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Review
"Learned more about the performance of our soldiers from reading Blatchford's book than I did from being on the ground for short stays... Bravo Zulu, Christie Blatchford."
— Major-General Lewis MacKenzie (ret'd) in The Globe and Mail
From the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
It officially began on February 28, 2006, when a handful of protesters from the nearby Six Nations reserve walked onto Douglas Creek Estates, then a residential subdivision under construction, and blocked workers from entering. Over the course of the spring and summer of that first year, the criminal actions of the occupiers included throwing a vehicle over an overpass, the burning down of a hydro transformer which caused a three-day blackout, the torching of a bridge and the hijacking of a police vehicle. During the very worst period, ordinary residents living near the site had to pass through native barricades, show native-issued "passports", and were occasionally threatened with body searches and routinely subjected to threats. Much of this lawless conduct occurred under the noses of the Ontario Provincial Police, who, often against their own best instincts, stood by and watched: They too had been intimidated. Arrests, where they were made, weren't made contemporaneously, but weeks or monthlater. The result was to embolden the occupiers and render non-native citizens vulnerable and afraid. Eighteen months after the occupation began, a home builder named Sam Gualtieri, working on the house he was giving his daughter as a wedding present, was attacked by protesters and beaten so badly he will never fully recover from his injuries. The occupation is now in its fifth year. Throughout, Christie Blatchford has been observing, interviewing, and investigating with the tenacity that has made her both the doyen of Canadian crime reporters and a social commentator beloved for her uncompromising sense of right and wrong.
In Helpless she tells the full story for the first time - a story that no part of the press or media in Canada has been prepared to tackle with the unflinching objectivity that Christie Blatchford displays on every page. This is a book whose many revelations, never before reported, will shock and appall. But the last word should go to the author:
"This book is not about aboriginal land claims. The book is not about the wholesale removal of seven generations of indigenous youngsters from their reserves and families - this was by dint of federal government policy - or the abuse dished out to many of them at the residential schools into which they were arbitrarily placed or the devastating effects that haunt so many today. This book is not about the dubious merits of the reserve system which may better serve those who wish to see native people fail than those who want desperately for them to succeed. I do not in any way make light of these issues, and they are one way or another in the background of everything that occurred in Caledonia.
"What Helpless is about is the failure of government to govern and to protect all its citizens equally."
From the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
29 of 34 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sad but true,
By
This review is from: Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us (Hardcover)
The book is a detailed blow by blow account of the Caledonia occupation, recounted by those directly involved. It is in effect a compilation of interviews etc the author accumulated while talking with virtually every person who had something to say about the various events. However, there is little discussion with the natives to give any depth to the story.The book is really about the hardships faced by the Caledonians at the hands of both the occupiers and the OPP. It is very damning of the OPP, the OPP leadership, Mr. Fantino, and all the other Government officials involved in deciding what was to take place in Caledonia. The book recounts how the OPP planted cameras in the house of one Caledonia residence to surveil the owner. Also, there was an incidence of planting a GPS locator on an officer's personal vehicle. The officer was personal friends with one of the central homeowners and was in the difficult position of having to do his job, while also act as a friend and counsel. This role was exploited by the OPP to their advantage. Reading it, you can't help but think of those poor souls living in occupied Europe during the war, the KGB, the SS. The OPP broke nearly every law you can think of, while refusing to serve or protect people who badly needed their help.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ignore the naysayers - this is a good book that is worth reading,
By
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This review is from: Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us (Hardcover)
Imagine you live in a lovely small town - close enough to the big city to be convenient, but far enough away to be a quiet country hideaway. Now imagine that one day, without warning or provocation, a group of thugs arrive in your town and take a construction site hostage. In the months to follow, these interlopers "with a little help from their friends" will erect barricades, rip up the main street, push a van on its side and roll it off a bridge, and blow up a hydro facility, cutting power to the town.Fiction? Not at all. This nightmare actually took place in the town of Caledonia, with members of the Six Nations reserve seizing control of the Douglas Creek Estates subdivision on February 28, 2006. Five years later, the occupation is still going on. Columnist and crime reporter Christie Blatchford's Helpless is the tale of how the residents of Caledonia had their lives turned upside down - in the name of political correctness gone mad. Blatchford makes it clear right from the start that this book is not about the validity of native land claims, or a chronicle of abuses Canadian officials from an earlier time foisted upon our First Nations. What she is interested in doing is telling a story that few, if any, have had the courage to tell, revealing dark and difficult truths along the way. Needless to say, there has already been something of a backlash to this book. Some have even gone as far to condemn Blatchford as a racist. Others point to her portrayals of the townsfolk as heroes and the natives as thugs and bullies. While showing several of the residents of Caledonia acting with great courage and patience, only one of the occupiers comes off well - Michael Laughing, a high-steel ironworker who volunteered at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. Blatchford, however, saves her real venom not for the natives holding Caledonia hostage, but for those who seemed unwilling or unable to enforce the Rule of Law in this community. Whether calling out the Government of Ontario - and, in particular, Premier McGuinty - or senior officials with the Ontario Provincial Police first and foremost, former OPP Chief Julian Fantino. Blatchford shows just how spineless and conniving those in charge can be. The book also shines an unflattering light on the province's judicial system, as well as the mainstream media, which for the most part could not be bothered to cover this story. Hovering over this story is the ghost of Ipperwash another Native occupation from 1995, where one of the protestors, Dudley George, was shot and killed by an OPP officer. With the public inquiry still fresh in everyone's mind when the occupation of Caledonia began, it comes as no surprise that the Government of Ontario and the OPP would do everything in their power - including doing nothing - to ensure they didn't end up with a second Ipperwash on their hands. Particularly appalling is the treatment of those holding the town hostage. This "hands off, kid gloves" approach stands in stark contrast to the way the law-abiding citizens were treated, which can only be described as a "blame the victim" approach. In fact, a fair amount of Helpless is spent chronicling political and law enforcement tactics - tactics that worked all too well in protecting and supporting the activities of the protestors, but did little to help the besieged and beleaguered townsfolk. Blatchford goes into great detail, having interviewed most of the key participants (although Premier McGuinty and Chief Fantino declined to be interviewed), showing just how far political correctness has been allowed to go. Perhaps most telling is the saga of Richmond Hill activist, Gary McHale, who was arrested following a peaceful rally on the make-believe charge of "counselling mischief not committed." This is an important book, a dangerous book, because it takes no hostages and instructs us in a very real way just how out-of-control and topsy-turvy our world has become. Having the courage to tell the truth at a time when few others seem able or willing to do so, Christie Blatchford reminds us of the true role of the media - to be fair and to be accurate. Do yourself a favour. Ignore the naysayers and read the book.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brings Back Memories,
This review is from: Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us (Hardcover)
As a former resident of Caledonia during the occupation, this book brings back memories. For years we tried to get anyone to listen to what was happening in our town. The OPP abandoned us in so many ways. The book was very moving and I had to put it down several times as it stirred bad memories. It was a book that needed to be written, and I thank Christie Blatchford for taking the time to write it in a respectful way. I can't believe that people are calling this book racist. These people have clearly not read the book, and certainly did not live in Caledonia during those difficult times.
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