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Fighting the Darkness Within

J. Miller

Inira Press www.inira.org

Copyright 2009 J M Productions All Rights Reserved

James at the Warehouse Studios In Vancouver with the others involved in the recording of We Will Be There. (James top right)

This book is full of true stories which actually have happened within my life and family history. There is no chronological order to the stories. They are written as I recall them so enjoy the book and I hope in some way my life of ups and downs can help you or others. Depression is not to be taken lightly as it has a very dark side and needs to be taken seriously.

As I sit here in this box of an apartment on the sixth floor, I look out the window and see a green space littered with garbage and reminants of homeless people who spent some of the summer in the treed area. Now that it is winter, the trees have lost their leaves and you can see all of the garbage left behind. Between the homeless there and the local prostitutes servicing their endless stream of customer, it makes me wonder what I am doing here. 

Some days are better than others as at least I am looking out and thinking of something other than jumping. With bouts of severe depression I must admit that there are more bad days than good. With all I have seen and experienced in my lifetime along with the challenges I continue to struggle with, it shocks me to wake up some days and start over again. The depression is not something new, I have just spent most of my life making excuses and hiding it from others. Over the past several years though, it has gotten the best of me and there is no hiding it anymore. 

Living in Surrey was not my first choice but it is actually a growing city with alot of potential. Unfortunately the community, like most cities, has it's dark areas. Surrey has has a reputation of being a breading ground for whores and criminals. They have historically had crime issues and let's face it. The welcome signs all have the city mascot which is a beaver. Maybe instead of Mayor Watts spending millions to clean up the cities reputation, she could start with some gas and a chainsaw and cut the damned beaver from the welcome signs. 

Pretty much any blond joke you can think of, applies to Surrey girls. Such as, Why do Surrey girls wear panties? So the do not leave trails like slugs. What do you call a Surrey girl with a dollar on her head? All you can eat for under a buck. What is the difference between a Surrey girl and her mother? Five Bucks. What is the difference between McDonald's and a Surrey Girl? McDonald's has only served a billion. What does a Surrey Girl's mother tell her before she goes out on a date? Be in bed by 10 and home by 12. How does a Surrey girl turn on the lights after sex? She opens the car door. How do you know when a Surrey family has moved into your neighborhood? The garbage has been gone through and your dog is pregnant. I could go on all night but you get the  picture. 

As I said, Surrey is a growing city and is very dynamic. They are working on rejouvination plans which have been slowed by the international economic downturn. The olypics may be coming to the area but unfortunately, much of the money for the olympics is being spend outside of our borders. Just like the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan, the Olympics are a huge disaster which the general public is feeling like they have been lied to and decieved by the organizing committee and government on original cost projections and impact. The city of Surrey, like so many others had high hopes for the economic spinoff of the games but it will likely be no more than a financial disaster with the taxpayers funding it for years if not generations to come. The bright side of it is that all residents of BC will be able to compete in the paralympics as this is going to cost us an arm and a leg.

Don't get me wrong now as I support the Olympics being here and I feel every nation which is involved in the games has the obligation to host them at some point regardless as to the cost. It is just a shame that the powers that be did were not up front about the costs and instead continue to shuffle payment schemes to give the appearance of reduced costs. The funny thing is that if it were not for a major scandal based on false accusations and claims against me, I could have been one of the federal politicians dealing with the issues. You will read more about that later in the book. We have now come to a point that there are three instead of two common lies spoken in the province. The first is that the check is in the mail, the second we all know is a guy saying he will pull out in time and the third now is that the government always claims the Olympics will produce a profit. 

The benefit to hosting the Olympics is that we will see more people from around the world visiting Vancouver. It will be nice to see international politicians visit Canada as normally when criminals enter the country, they never leave. We should have a welcome sign along our shores that read, "Welcome to Canada. If you are a hard working honest person wanting to live here give up and just enter illegally. You will not be ejected even if you are a lazy, useless drug dealing murderer as long as you enter illegally." Canada is an amazing country of diverse and interesting culture but unfortunately, the government of today is so wrapped up in political correctness, they bow to the demands of any culture who enters the country and has not got the balls to say, "If you come to this country, we will welcome you with open arms and open hearts but if you can not adapt to our values and way of life, just turn around and get the fuck out."

There are certain cultures and countries in which people can actually take classes before they come to this country and learn how to screw over the system. How to get employment benefits, welfare, insurance claims and so much more all while getting free health care, education, business grants and more. Let's face it, we Canadians are just too god damned polite and sensitive to everyone else instead of protecting our history and heritage. Now the Sikh population in Canada goes back many generations. Tey have made many contributions and sacrifices in the name of country. One of the most recognized representations of Canada is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Now the Sikhs forced the RCMP to forgo the traditional uniform when they demanded to be able to wear turbans instead of the traditional RCMP hats. Now I do not see this as a race issue. I see it as a simple point that if you wanted to join the RCMP you should have to be subject to the same regulation hair cut as anyone else. If you can not cut your hair due to your religious convictions, that is fine, find a way to deal with your hair so that you can still accomodate the long traditional uniform of the institution which you are looking to join. I still have an issue when I see an RCMP badge fastened to the front of a turban instead of a traditional hat. It is just wrong. Now I am sure that some will be upset for my saying so but it is just one man's opinion which I have the balls to state while others silently feel the same way. 

Again it is not a race issue and if you go back through my family genealogy you would find that one of my great, great, great Great Grandfathers was actually the governor of Bombay from 1812 - 1819. I will provide you some more information below on him Sir Evan Nepean. Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC (July 9, 1751 or 1753, St Stephens near Saltash, Cornwall – October 2, 1822) was a British politician and colonial administrator.

Nepean entered the Royal Navy on December 28, 1773, serving on HMS Boyne as a clerk to Capt. Hartwell. He was promoted to purser in 1775. During the American Revolutionary War he served as secretary to Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, in Boston in 1776 and again at Plymouth (1777-78). From 1780-1782 he was Purser on HMS Foudroyant for Captain John Jervis (later Lord St. Vincent).

On March 3, 1782 (aged only 29) he was appointed Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. He served effectively there until December 1791, when he became Under-Secretary of State for War in 1794, secretary to the Board of Admiralty 1795-1804, Chief Secretary for Ireland 1804-1805, Commissioner of the Admiralty, and then governor of Bombay 1812-1819.

He was Member of Parliament for Queenborough from 1796 till 1802, then moving to Bridport where he remained until 1812. He was made a baronet in 1802 and was admitted to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1804.

Evan Nepean was the second of three sons of "Nicholas Nepean, Gent" and his wife, Margaret Jones. His father was Cornish and his mother was from South Wales. The name "Nepean" is thought to come from the village of Nanpean (“the head of the valley”), in Cornwall.

Nepean married Margaret Skinner, the only daughter of Capt. William Skinner, on June 6, 1782 at the Garrison Church at Greenwich. They had one daughter and four sons, including Sir Molyneux Hyde Nepean, 2nd Bt. and Maj.-Gen. William Nepean whose daughter Anna Maria Nepean married General Sir William Parke. Their youngest child, Rev. Canon Evan Nepean, became the Canon of Westminster and a Chaplain In Ordinary to Queen Victoria. Rev. Canon was also the great-great-grandfather of Fynvola MacLean, the mother of British film star Hugh Grant.

The city of Nepean, Ontario, Canada, the Nepean River thus Nepean High School, Emu Plains and Nepean District Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, the Nepean Highway from Melbourne to Portsea (and nearby Point Nepean) in the south east of Victoria and Nepean Bay where the South Australia Company came to Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, South Australia and two roads in Mumbai, India, Nepean Road and Nepean Sea Road, were all named after him.

Member of Parliament for Queenborough

1796–1801
Member of Parliament for Queenborough
1801–1802
Member of Parliament for Bridport
1802–1812
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
1782
Secretary of State for the Home Department
1782–1794

Under-Secretary of State for War
1794–1795
First Secretary to the Admiralty
1795–1804

Chief Secretary for Ireland
1804–1805

Governor of Bombay
1812–1819Succeeded by
Baronetage of the United Kingdom Baronet
(of Bothenhampton)
1802–1822
*Thank you to Wikipedia for the above. 

Well, let's move on and start telling my story. You will laugh and you will cry. You will feel sadness and joy but most of all I hope that you learn a bit about the effects that depression can have on ones life and when not treated, how it can be the long term key to continued self sabotage. It is OK to realize that you have depression as most people do at some point. What is important though is that you learn how to get help and make a change before it is too late. The loneliness and isolation is a true killer and continuing to hide it will only cost you the things and the people you love. Failed relationships, failed careers, failed businesses and generally a shitty life that you can not keep in control. I used to think that my family needed me to be strong, hide from the problems and be the rock. Instead, it was just that which made it worse and cost me those whom I love. Most days are dark and the feeling of being alone is one that I do not wish on anyone else. Your life spirals out of control and no matter what you do, it only seems to make it worse not better. So get help now before you get to that point. 

I have been the recipient of many honors and awards going back to my teen years. I have been featured in newspapers and television on business success . I am known around the world for my philanthropic work in the areas of youth crime and violence prevention. I have met world leaders, top celebrities in sports, music, film and television. I have had many successful careers and excel at almost all I do but I still can not control the depression and the self defeating behaviors which accompany that. Maybe it is severe depression, maybe bi-polar maybe something else. The one thing I know for sure is that I still allow it to control my life and can not seem to get ahead of it. 

Where it all Started

I was born a twin to a loving and caring mother and an abusive son of a bitch father. Fortunately in many ways he was out of the picture before my twin and I were out of diapers. After that my mother had another daughter before she met my step father. An uneducated man but one with amazing patients as he put up with my siblings and I when most sane men would have run like hell. If you ask him today why he fell for my mother and stayed he will tell you two things. First of all she would put up with him and more importantly he liked her ass. They are still together to this day and he still likes her ass. There have been many challenges and tribulations over the years but he is a hard working man with values and dedication to his family. Never in the years growing up or as adults has he ever made anyone of us feel less a part of the family than any other. He loved us and cared for us unconditionally even when we made it hard for him. It is a true sign of his character and why he holds the highest level of respect and appreciations from me and my siblings. 

Now as I said I was a twin so let me tell you a little about my womb-mate. John was born 2 minutes after I was so till this day I remind him that it may have only been two minutes, but I am still the older brother. Prior to John and I entering the world on that September day in 1971 my mother also has my oldest brother Robert who was put up for adoption. We would not learn about his existence until we were in our 30's. Then there was my other Older brother Steve. Next was Star who is the oldest sister who you will hear about throughout the book as well. The there was the older brother Shane whom when my mother had to go to the bathroom when John and I were little, she had to take him with her. She had to put a lock high up on the inside of the bathroom door so he could not reach it. He would genuinely attempt to kill John and I at any chance he was able. Unfortunately his psycho mentality did not fade as he grew up.

After John and I were born there were more children to my mother. Stacy came along just over a year after John and I. Then years later, in 1980 Danielle would be born. My biological father who is not much more that a walking sperm donor went on to whatever before he ended up with his current wife whom he has been with for many years. She had a son, Kenny who is older than I and then they has two more children together, My younger brother Donald and my younger sister Chrissy. All of us were born in Toronto but as you will read about, my mother and step father moved us to Vancouver when I was 9 years old. A move that would prove to be a great one over the years. 

When we were born and growing up we did not have much money. Even to say that is an overstatement. We were so poor that our mother would cut holes in our pockets just so we would have something to play with. Being gullible young children, she would tell us that if we were able to get close enough to a bird to put salt on it's tale, the bird could not fly away and we could have it as a pet. Needless to say we never did catch a bird but we were busy for many of hours on many of days trying. I am sure it offered her much needed entertainment as well, watching us kids try to run around the yard with the salt shaker. It is amazing that cats catch and kill birds. Those suckers are fast. 

I recall my mother buying powdered milk in large quantities to make sure we had enough to make it through the month. That and oatmeal was almost always at hand. There may not have been much but that was there. I recall her walking miles to and from work at the Canadian National Exhibition because she needed all of the money she could make to care for us. holes in her shoes and no matter how bad the weather, she did it. She did not have a drivers license and could not have afforded to drive even if she had. To this day she still takes the bus all over unless my Dad is driving as she still has never gotten her license. When we were about 5 years old we lived in a small town in Ontario called, Midland. My grandfather had lent us his car and I think he could have made the Guiness World Records for the most number of unpaid tickets stuffed into a glove box.

Midland was a nice small town where not much would happen. We lived in a small house on the side of the highway. Now how we ended up there I do not know. My step father who I am going to just refer to as my dad from ere forward as I do in life, was from the area. Not far away from Midland in the town of Victoria Harbor. He came from a large family which was by todays standards very dysfunctional. His father was an asshole who was abusive and  mean. My father had to quit school around grade 5 or six to help make money for the family before he took off from home. When he met my mother, his mother did not want him with her. She did not like my mother because she was older than he and she already had children. Maybe that is why he stuck around for all of those years. To prove something to his mother. Whatever it was we were lucky for whatever the reasons were. 

It could have also had something to do with my mothers family. Her mother died of cancer at a very young age. She was the oldest and only girl in the family. Her father was a drunk and would be found at the bar more than he could be found at home. My grandfather would enjoy his beer a little too much as he would also enjoy the street fights he could find while out on the town instead of being home looking after his kids. Many of times there would be so much spent on his drinking adventures that all the kids had at home for meals was bread and mustard. Mustard sandwiches were a common meal in the Graham household. She had younger brothers, Dougie, Barry and then the twins Ronny and Donny. As you can imaging, growing up in that environment the boys found themselves in all kinds of trouble growing up.

A life of alcohol abuse and substance dependency would haunt all of the Graham boys. Highly intelligent and tough from growing up as they had and an alcoholic abusive father, they used their talents and street smarts to get by much through crime than anything else.  Especially hard was Barry as he had a genius level IQ without the knowledge of how to use it. He bottled up the pain and anger he had until he was old enough to take it out on others who may or may not have deserved it at the time. He and Dougie were the mean tough fuckers who demanded respect where ever they went though sheer physical force. They would go into biker bars with friends or police hangouts just so they could pick a fight with everyone there and be the only ones who walked out uninjured. It was no wonder when we were little kids and my mother would be walking down the street with us and the police would stop her even with all of us kids around her. They would make threats to her aimed at my uncles and would even tell her to let them know they had bullets with my uncles names on them. Maybe it was after my mother witnessed a pregnant women shot in the stomach that we moved from the big city to the small town of Midland, I am not sure. 

McMolestation Do You Want Fries With That? 

The McDonald's brand name was one that was etched in our minds since we will little kids. I recall when we were about 8 years old and living in the city of Mississauga, Ontario. There was a Burger King and a McDonald's near the local shopping mall. It seemed that every few weeks either Ronald and crew were at the McDonald's or the Burger King and his crew were at the other. Sometimes, I recall them appearing respectively on the same days. It was always fun and coming from a poor family, it was great that they always had free things for us kids. An amazing marketing strategy by both corporations. 

I was not until I was about 13 that I realized the dangers of placed such as McDonald's when the key market are children. We now lived in Burnaby, British Columbia and would go to the McDonald's at Hastings Street and Alpha Avenue. There was a lady who worked there whom befriended myself and a few of my buddies. When we would go there she would give us free food and flirt with us. Being young teenage boys going through puberty you can imagine the effect that would have and why we enjoyed going there. After all here was a very attractive lady with long flowing blond hair flirting with us. Harmless enough or at least we thought. 

One day she invited myself and a friend named Kevin (but I will not release his last name here) to visit her at her apartment one day to hang out. her name was Tracy Lamb or Lumb. I am not sure which. It was probably not even her real name as I think about it now. Anyways, we went over to her apartment near Lougheed Mall as we had set up with her. When we arrived she was wearing a bikini and had been tanning on her balcony. She introduced us to her husband who we had not known about until that point. She went into her room and put on a t-shirt and shorts. When she came back they offered us a drink. We both accepted but thought it was a soda not a mixed drink. Not wanting to look stupid we decided to just drink it. The another. The next thing we know they are pressuring us to try smoking some weed. Being drunk already it did not take much pressure. 

Married or not we did not want to look stupid or for her to tell our other friends that went to the McDonald's that we were scared to try it. We played some video games and Tracy had gone to her room. Shortly after her husband also went to the bedroom. Another bit of time passed while we were playing video games and then her husband called us into the room. We sat on the edge of the bed talking as Tracy was laying down and her husband was laying next to her. 

He asked us what we thought of his wife too which we were a little shy to respond. I mean how do you tell a grown man that his wife is hot. He then started showing us some pictures of her topless which had been sitting on the top of the dresser.  We laughed and joked but what do you expect. here we are drunk and stoned in the bedroom of a lady we had the hots for and now her husband was showing us pictures of her topless and asking if we liked her tits. We finally agreed that they were awesome. He then asked if we wanted to see the real thing. We did not know what to say at that point. He got her to take off her top and show us her tits. She did and seemed eager to do so. The he encouraged us to play with her tits. It took some convincing from both of them as we were drunk and stoned but now it was still getting strange and uncomfortable. regardless we complied after a short time. The they brought out some coke and with everything else I figured what the hell. I did some coke and Tracy was wanting me to play with her tits some more. Kevin was out for the next few hours after the coke. he left the room and went to sleep on the couch. Now Tracy was talking dirty and had removed her shorts and bikini bottoms. Her pussy was on full display. She and her husband were telling me what to do at this point and I followed as I was told now. Playing with and exploring every part of her womanhood. She was now getting my clothes off and started giving me my first blowjob. 

As the afternoon progressed I had also lost my virginity to her while her husband watched and directed almost as if he was making a movie. I do not recall if he had taken any pictures as I was so drunk and stoned along with the sex. Then I noticed that he had taken out his dick and was jacking off and wanted me to do it for him. That is where I was starting to realize just how far in over my head I was. I got freaked out at that point and said I did not realize the time and that I really had to leave quickly. Unfortunately Kevin was still passed out on the couch. I was able to wake him but he could not really focus to well on anything. Tracy and her husband suggested he have a fast shower before we go to wake him up so he would make it home. 

Kevin agreed and he went to the bathroom. Tracy had gone in as well to get the shower water running. She came out for a few minutes and I do not know what she and her husband were talking about and giggling but at that point all I wanted to do was get out of there but could not leave Kevin behind. A few more minutes passed and Tracy said she was just going to go in and check on Kevin. She went in there and removed her clothes and joined him in the shower also giving him a blowjob. 

When they finally came out of the shower and bathroom, Tracy and her husband were trying to get us to stay. We left and went to the bus stop for the trip home. We avoided the McDonald's for a few weeks after that and when we did go in we had thought she was not working. It turned out she was working on what was usually her day off. She saw us and come over. She said that she and her husband wanted us to come and visit again. She threatened to rat us out for drinking and doing drugs to our parents. She said that she would tell them that we had shown up at their place drunk and stoned and that they looked after us until we were ok to go home. She convinced us that we would be the ones in major shit and that they could deny their role in what they had done. 

Kevin had to go to visit his father or somewhere the following weekend and was freaking out that he could not go and what was going to happen. I told him that I would go and explain that you tried hard but you could not get out of the visit to your dads. That calmed him down and I went there the following weekend. Drinking, the drugs the sex it all happened again. This time I guess I had gotten the liquid courage from the alcohol or maybe the drugs or just the fear but I finally insisted that it stop and they leave us alone. If not I did not care if I got in trouble, I would tell someone anyways. 

Shortly after I heard that she was no longer working at McDonald's. She had apparently gotten pregnant and she and her husband were moving. I was relieved that they were gone and so was Kevin. We had only spoken about it to a few close friends and one of whom, Lance was twisted enough he actually wanted to go to her place but thank god he did not. As I said though they were now gone. I wonder every once in a while if it could be possible that the child she was pregnant with could have been as a result of the sex we had. After all, I was 13 and wore a condom but it was the first time and I like most guys their first few times had no idea as to what I was doing. Besides they are not perfect. Maybe that is why they were molesting young boys. Maybe her husband could not knock her up and wanted someone else to do it so they could have a child without any complications, figuring they will never get caught for what they were doing. 

Over the next few years though I continued to use drugs and alcohol trying to shake the feelings. More than anything else it was the feeling of guilt that I stood up to them that time alone and it worked. I kept thinking that I should have kept control the time before and not been effected by the alcohol, drugs and hormones so bad and kept my friend from being molested or that if I had not freaked out at seeing her husband masturbating himself while he watched and trying to move on me, Kevin would have been OK. It lead from one thing to another but at least I was able to hide it most of the time. Even in school I was able to hide being stoned. I almost got caught once but made up some cover story which was accepted by the teacher. 

This led to years of sliding down hill and not being able to focus on school and other things I had enjoyed. Being kicked out of schools, hanging with other people who were doing drugs, babysitting for a few bikers who would always leave cocaine around and offer it to me. I would accept and pretty much get paid for babysitting with cocaine. All of this and I was barely 14 by this time. I had contacted the Burnaby McDonald's years later about what had happened and they wanted nothing to do with it. I was looking at that time to find out if they still kept records on employees that long and if they would provide the information on her to the Burnaby RCMP if I made a formal complaint. The last thing they wanted is for this to hit the media and they brushed it under the carpet. I am surprised they did not offer me fries with my complaint. 

Maybe the next time you think about sending your child to your local fast food outlet, keep this in mind as it happened and it seems that McDonald's is a non assuming place for perverts and molesters to work and get to know your children and interact with them. They have way too many employees and customers to monitor what is going on but you as a parent have a duty. Be warned about the risks to your children. 

Running For Federal Office and Running From the Media

Above - Actual Federal Election Sign For 2008 Canadian federal election

Through many years of assisting people in all areas of need, James decided to take a natural step into politics. It was seen as a great way to stand up for what is right and help other people,who all too often do not have a voice in parliament. James has worked in many areas of business, government and non-profit organizations. Now it was time to move to the next level. Unfortunately, things were about to take a very drastic step into darkness. 

A year earlier James had threatened to call the police on a youth. In an attempt to protect himself and his girlfriend from police trouble the youth made a false claim of abuse against James. The youth said that if James was to call the police on him and his girlfriend, he would claim James had sexually abused him. James spoke to the youths mother and told her to get the kid help and that she must call a social worker to get him that help. The youth had before made false accusations of James beating his children and of being an alcoholic among other things. The investigation into the allegations was mandatory by the Ministry of Children and Families. They also by law must initiate a police investigation. 

The Ministry of Children and Families continued the investigation and during which he lost custody of his 10 year old son and when the Ministry closed the file and left the custody and visitation up to James and his ex. Unfortunately when the political race started a year later, the police and crown decided to make a high profile case against James at a time when the government was taking heat over not acting to protect children. They used this as an opportunity to shift focus away from themselves. Further, there were political influences involved in the case being pushed forward. In the police file it was even brought up about the claimant only trying to discredit James and retaliated for the threat to call the police on the youth and his girlfriend. During the police investigation the Ministry of Children and families named James in an application to the courts over custody and visitation in a totally unrelated matter. They presented their case to the judge based that they were making an application for custody of a necie of James's to be placed in the care of James' older sister and that James would have regular contact with his neice which was of benefit to the child. It would seem that if the Ministry of Child and Families felt James was any risk what so ever or that there was any fraction of truth to the false claims made against him, the Ministry would not now be making James' involvement with an infant a positive influence in the court decision of the care of the infant. Further demonstrating the political influence in the case by the police and crown being pushed forward after almost a year of investigation. 

Regardless, there was a reporter at the Vancouver Province Newspaper whom had been made to look foolish and unprofessional in the past got wind of this story and some other false information. She ran with the story and by the end of the day the media circus had begun. TV Crews were shining lights and cameras through the windows of James' home trying to get footage of James and his one son who still resided with him. His son had friends over who also hid from the cameras when they were shining in the windows. James' lawyer had requested a media ban in court and the judge granted it. Unfortunately, the BC Courts do not penalize media outlets for reporting information anyways so they did. The phone rang constantly and media were hounding James and his son along with his son's friends who came and went.

Thr province newspaper reported on this and some other information which the province did not report on all of the facts nor did they even check their information before printing slander and liable against James. Some political pundits before the scandal broke had thought that James actually had a chance to win the election for the electoral district. A good reason for some political persons to fear that James would win as an independent candidate. Especially when the major federal political parties could not afford to loose any seats in the election as it was going to be such a close race. 

Some of the claims the Province reporter made against James in attempts to discredit him we as follows but not only these claims. 

James claims to have driven for Greyhound Canada and did not. - Response - James did drive for Greyhound Canada Transportation Corporation. While there he was also the Financial Secretary of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1374 representing Vancouver based operators. He left Greyhound as a result of suffering from PTSD after being involved in a fatal accident in which he was not at fault. He assisted the driver of a mini van but even though he had first aid training could only let the driver know he was not alone as he drowned in his own blood. The drivers voice through the gargling blood asking James for help was a sound that he still hears in his sleep and wakes him at night. 

James has claimed to have a book being released though Rowman and Littlefield Education Publishing which is not true. The reporter did not check her facts thouroughly enough as James' Publisher at Rowman and Littlefield was Ted Koerner and instead she claimed it waas untruth. Further, James had a copy of the signed contract with Rowman and Littlefield. She ignored that information so she could continue to discredit James in her newspaper columns. 

James claims to have hosted the Western Chapter of the Canadian Academy of Film and Cinema Golf Tournamnet. She spoke with someone in the Eastern Offices of the organization and asked if I had hosted their tourney and of course was told no which she published to further discredit James. Instead she should have contacted Judy Jackson-Rink at the Western offices which she could have easily done had she wanted to and confirmed that James had indeed hosted the tourney and co-hosted the auction during and after the event dinner and dance. Since her interest was in discrediting James and not the truth, she continued to work on her own agenda. 

James had also been involved in assisting an organization which was made up of families of violent crime victims. His production company had produced several multimedia presentations for this group and another group which the first group guaranteed payment for. Further, James' limousine and transportation company had offered the organization an opportunity to be involved in a cross promotion and fundraising event. The group would promote the Limousine Service through their email database and in turn James' limousine company would donate a portion of proceeds from any reservations and the group would issue a tax deductible receipt for the donations. James also provided the group with some free limousine services for the boards personal use to and from meetings, discounts for one of the director's exchange students to go on a sightseeing tour etc. One of the clients the grouped booked for was a wedding. It turned out to be a disaster. The newly weds fought in the car, opened the door on the highway and caused extensive damage to the limousine. It resulted in thousands of dollars in losses for repairs and out of service time during one of the busiest times of year for the industry.  Further the couple did not even pay their bill. 

James found that the organization was actually not even allowed to issue tax receipts as they were not officially registered as a legal charity with revenue Canada. So in the end what could have raised about $700 for the organization cost james thousands in addition to them failing to pay his production company for the multimedia production which they had already publicly used and also had online. James with held the $700. payment to the organization and was looking to resolve the issues such as the organization assisting with the collection of monies from the couple they had booked the limousine for and caused all of the damages and losses. Instead the organization told James that they wanted the cash or they would use the media to make he and his business look bad. they knew Katie Mercer at the Province and as Katie was already looking to destroy his election campaign and this fit perfectly into her plan as she ran the one side of the situation. 

With all of this press coverage James was not able to leave his house. His financial contributors turned their back and failed to follow through on financial commitments made to the campaign. This left James on the hook for accounts such as signage which could now not be paid out. Other things such as even his rent payments could not be made. He stalled his landlords off but one of them was a reporter for a local TV station and she fabricated some emails to make James look even worse in an attempt to gain a more secure position in the media industry. They were also having financial challenges and she had been trying to get employment with other media outlets in Vancouver. James had even given her some leads in the industry. This was an opportunity for her to get recognition in the local media market and she exploited the situation. 

Poonam Bains was her name and now she does have a better position in the Vancouver media market. She had supplied copies of confidential emails plus fabricated emails to the reporters in order to further promote herself and advance her career. Poonam and her husband made death threats against James in order to force him out of the rental property in addition they refused to allow him to empty out the contents of the garage which included one of his sons classic book collection which had been passed down to him from his sons great grandfather.  

With everything going on at this point James was sinking further back into his depression. His world was coming down around him. His business was dead, his financial outlook was dismal. His friends and family were distancing themselves from the media storm. James was starting to isolate himself and sink deeper into the darkness. His book deal with Rowman and Littlefield Education Publishing was placed on hold. Things could not have looked darker. Or so he thought. As you read through the book, you will see that things did get worse and much darker for James. 

Even with the scandal getting major media coverage thoughout Canada and around the world, it was too late for James to drop out of the election. His name remained on the ballot. Amazingly, he did not come in last place even in light of the continued barrage of media coverage of the false claims made against him. Although he was far behind the top parties in the election results, he was not last and had he been able to run the full campaign probably would have won as predicted by some pundits before the Province went on their campaign to destroy him based on false allegations and reporting on blatently false facts. 

The actual election results were as follows;

District   Conserv.    Liberal     NDP        Green

APEC 1997 - If RCMP Security is the Same For 2010 Olympics We Are Screwed

Months of preparation and planning could be an understatement for the hours and work which went into the 1997 APEC Summit by James. Responsible for delegate transportation for countries including;

• Mexico

• United States

• Brunei

• Japan

• Peoples Republic of China

• Canada

• Chile

• Philippines

• Australia

• Indonesia

• Malaysia

• Hong Kong, China

The only non government related client during the APEC Summit was the Fox News Network. James had started months before the summit negotiating with international governments and securing the contracts. This would mean not only an increased business revenue of over half a million dollars during the summit but also the need to develop a specialized driver training program to ensure the safety and security of delegates. Over 120 extra drivers would have to be hired for the summit and trained in addition to filing all RCMP and APEC security applications and clearance forms for each member of the driving staff and office staff. 

There were some issues in planning and coordinating all of the regular and temporary drivers in addition to bringing in additional vehicles to the fleet for the summit. James attended meetings at consulate offices, travel offices and other locations for various international clients and to meet with the RCMP officials in regards to planning and logistics. At one such meeting which was in relation to the Peoples Republic of China and that meeting was held at the offices of the Chinese Travel offices on Broadway in Vancouver. The RCMP were present for the meeting and logistics and security were the subject of the meeting. It was anticipated that there would be protesters targeting the Chinese delegates in relation to human rights issues. 

During the meeting one of the hot topics was that the Chinese officials and the RCMP were instructing James that in the event that protesters breach security areas and blockades, the vehicles are not to stop moving. If protesters get in the way of the vehicles, the vehicles are to continue moving and push through the protesters no matter what. I guess you could say that was the first protest of the APEC Summit as James told them that under NO circumstances would any person under his supervision make intentional contact with any protester with the vehicles and if that meant coming to a full stop and awaiting RCMP to clear the way, that is how it was going to be. James informed them of the sheer ignorance and liability issues of such action. I clearly told them, "If a protester is injured regardless of the situtation as a result of intentional contact with a vehicle driven by one of my staff, it is myself and the driver who will have to live with the results in addition to the law suits. We will operate with the safety of every person in mind." James says. 

They were not pleased with the response but they had to accept it as the way it was going to be. No other company in the city would follow such a directive and the odd ones that would were not in a position in which they could facilitate the number of drivers, vehicles and paperwork in time for the summit. I know the directive came from high up in Ottawa and maybe as high as the Prime Ministers office but I would not risk the liability of myself, my staff or any protester. When the security lines were breached during the summit and protesters were pepper sprayed, it was a risk the protesters took when they breached the line. When police were over zealous in their actions in other non-secured areas, they were wrong. Regardless, it resulted in a very long and costly inquiry. I felt it was a waste of time and money. They protesters and police should have just accepted that each acted in a way which was wrong, shook hands and went their own ways. The PM's office should have just come clean and appologized. 

I wanted both sides to just move on and felt that any inquiry would be a waste of tax payer dollars and produce no real answers or results. Everyone should have just used it as a learning lesson and moved on. Unfortunately the RCMP were in self preservation mode and wanted to cover up what ever they could. They made it a point to make sure I was warned that if I brought up the meetings and conversations which took place and other security issues regarding security clearance screw ups which could have been much more deadly than the protester breaches, that they would "take care of me". I took that as a direct threat against my safety and life. I kept quiet for several years but at one point during the inquiry I did forward some details but was not asked to testify or anything else. 

Several days into the summit all drivers which were on duty to handle delegates in secured areas and otherwise had been issued security clearance identification cards. This gave them direct access to secured areas and direct contact with delegates and world leaders. The RCMP made contact with me to inform me that some drivers had identification cards issued in error and that they were needing to be taken back. These were issued to people with records and may or may not pose a risk to the safety of delegates and world leaders. This was a major screw up by the RCMP and APEC related security. One of these individuals it had turned out to have a history of drug running, driving get away vehicles in armed robberies, and a long history with organized crime. I went through all of my security processes and protocols and trusted the RCMP to properly screen all of the applications before issuing security clearance id's. If the 2010 Olympic Games are handled in the same manner and they screw up again like that, it could be disastrous given the risk of international terrorism in todays world.

This should not come as surprise to many as the Canada / US security measure in Vancouver have been so faulty for years and continue to be so. Let's look at Vancouver docked cruise ships. When buses arrive at cruise ship terminals some underpaid rent-a-cop asks to see the bus drivers license before being allowed into secured areas. This includes under Canada Place Pier which is not only a huge target as to the majority of cruise passengers are american but also as a target against Canada as it is also home of the Pan Pacific Hotel, The Vancouver Trade & Convention Center and the World Trade Center. But instead of real police officers there who could actually run the drivers license when presented, the security guard writes down the name and drivers license number on a clip board. We all know that no terrorist who was going to drive a bus full of explosives into the underground secured area there would want to produce a drivers license before they kill themselves and tens of thousands of others. 

The the passengers are loaded into the bus. Americans get to leave the cruise ship and board the bus in secured zones. As the cruise ship is considered "American Soil" they get to bypass customs at the airport. Before the bus leaves the secured area at the cruise terminal they have a seal placed on the door of the bus so that if the front door is opened, security is breached and everyone has to go through security at the airport. Now the doors to the luggage bays under the buses are not sealed and if the bus has a rear entrance for wheelchairs that door is also not sealed with a security tag. I mean let's face it, terrorists who plan for months and years to carry out terrorist actions would never think to use a rear door. 

When busses arrive at the airport and clear security the seal is removed and before they are allowed into the actual secured area, the driver must again exit the bus, show the rent-a-cop at the airport the drivers license which he does not even record. Further, luggage doors are opened and the security guard looks in froma distance to ensure it is only luggage under the bus. Let's again face the reality. Do you think a terrorist would ever think of putting explosives into a suitcase.  

So if as much though went into the 2010 Olympic Security as has gone into these areas, we are all fucked. Some people may be pissed off that I have pointed these holes out but let's face it. Better the truth come out now rather than after it is too late. If they do not fix these holes, there will be serious problems during the Olympics. They have already under projected the cost of Olympic Security in addition to spread the actual costs and payments out throughout various government ministries and levels to hide the actual costs and liabilities. 

After APEC was over the company which I had been employed as a manager failed to pay out my salary and benefits of around $40,000. The family owned Classic Limousine and Charter Bus Service, owned by Sybarite Investments and the Bodnarchuck family also ripped off drivers for huge amounts of money. They failed to make payroll and bounced driver's paychecks right before Christmas. Amazingly when they could not afford to pay drivers, they could afford to pay cash for new buses for other family owned companies registered away from Classic Limousine. I was told by the owners that it would be fine and I would be paid in full if I kept quiet about what they were shorting drivers. I refused and spoke to the media and encouraged the drivers to take action as allowed under the BC Labour Code and the Federal Labour Code. They also wanted me to keep quiet about the owners padding the bills to governments and delegates for services provided. The biggest over charges were against the Japanese government through Tourland Travel and the Japanese Tourism Board by Classic Limousine Owner(s). The owners of Classic told them that I was causing issues for the company and had been let go. They further convinced the people dealing with the billing for the Japanese payments that they should not speak to me. They did not and I am sure they got screwed in the scheme by Classic. I never did get paid out by Classic and the owners. Further years later when they went bankrupt, I informed the trustee that I was still owed money but they failed in their legal obligations and duties by not including it in the debts owed by the company. 

I went to meetings with other transportation companies to find employment after being fired by Classic for telling the truth and helping the driver's get what was owed to them. That was fine with me as I would have rather lost the $40,000. by backing the drivers whom I had hired and worked with than to get the money, keep my job and become as sleazy as the owners. Karma is a bitch and it will always catch up with you. Unfortunately Classic owners threatened several companies with lawsuits if they hired me as I had a non-compete clause in my contract with Classic. Although they knew it was not enforceable it would cost in terms of the legal proceedings and even if Classic was ordered to pay costs when they lost, everyone knew they would never be able to collect from the slezebags. I had informed the offices and delegates I had taken care of during the summit of the payment issues but even they would not hold back from Classic and pay me directly for my contracted work. That is when I lost respect for the Japanese government, Chilean government, Chinese and others as they had worked with me first hand every step of the way, I also had the signed contract which they could have seen at any time if they wanted to. Instead they helped screw the one person who worked non-stop for months to ensure they were taken care of way above and beyond. 

I did however leave with the respect of my staff and drivers in addition to knowing I did the right thing. It cost me huge but it was worth it in the long run. During APEC, I had one employee who had great experience in driving school buses in Northern British Columbia in all kinds of weather conditions. She was a single mother and was doing very well at the job. After a 48 hour run with no sleep I was exhausted. It was getting late and I knew I had to driver from my office near the Vancouver Airport to the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Vancouver to check in with one of my site supervisors working with the Japanese delegation. This female driver came up to me as I arrived and was very nervous. She said that she needed to talk to me and that it was very important. I told her it would have to wait as one of the site supervisors had set a meeting up before I got there and although I was not happy about that surprise meeting I had to attend it. I now only had 5 hours to finish the meeting, get home, get some sleep and get back to the office.