Six more people died in July after being shocked by Taser weapons, bringing the total number of North Americans who have died at the hands of police using these electrical stun guns to at least 275. The most recent fatality was Ronald Marquez, 49, of Phoenix, Arizona, who died on July 29th.

Tasers were introduced to Canada in 2000, without public consultation or debate, and fifteen Canadians have died after being Tasered. There are no testing regimes or safety standards for the devices, which incapacitate the subject with a 50,000 volt charge and which are restricted to law enforcement use only.

Canada Line (RAV) construction is well under way in Vancouver, as evidenced by massive open trenches, noise, dust and traffic congestion. Businesses along Cambie Street are bearing the brunt of the disruption with no relief in sight from the governments that have committed billions of tax dollars to the project.

However, the July 2007 quarterly report says this (page 26): “In the second quarter of 2007, CLCO reached a tentative agreement with the Musqueam regarding a possible assistance package associated with the Musqueam fishery in the vicinity of the Canada Line bridges.”

Huh? Compensation to the Musqueam for disruption of fishing in the Fraser River, but no compensation for the suffering family-owned businesses along the Cambie Street trench?

The British Columbia government, a major proponent of this mega-project, portrays itself as business-friendly. The businesses along Cambie Street, at least those that are still there, have a hard time swallowing that proposition and one of them, Hazel & Co., has launched a legal action for damages based on misrepresentations, nuisance, trespass and injurious affection. More businesses may follow suit…

In May of 2002, lawyer Martin Wirick resigned from the Law Society of British Columbia and ceased practising law. It became apparent that he had misappropriated trust funds on a massive scale in real estate transactions involving his client Tarsem Gill and the “Vanview group of companies”.

Every BC lawyer has been victimized, for we have been levied some $600 per year for the last five years, or $3,000 each, in order to make restitution to the victims of the Wirick/Gill dealings. Some $42.1 million has been paid by us to those victims, mostly financial institutions, who suffered losses.

As far as I am aware, no charges have been laid against anyone in this case. We have been told this by the Law Society; “The Vancouver Police and the RCMP, through the Lower Mainland White Collar Crime Unit, announced in early 2005 that they are conducting a criminal investigation of Mr. Wirick and Mr. Gill”.

More than two years have passed since that announcement, and more than five years have elapsed since the Law Society first told us about the misappropriations. What is going on here?

Is the “Lower Mainland White Collar Crime Unit”, whatever that is, asleep at the switch?

An unidentified man died after he was Tasered in Maryland on Saturday, the eleventh person this month to die in such circumstances. At least 269 North Americans have reportedly died after being shocked with the Taser’s 50,000 volt electrical charge since police started using the weapons. Although Tasers are touted as “life-saving” devices, they are frequently used on armed people in medical distress, with often tragic results.