More CAS Foot Dragging

January 25, 2008 permalink

John Dunn has attempted to resolve his dispute with the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa by sending a letter to Deb Matthews, Minister of Children and Youth Services (pdf). It gives full details of his exhaustive efforts to get them to comply with the law. He has also prepared a flyer on the membership issue (pdf).

In the legal effort to hold CAS criminally accountable for their refusal to provide the membership list, he encountered yet another delay yesterday. CAS strategy seems to be to procrastinate until the case dies of old age.

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Today, we adjourned the case until the second Thursday in May (3 months) to give us time to discuss possible resolutions. They wanted to adjourn indefinitely (sine die) but I did not accept that. I gave us three months. We agreed to second Thursday (eighth of May, 2008) to be spoken to as well. Here is their offer before Court. Not much of an offer as far as I am concerned since it appears that they will write a letter of their own to their membership, and since I have no way of literally confirming the letter is or has been sent out. Also their proposal attempts to prevent me from taking any further actions of any kind related to this matter or to my getting a membership with the Society. Here is their response letter:

Mr. Dunn, Re: Without Prejudice

Settlement Proposal

1. The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, on the conditions specified, is prepared to circulate a letter to all of its members in accordance with the terms, and for the purposes, cited by you in your letter to The Honourable Deb Mathews of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (pdf), dated January 21, 2008 page 6 paragraph 3; and to ensure that you be advised of the responses of the members (or alternatively, that no response was received).
2. You would agree not to write further letters to any of the members; the charge against Ms. MacKinnon would be withdrawn with an undertaking that they would not be relayed against her or the Children’s Aid Society; and there would be no application made to the Superior Court of Ontario contesting the refusal of your membership application.
3. Mr. Morrow will seek instructions from our client once you indicate your agreement to resolve all these matters in the manner described above.
4. This communication is provided to you on a without prejudice basis, with the participation of the Provincial prosecutor, Ms. Yvonne Goebel.
5. The hearing today will be adjourned sine die; the Society waives any Section 11(b) Charter application.

Yours truly,

As it is not in the public interest for this matter to be tied up in a court of Civil Procedure, I will not settle for anything less than the following:

A copy of the list as required by law (307 (1) Corporations Act:A membership with the Society so I can advocate from within using proper methods

Source: email from John Dunn 1/24/2008 04:48:00 PM