“It is a first. I have never seen such a blatant defacement of our sacred symbol and believe that if other Canadians could see it, they’d be as outraged as I am,” says Bill Maxwell, who is secretary of the Legion’s Poppy and Remembrance Committee.
A young man lies in prison waiting a bail hearing for tagging the cenotaph. That the 21 year old full comprehended what he did or even had any true disrespectful intent to the memories of soldiers is probably not likely.
In 2016 it’s interesting how people’s perceptions can be so separate from reality. Hundreds of people are up in arms over the tagging that could easily be cleaned up, yet when the above statement from the Legion was quoted, it had nothing to do with the tagging, but an adult who used the image of the beloved poppy as a symbol to one of his online cohorts after they had been suspended from facebook while both were participating in a hate group.
If you truly respect what the poppy represents does it matter whether it is digital or an aging hunk of stone? In 2016 more people are liable to see a digital image than visit the cenotaph. And while the cenotaph can be cleaned, a digital image can be shared and spread by the World.
What makes this hypocrisy even worse is that when the former Liberal MPP Jim Brownell, honorary Lt. Colonel of the SD&G Highlanders was shown the text and image his quote was that he was not his brother’s keeper which is exactly what our armed forces are and why we so cherish the symbolism of the poppy and what it stands for as well as the monuments we erect across our country.
Here is his response after being showed the image and other evidence from the hate group that he himself also participated in using his profile picture of him in uniform.
I am not my brother’s keeper, but I can still be a friend with my brother, even if I do not believe in or agree with comments from my brother. The same goes for my friend. I don’t abandon family or friends, just because they write or say something I don’t agree with. So stay out of my life, and don’t try to make me feel guilty, because I DON’T FEEL GUILTY, IN ANY WAY!Jim
For the Poppy to be used to symbolize someone that was active in a hate group that has now been disbanded after a number were sued and sanctioned by facebook itself, and for Mr. Brownell to condone it is utterly insidous.“I’m saddened to learn of this cowardly act of vandalism towards Cornwall’s cenotaph and all that it represents. It boggles my mind that an act of disrespect, like this, was made to a monument that should be regarded as sacred. When will they ever learn the meaning of respect and remembrance?” added former MPP and Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders, Jim Brownell.
Fine Cornwall politics at work again. Perception is reality; reality is perception. O’Byrne was charged Browell wasn’t. Does this actually surprise anyone? It doesn’t surprise me. The kid needs community service….talk to vets then talk to schools, etc. on what vets have done for us.
The minute the Glens saw the evidence, and they did, Brownell should have been asked to resign. He wasn’t. Again, partisan political machinations over what the unit and troops stand for. Very ugly.
What I came away with all the years that I have lived in Cornwall was that those at the top hired their lawyers to get their kids and themselves out of big troubles and you wouldn’t see their names printed in the papers. If you were just the average joe your name was dragged through the toilet papers of record and treated like dirt. There are two sets of laws one for the rich and one for the res
Clique, clique
so sad
Are platitudes all that our ex-MPP can spout?
Well, not surprising given his seat warming days in the legislature …empty words, empty actions. The guy’s greatest achievement in office was to desecrate holy burial grounds with flags. Another misappropriation of resources at Queen’s Park was our Jim.
Hypocrite? Maybe. Consistently irrelevant? For sure.
Jim Brownell needs community service as well – what a disaster he is to represent you in SD&G. I will never go back – I feel way too ashamed of Cornwall. All good people (most of them anyway) want to leave by hook or by crook. What a huge embarrassment. Brownell should leave his post.
Jules, regarding your comment about the 2 sets of laws. One is called the justice system which is for the wealthy and those with status. The other is the legal system which is for us regular folk, and that may be on the poor side of society. I have always know Mr.Brownell as a hypocrite since grade 7+8 25 years ago, where he treated students unequally. Rich kids from island 17 were favored by him.
Jerry thank you for what you said. My mom babysat for a rich family in Cornwall way back in the 60’s and part of the 70’s who had a cottage on Island 17 and the worst SOB’s that you want to know. The kids would get in trouble and the old man had the money to bail them out with lawyers. Why do you think I left Cornwall – all because of people like that which I call scumbags.
Jerry this world is as corrupt as can be and no place to run. Mom babysat for many well to do families in Cornwall and they all had their noses in the air but honestly Jerry they didn’t have anything in their fridge to eat and steaks were for their company to “put on airs” and the children ate kraft dinner and the like. Jerry that is Cornwall’s mentality of thinking that they are something.
The people of Cornwall have to change their ways of living and not let themselves be put down by those rich scumbags. I cannot stand Brownell or any of them and I have seen more than my share of such a bunch of no goods who think that they are better than others. I have seen it in all the high schools that I attended in Cornwall – I was trying to get into a French program and I did in the end.
Mr. Editor, Poor little Jimbo, his biggest problem was that he NEVER, got out of our former MPP John Cleary’s shadow. As many would agree, John cast a huge shadow ! lol He was a quiet humble man, shunned lime-light, but was a work-horse of a member. Little Jimbo, attained little to no credibility in Queens Park & was not really missed when he left.
Bill it’s been alleged that many young men around Queen’s Park miss Mr. Brownell greatly for his friendship and generosity…..
Hugger the law is garbage and I mean garbage when Jimbo Brownell wasn’t charged for his offence and the young man was charged. Some law that Cornhole has and yes it is Cornhole to the fullest extent. There is no law in Cornhole at all and that is the truth. Cornhole is the most rediculous and awkward town there is in the country – hillbillie town.
Jerry I just started to listen to one of my favorite people Gerald Celente and I will continue listening tomorrow. I love what he says about justice and that is JUST US. I was just listening to him speak to that interviewer Greg and I bookmarked it for tomorrow. I love this guy so much and he tells the truth even about the toilet papers of record. Love you Gerald. LOL LOL.
Jules, I like to listen/watch Gerald Celente on youtube. He has a perfect grasp on what’s going on in society today. I’m making plans for my teenage offspring to leave Cornhole and attend post secondary education elsewhere. There is NOTHING here for the youth. Every new dwelling built here is for the rich/elderly. Jobs are a joke and “careers” are non existent unless you’re connected. Disgusting.
Hey clown townsil, how about some nice NEW apartment buildings for us regular working stiffs? Every time a new condo or dwelling is announced, I don’t care. You either have to buy them for quarter million, or rent for $2500 per month. B.S. How about an affordable high rise apartment building for us working class? Seems everything is for the elderly, rich or poor. Beg my pard for that outburst.
Jerry people have to examine what careers or professions where they can get hired into without problems. The government statistic of Ottawa’s unemployment was 6.9% just last week and of course the real figure is double or maybe triple. People with university degrees are flipping burgers at MacDonald, etc. Some of the managers at my daughter’s employment work the cash registers as well.
Jerry Corhole has been run into the ground a long time ago and what the “so called Corhole elite” did was to make Cornhole a retirement town. Nobody who is looking for a future, a career or profession can live down there. My husband and I are now retired and we rent expensively because Ottawa and other big cities are very expensive to live but we live mighty frugal.
ApartmentS for regular working Joe’s or people aren’t being built as the profit margin isn’t there. Profit margins in new apartment buildings are razor thin. And apartments for people on assistance aren’t being built because the province hasn’t funded any new construction in years.
Jerry my apartment building was built in 1972 and there is more work to be done on this place than what you can ever dream about. The owner said that it costs an arm and a leg to own even his own house and he said that if you don’t make a business where you profit from the house then it becomes a money pit and the super said the same thing. You can lose everything overnight.
Which was why it’s utterly counter productive to allow current inventory to go condo as Elaine MacDonald led in the Glengarry Apt Complex.
Jerry I was just talking to my husband about the prices of condos in Cornhole and he said that it is rediculous. He said to me “can you imagine how much our house would cost just now in Cornhole” and he said that in Cornhole you have land whereas here in Ottawa you get a postage stamp lot and that is so true. My neighbors lots (single homes) are like a townhouse lot – no kidding.
Jamie are you talking about the Glengarry apartments or the Glengarry townhouses? Hubby just said that Cornhole would be great for old geezers like us and I said “over my dead body and beyond the grave” and he turned kind of pale for a brown skinned man. LOL LOL. ROLF!
{MODERATED} Jules please try to post remotely related to the story subject. Thanks
I certainly hope you aren’t referring to the apartment buildings at 625 – 645 Glengarry Blvd. IMHO those buildings barely qualify as apartment buildings. To convert them to condo ownership makes no sense.
Hugger you are absolutely right about those apartments. I have visited those apartments twice because I had a friend who lived in one and they are so mighty small that they are not worth the money. Those are for rentals only. Cornhole does not have good places to live at all for rentals. Condos and houses in Cornhole are way over priced and of course all of Canada is way over priced.
The townhouses on Glengarry Blvd. are both owned and rented. Knowing what I know here in Ottawa I wouldn’t buy nor rent any such thing. What am I talking about I wouldn’t buy period after what we have been through. Fixing up those townhouses on Glengarry Blvd. into condos would cost a pretty penny in this day and age and not worth the money nor the time.