr. McIntosh has played footsie with facts.  We published a piece about him calling two well respected gentlemen jerks for statements that not only they didn’t make, but that Mr. McIntosh nor any Free Holder staffer was present to hear.

The biggest question of this situation is whether there are issues with the Cornwall Police when it comes to information?   There allegedly were only three people with legitimate access to this story and with all three stating they didn’t leak anything where did Mr. McIntosh get the seed to write his story?

Was he asked to write it by an interested party?  Did he hear police scuttlebutt (his son is an officer with the force) or did he just make up contents to suit the direction of his hatchet?

Mr. McIntosh did not personally apologize it should be noted.     Is this apology simply damage control?

Our Story link about the original incident.  LINK

Claude calling innocent people Jerks.  LINK

What do you think dear viewers?  Should any journalist be able to hurt people without some grasp of facts in the manner that Mr. McIntosh did?  You can post your comments below.

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35 Comments

  1. I hope that this apology is not the only one coming to Andre, Mac needs to fess up & tell just how he learned of this & why he lied,he has totally destroyed his name & should be fired, Kilger’s part in all this should be investigated further,We must get rid of this corrupt mayor before he does any further damage to Cornwall, We already are a laughing stock for all the bulling,payouts,smuggling & sexual abuse cases that got swept under a rug.We chase heroes out of town,like Jules has said, we all need to get more involved & stop behaving like a bunch of sheep

  2. Mr.Rivette if you haven’t already I would suggest retaining a lawyer & suing the crap out of SF!!!

    SF has ALWAYS been a poor example of journalism.

    There was a time,not long ago, SF never printed a word about SMUGGLING …Gee I wonder why????

    Thanks God for CFN-you guys are the BEST!!!!!

  3. Quite true Mariah, but it is our Councillors, that are no more than a bunch of sheep ? Except for Andre, they follow orders like a well trained lap dog.
    That’s why “the big flush” campaign is out of the blocks, on this first day of the Olympics. Next election day, we flush them
    all out of office !

  4. In both cases, the columnist left readers with false impressions that were highly injurious to those being gossiped about. I’m no lawyer but it spells libel to me.

  5. The S/F certainly took their own sweet time to make a half assed apology to Andre. It is also clear that they aren’t pushing for Corn. Police Chief to properly investigate if & by whom this story might have been leaked from our Police Dept. The S/F editor must know the truth of how this story came to be, Why isn’t he telling us the rest of the story? If we don’t get the rest of the story it will be a cover up. Is Kilger lying about this matter? We know for sure Mc Intosh was lying would it be to much trouble for him to fess up to the truth? Was his son in any way involved? This type of uncalled for press story can ruin a man. I previously had respect for Claude Mc Intosh now I think of him as being lower than a snakes belly. My respect for S/F is about the same.

  6. I’d be suing both McIntosh and the Freeholder for libel. It’s a little late for an apology now. The damage was done two weeks ago. Also, why doesn’t the apology appear in the on-line edition of the Freeholder? The libelous story certainly appeared there, where most people probably read it.

  7. Any comments from Chief Parkinson regarding the “TITANIC” sized leak at his Dept., or was he out of town again ?
    Highlander very true, thank God for the CFN ……

  8. WOW! I was so glad to come across this article after putting on my computer. This made my day for sure. I completely agree all the way and more with Mariah about throwing out the mayor Kilger and all the rest of the council which excludes André Rivette. When I look at that council I have such a good laugh that I cannot describe what I see. It looks so much like Boss Hogg and his cronies into no good and that Cornwall has become Hazard County along with Dodge City and Peyton Place. Don’t forget any of this when election comes up and they must go except for André Rivette. This “filthy jerk” Claude MacIntosh (this is the most decent name I can come up with to print) should never be given the power of the pen and should be sued for everything he owns by André Rivette. André get a lawyer from Ottawa and he or she will work for you and get paid when you win the case. Others have done it. Don’t just sit there like a bump on the log André and you are much better stuff than those rich “no good for nothings” down in Cornwall. I have absolutely no respect at all for any of them and would rather spit on all of them than to look at any of them. I have always felt that way and will always feel the same. These “rich jerks” should all be in prison like Willie Wise and more so for the dirty things that they did to people and still do in Cornwall. Cornwall is so mighty corrupt that it is rediculous. MacIntosh’s son must be “Roscoe P. Cotraine”. Now watch out for Roscoe I may curse and spit on the guy if I ever came across him. Cornwall has so much of families getting favors and they kick the little people to the curb. Well this made my day for sure.

  9. Forgive him, it’ll teach him a lesson.

  10. You may forgive this disgraceful act but it has already become unforgetable!

    The tone and manner in which the article was written was definetly vengeful and spearheaded by another source but WHO?????

    If anyone believes the Mayor, after everything that has happened between Bob and Andre, is not involved then they are not only foolish but blind to the facts that many of our figure heads have been abusing their power for far too long!

    Change is in the air and those who have supported such poor governance themselves are now doubting or seperating from the heard!

  11. What is this “rich” you people speak about? If those with council titles and city employees were “rich” do you not think they would find a better hobby?
    .
    And the article may be actionable but Andre doesn’t seem to be a vindictive character like whomever put MacIntosh up to this vicious stunt.

  12. It’s possible to clean out City Council & the Mayor as some do suggest but it will require a very strong effort. First good persons have to step forward willing to endure the battle. Next it’s the $$$ that will be required to succeed with the plan(that in itself would be a tall order) . Lets face the truth many of them are as two faced as anyone could possibly be, others are so far up Kilgers behinder that even their shoe laces don’t show,to them it’s normal I guess.It should also be noted the connections to the many groups one being Hart of the City & some of these so called good respectable persons have stooped so low as to do or attempt to cut off advertising to CFN . Great People What do you think?

  13. We won’t have to wait until next election. Hopefully we’ll get rid of Kilger & Company this coming December and good riddance to bad rubbish, all of them. You ask “Why December?” Well for all those wondering, please be advised that the world will be coming to an end on December 21, 2012. “How do you know that?” you ask. Ask the Mayan’s, their calendar ends on that day!

  14. “Cornwall Harry” the world is not coming to an end on December 21/12 so don’t talk silly. December 21st starts a new cycle when the age of Pieces finishes and we enter the age of Aquarius and that is what this Mayan Calender is all about. The Mayans were very advanced in astronomy, mathematics and many other things and even the ancient Egyptians as well but they were not talking about the end of the world. Instead it was entering a different era. I wouldn’t be surprised if the world ended one day but only God knows when and nobody else. We know that our world is mighty polluted but the Bible has to be fulfilled before that even happens and it is gradually being fulfilled even as we speak. Everything that is happening is in that Book I guarantee it.

    I would like to see Kilger and company long gone before that like this year if possible and it sure wouldn’t take no fictitious thing to get rid of him except from our own powers.

  15. I don’t subscribe to that rag SF and don’t know the full write up of that story or anything and I got a wrong idea when I read it. If I got the wrong idea then many people too would have fallen for that devious thing.

    I have read things that I cannot post here but I know fully well what is going on and I can assure you that it is a “witch hunt” against André. There is so much corruption going on that would make everyone’s head spin. It makes me sick to know this and want to see a really good cleanup done once and for all. There is this thing of favoritism and who is related to whom in certain places where they feel that they can do anything. I am surprised at Chief Parkinson of accepting all of this going on and should put his foot down once and for all and clean up his department. I read something and I won’t say it here but in order to have real justice done a clean up everywhere is a real necessity and for the well being of the community. This cannot continue to go on anymore.

  16. A libel suit against McIntosh and the Freeholder would probably be a slam-dunk for Mr Rivette, and it would also be a community service. Who is the next victim in their sights? If they get away with this, why wouldn’t they do it again?

  17. Ed you are absolutely right in what you said. Yes they would pick on somebody else besides André and they remind me of the schoolyard bullies even at their age because they never grew up. André your best bet is to make a suit against the rag SF and the jerk MacIntosh and Kilger. You need a lawyer from Ottawa and go to it.

  18. “Cornwall Harry” we are supposed to have 2 moons in the sky and a blue moon at that. This happened in 1950 and some other years before and even in the 1800’s and no the world is not coming to an end. I even heard that we can have two suns. These are mighty perilous times that we are living in that is for sure. We have some time yet to go before God calls it quits and makes a new world.

  19. Andre Your in a great position now to hire an out of this City lawyer & sue casting a wide net to get to the truth. This S/F art. by McIntosh Smeared you reputation & this I believe gives you just cause to get to the truth and will get for you financial compensation that you justly deserve. Andre you should seriously think about it.

  20. Apology too little too late. Damage has been done. SHAME on the STANDARD FREEHOLDER, KILGER and lap dogs on Council. Yes, they will all be flushed out soon enough. They can barley go a week without some form of corruption surfacing. Keep your head high Andre. You are the only council member with any integrity!!!!!

  21. I strongly believe that if Andre does not pursue this with a lawyer from Ottawa that Mac,Kilger & his sheep will indeed get away with injuring Andre’s fine character.Here is hoping that some old money families will step in to show him their support & financial support

  22. Author

    Bella on their home page they have Claude’s Sat column with the apology. An odd bit of page hustling….

  23. It’s an add on then, because it wasn’t there yesterday. Or there’d be more than 2 comments on it before they closed it.

  24. Author

    Bella it was added this morning. I’m kinda shocked that they’d reprint the original column with a July 29 date though.

  25. Looks like the folks at the Freeholder don’t know whether to poop or go blind at this point. I see no apology on their site, just a reprint of the original smear job. The arrogance is mind boggling.

  26. Well folks,as I previous stated,” it’s only the tip of the iceberg”, the meltdown has started and you might just see an empty council and mayorship yet, plus one hell of a lot of legal challenges with a lot of individual facing a financial lost as to those who figure they are safe within the disney wonderworld in cornwall.
    Let’s watch and see how the real games are going to be played out.
    Andre, in so far as I am concerned, you are in the driver’s seat now. I worked with you many years ago, YOU were a hard working and honest individual, saying it as it is and being human and still are to this day.
    Have a nice day,folks.

  27. If it wasn’t against the Law & after reading the reprint of McIntosh’s slur against Andre Rivette on line S/F my quick impression for a start was TAR & FEATHER the S/F Editor and Mc Intosh & ride them out of town on a rail. Guess I’ll have to confess this one. With any luck those two will have a confession to make for their lies they told & or coverup ,if not they may very well rot in hell. Andre Sue Them These bad actors shouldn’t get away with the smear to your good name.

  28. “Bigfellow” you are absolutely right about André being a very hard worker and honest. I knew André and his family since the 50’s era and they are very good and hard working people, honest and God fearing people. If I didn’t know who André was personally I wouldn’t be speaking up so highly of this man. He is an excellent person and his family as well. This is the only man who really works hard for the people of Cornwall. Way to go André and stick up for yourself. Get a lawyer and suit them all for this horrible write up. The police department is also responsible for this as well and you are to go against them as well. What goes on in the department is not to be leaked out and those responsible are to lose their jobs and be charged.

  29. Long Johns
    Standard Freeholder retiry Claude McIntosh was taken to jail last week after being pulled over for speeding on Nine Mile Road. Trying to relive the glory days of Cornwall when ever kid with a fast car headed out to the Nine to test their cars. After being smoked by a certain green Sunbeam Tiger V8 most slinked back home to re-read the horsepower figures in the new car leaflets
    McIntosh this week….
    WATCH IT: You know it’s a slow day on the crime front when city police set up a speed trap at their favourite spot on Power Dam Drive, between Tollgate Road and Saunders Drive, at the bottom of a hill in a secluded, non-residential area where, unlike some other areas of the city, nobody complains about speeding.

  30. I am not the short overweight guy who runs the Corn Free News
    from my mothers basement…i swear
    I am the editor of the Gluten free news service

  31. Author

    Short?

  32. Kind of rude truth…what does weight have to do with topic?

  33. Relax Jane
    Just testing Jamies tolerance level..which is pretty damn high
    It’s called pushing the boundaries of free speech
    The other newspaper can post a totally bogus story…Twice
    make a cheap apology two weeks later…and go on like nothing
    happened
    The whole thing stinks…cus to write that column..there has to be
    a reason..sorta like Watergate..where Nixon/Cornwall City Hall
    will do anything….to stay in power.

    This week..our right wing columnist…is bashing immigrants..who
    like it or not…build this country..and whom…now…we can’t do
    without as our birth rate is so low.

    by the way…im overweight and live with my cat…

  34. Check out the correction at Standard Freeholder

    Seems it was an OPP speed trap…not Cornwall police…sources say?

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