Merlyn Kinrade (CANACE)

Merlyn Kinrade passed away on October 06, 2012:

VoiceofCanada, Oct 07/12: Merlyn Kinrade passes — Caledonia, Six Nations, Canada & Israel lose a patriot and friend

————————-
Merlyn Kinrade has lived more than 60 years of his life in Caledonia and works full time to end race-based policing and landclaim lawlessness in his community. He is a former member of the Royal Canadian Navy who served on one of the most famous ships in Canadian naval history, HMCS Haida. His service included a tour of duty in Port Said, Egypt on a United Nations peacekeeping mission during the 1956 Suez crisis.

He is a retired Master Plumber who worked for the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services for 19 years, and he once owned the Riverview Dairy in Caledonia. Merlyn has been a steadfast contributor to the community through sponsorship of various sports teams and significant financial generosity that made construction of the original arena possible for the town. He also coached hockey and baseball teams, and made a special effort to include needy children from the nearby Six Nations Reserve by providing transportation to and from practices and games, purchasing skates and other equipment for them and ensuring they were well fed during their time with the team.

Co-founder, Treasurer, and Caledonia Liaison, Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality (www.CANACE.ca).
Provided background for, and referenced in, Christie Blatchford’s book HELPLESS: Caledonia’s Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, And How The Law Failed All of Us
Served as United Nations peacekeeper with Royal Canadian Navy during the Suez Crisis, Egypt, 1956
Co-organizer and speaker at various public townhall meetings and legal education workshops in Caledonia and Cayuga, Ontario, most recently on May 07/08: Video links
Organizer, co-organizer and speaker at peaceful public protests events in Caledonia.
Arrested Dec 03/11 as one of the ‘Caledonia Eight’:
– National Post, Jan 04/12: Christie Blatchford: No regrets in the battle for justice in Caledonia (arrest of ‘Caledonia Eight’ member Merlyn Kinrade)
– VoiceofCanada, Dec 07/11: VIDEO: The Caledonia Eight Arrested
Performed numerous media interviews on Caledonia crisis and had numerous letters published in local media, most regularly in the Caledonia-based Regional News.
Town spokesperson in famous YouTUBE videos created to satirize former Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant’s attempt to avoid meeting residents through the use of a series of banal YouTUBE messages of his own. (See National Post, March 25/08: Jonathan Kay on the feistiness of Caledonians and the native lawlessness they won’t let us ignore.)
Speaker at Illegal Smokeshacks news conference in Queen’s Park Media Studio, Dec 04/07 following violent attacks by native smokeshack supporters on peaceful citizens protesting against sales of tobacco to Caledonia children.
Co-authored May 08/7 letter (with Mark Vandermaas) to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to help him understand – based on their experience as United Nations peacekeepers – that the government’s stated ‘peacekeeping’ role for the Ontario Provincial Police was inappropriate for a First World democracy. See also, VoiceofCanada, June 06/07: Canada at the crossroads: Rule of law or anarchy? Since sending this letter the Premier has never used the term ‘peacekeeping’ again in connection with the Caledonia crisis.
Addressed Caledonia Rotary Club, July 29/08.
Co-presenter of ‘Reconciliation: the CANACE Path’ to City of Brantford Public Forum Committee, Sept 29/08.
Served as ‘Official Agent’ for Gary McHale who received 4,821 votes in 2008 federal election in riding of Haldimand-Norfolk as independent candidate running primarily on ‘law and order’ platform highlighting suffering of innocent Caledonia residents.
One of three CANACE co-founders portrayed in artist Barb Patterson-Tuck’s 2008 depiction of the Caledonia crisis entitled, ‘Caught in the Middle’ . Merlyn is shown at the top left of the maple leaf in the centre. CANACE had no prior knowledge of its inclusion in this work.
Nominated as 2009 ‘Caledonia Citizen of the Year’ by Caledonia Chamber of Commerce.