What really happened to Max Pacioretty?
By Cathy Gulli - Friday, April 1, 2011 - 5 Comments
A lab recreation of a hit like the one Pacioretty suffered shows that he might recover faster than Sidney Crosby
Shaun Best/Reuters; Andrew Post/Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory/University of Ottawa
By now, the stomach-churning footage of Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens slamming headfirst into a post during an NHL game on March 8 is well-known. The hit, delivered by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, happened in less than a second, but it took several unnerving minutes for medical personnel and teammates to carry an unconscious Pacioretty off the ice. Doctors later diagnosed him with a concussion and a fractured vertebra, from which he is still recovering. Considering the powerful collision, it’s stunning that the 22-year-old wasn’t hurt worse or even killed, as many fans and players feared that night.
But to truly marvel at the dangerous blow that Pacioretty survived, one must watch a precise five-second black and white video just created by scientists at the University of Ottawa. Led by Blaine Hoshizaki, director of the elite Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, researchers have reconstructed a hit similar to the Pacioretty-Chara one. The footage shows a dummy head wearing a helmet similar to the one Pacioretty uses. A metal rod covered in two-inch foam mimics the padded stanchion that Pacioretty struck. An air compressor unleashes the rod on the head form, which is pummelled at the exact same speed and location as when Pacioretty rammed into the post. The impact launches the dummy into a sideways extension—the neck stretches until it’s perpendicular to the rod, before the head form snaps back and slightly rotates.
Witnessing the hit recreated in the isolation of a lab makes it all the more disturbing to watch. But for Hoshizaki, the goal is scientific. His team is determined to understand the relationship between brain injuries such as concussions, helmet performance, and the risky hits that hockey players give and take during a game—and to find out whether equipment should be improved or whether certain hits should be banned in the future.
YOUTUBE; Andrew Post/Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory/University of Ottawa
The Pacioretty-Chara reconstruction confirms that hockey helmets excel at preventing catastrophic brain injuries such as skull fractures and subdural hematomas, which are caused by “linear acceleration” (which happens when players fall and hit the ice or receive an impact directly through their centre of mass). On the other hand, it also demonstrates that helmets are not built to prevent mild traumatic brain injuries such as concussions, which are caused primarily by “angular acceleration” (a rotational impact such as when a boxer throws a hook punch to the side of an opponent’s head).
What’s more, this reconstruction explains why Pacioretty will probably recover from his concussion faster than superstar Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who has been sidelined since Jan. 5. As Maclean’s recently reported, Hoshizaki’s team has reconstructed the first of two hits to the head that preceded Crosby’s concussion diagnosis. That hit occurred on New Year’s Day, when David Steckel (then of the Washington Capitals, now playing for the New Jersey Devils) collided with Crosby—shoulder to the left side of the head—and sent him flipping through the air and crashing onto the ice.
By comparing the two reconstructions, especially the 3-D brain models generated by sensors inside the dummy, Hoshizaki’s team can see the different risk of brain tissue damage each player might have experienced. The results are as fascinating as they are perplexing: the brain model from the Crosby reconstruction shows a rainbow of tissue stress, while the brain model from the Pacioretty reconstruction is mostly blue, representing less risk of tissue damage.
Hoshizaki suggests that although the Pacioretty-Chara hit happened at a higher speed than the Crosby-Steckel one (36 km/h versus 27 km/h), and even though Pacioretty was knocked out, the angular acceleration lasted longer in the case of Crosby than Pacioretty (20 milliseconds compared to seven milliseconds, respectively). Since angular acceleration is so closely connected to the risk of concussion, that might explain why the brain model generated by the Crosby-Steckel reconstruction indicates so much more tissue stress. As well, the researchers hypothesize that the location of the impact on each player’s head may explain why the tissue damage varies. Hoshizaki says that the front of the brain, such as where Pacioretty was hit, may be more robust than the sides, which is where Crosby was struck.
Going forward, Hoshizaki’s team are working toward mapping which parts of the brain are most vulnerable to hits to the head. Meanwhile, fans await the return of Pacioretty and Crosby—whenever that might be.
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Facing off over tourism
By Cathy Gulli - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 11:55 AM - 1 Comment
Nova Scotia’s Minister of Tourism condemned for self-promotion
There’s an amusing controversy brewing in Nova Scotia, where Minister of Tourism Percy Paris devised a creative way of promoting the province: by starring in a $1.4-million TV ad. During the one-minute spot, the NDP MLA says, “My Nova Scotia is all about wonderful people, warm welcomes and friendly smiles.”But since the commercial first aired last week, opposition MLAs have criticized Paris for flagrant self-promotion. “This is about the politician, this is about the NDP,” said Chris d’Entremont, the Conservative house leader, in the Chronicle-Herald. “This is not about promoting Nova Scotia tourism.” And Tory MLA Allan MacMaster announced plans to introduce legislation banning politicians from appearing in government ads.
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Reconstructing the head shot that knocked out Max Pacioretty
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 6:22 PM - 3 Comments
Scientists replicate the hit—and see how it compares to Sidney Crosby’s
Scientists at the University of Ottawa have reconstructed a hit similar to the one sustained by Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens during a game on March 8.
That’s when Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins slammed him headfirst into a stanchion—knocking him unconscious, breaking a vertebrae and causing a debilitating concussion from which he has yet to recover.
The impact occurred at a speed of 36 km per hour—nine kilometres faster than the hit Sidney Crosby took on New Year’s Day. He hasn’t returned to play since being diagnosed with a concussion on January 5.
The reconstruction was conducted by Blaine Hoshizaki, director of the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, and his team.
Maclean’s will have more on what science can tell us about the Pacioretty hit and concussions in hockey…
Video provided by Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, University of Ottawa
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Hit to the head: a similar one to Sidney Crosby’s (reconstruction)
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 10:30 PM - 5 Comments
Scientists at the University of Ottawa replicate the speed, angle and location of impact
This video displays a reconstruction of a hit similar to the one Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby experienced during a game on Jan. 1 from David Steckel of the Washington Capitals, as conducted at the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, University of Ottawa.
Scientists led by Blaine Hoshizaki replicated the speed, angle and location of the impact to understand the relationship between head trauma, helmet performance and concussions.
Source for black/white footage: Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, University of Ottawa.
Source for colour footage: Cathy Gulli, Maclean’sRead about Sidney Crosby’s concussion in ‘Hits to the head: Scientists explain Sidney Crosby’s concussion’, in the February 28 issue of Maclean’s
RELATED:
Reporter Cathy Gulli explains the seriousness of concussions in sports (VIDEO)
The damage done by concussions -
The damage done by concussions
By Cathy Gulli - Friday, February 4, 2011 at 9:00 AM - 105 Comments
Sidney Crosby is a case study in what we know, and what we don’t know
Brian Babineau / NHL / Getty Images
Until a month ago, there was nothing typical about Sidney Crosby. At 23, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain had already won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and the praise of Wayne Gretzky, who raved in December: “He’s the real deal. He’s the best player in the game.” Crosby had been on a 25-game scoring streak, amassing goals at a faster rate than ever before in his career—and the longest run since Mats Sundin’s 30-game tear almost 20 years ago.
Crosby’s streak came to a crashing end, however, when he was diagnosed with a concussion in early January—having endured two massive blows only a few days apart. The first time, Crosby took the cold, hard shoulder of Washington Capitals winger David Steckel to the side of his head. The velocity of the hit snapped his neck back, and spun him in the air for a full rotation. His 200-lb. body thudded onto the ice, and as Crosby hunched over, his mouthguard slipped out. Eventually, he skated to the bench, bent over. Despite a sore neck, Crosby shrugged off the pain, and played in the next game.
That’s when a crushing check by Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning slammed Crosby’s head against the boards. The collision happened so fast that startled fans on the other side of the Plexiglas jerked back in their seats as if Crosby might come hurtling right into their laps. Instead, he melted onto the ice and doubled over. When his face was finally visible, the grimace said it all. ‘Sid the Kid’ was done. Suddenly and spectacularly, Sidney Crosby went from being the golden boy of hockey to just one more pro athlete incapacitated with a concussion.
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Eat, sleep, move
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 10:00 AM - 1 Comment
Our annual ‘How Healthy Are You?’ survey finds out what happens when Canadians don’t
Photography by Jessica Darmanin
Around this time every winter, Canadians desperate for sun flock to warm destinations where drinks are served with umbrella swizzle sticks, and flip-flops and swimsuits are the prevailing fashion. Getting away from the snow and daily slog sounds like the perfect pick-me-up. But there can be a downside to trips across time zones, as Dr. Elaine Chin has discovered among some of her patients. Sleep patterns are disrupted. Food choices are poor—who can resist the all-you-can-eat buffet? And physical activity amounts to shuffling from the pool to the pagoda. Then there are those who stay home so they can buckle down at work to get the year off to a productive start, says Chin, chief medical officer of Scienta Health in Toronto. They clock long hours, book back-to-back business trips, and sacrifice going to the gym and eating balanced meals.
No matter what category you fall into, the medical warning is the same. To be at our best, we must faithfully observe the holy trinity of health: sleep just enough, eat well, including breakfast, and exercise as much as you can. And yet, most of us don’t.
Unfortunately, we’re not getting away with it. Since last May, nearly 25,000 people have taken the Q-GAP test at macleans.ca/howhealthy. It’s an online questionnaire developed by Scienta, a private clinic specializing in personalized medicine, that allows individuals to determine which of more than 150 symptoms they exhibit that may indicate underlying or future medical problems. Those findings will form the basis of the seventh annual “How Healthy Are You?” series, which will be published in the spring. But early data reveals a stark portrait about the well-being of many Canadians: those of us who skip breakfast, avoid physical activity and sleep poorly (either too much or too little) have the worst Q-GAP scores, and by extension, the most symptoms—and the worst overall health status.
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Fighting back
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 4:00 PM - 3 Comments
With the family business in ruins, the Asper brothers are duking it out in new arenas, with different results
Leonard's new station shows combat sports; David set his sights on football | The Fight Network/CP; Boris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press
The sports puns have been relentless since the comeback efforts of brothers Leonard and David Asper took different turns after the collapse of the family media empire, Canwest Global Communications. For Leonard, who took over the specialty channel the Fight Network in December, they’ve had a triumphant tone: he’s “back in the game” and there is “still some fight left” in him. For David, who that same month ceased to be part of the construction of a new Winnipeg football stadium with a ballooning budget (sticking taxpayers with the bill), the sports puns have been cheerless. He’s been characterized as taking “a standing eight-count.”
Successful or not, the Asper brothers’ latest moves to recoup their careers are certainly compelling. Last year, the heavily leveraged Canwest, founded by their late father Izzy Asper, was forced into bankruptcy protection and, after 36 years in business, was sold for parts to archrival Shaw Communications and the newly formed Postmedia Network. Reluctantly, Leonard resigned as CEO and David (and sister Gail) stepped down from the board of directors. News headlines were variations on a sorry theme: “The empire strikes out.” “The last days of the Asper empire.” One question remained: what next for the Asper brothers?
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Should you be using a salt substitute?
By Cathy Gulli - Friday, January 7, 2011 at 9:00 AM - 9 Comments
Ironically, some no-salt salts might be a bad idea, health-wise
The dangers of consuming too much salt has become an international health issue, with governments setting new intake targets | Photograph by Jessica Darmanin, Illustration by Taylor Shute
The question seemed simple enough: “What does the test kitchen think about salt substitutes?” Diane Boeri of Worcester, Mass., had sent a letter to Cook’s Illustrated, the Boston-based magazine that employs chefs and scientists to develop foolproof recipes and compare products. Her request, which was published in the latest issue’s “Notes from Readers” section, was for help making sense of the ever-growing variety of salt alternatives occupying supermarket shelves.
In reality, it’s a loaded question. Fanatics insist there is no substitute for salt—that the taste and texture and the way it changes food can’t be replicated. Health nuts argue that using no salt or an imitation substance is the best choice—and swear that quitting cold turkey isn’t so bad.
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A touch of class
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 4:20 PM - 0 Comments
Newsmakers Good Samaritans
Master Cpl. Pinchin; Myron and Berna Garron | Chris Wattie/Reuters; Keith Beaty/Toronto Star/Getstock
Under enemy fire
The Governor General presented one Canadian soldier this year with a Star of Military Valour, the second-highest award honouring heroic actions in the battlefield. Master Cpl. Jeremy Pinchin received his medal in June, more than two years after he came under enemy fire in Afghanistan. It was late fall when he and his sniper detachment took position on a remote rooftop in Zhari District to protect the southern flank of a Canadian-Afghan patrol. Suddenly, they were “attacked and outnumbered by a well-coordinated group of insurgents,” according to a summary of events. A comrade fell, badly wounded. Rather than leave him, Pinchin treated his fellow soldier—and used his own armoured body as a shield.Pulled from the fire
It was the middle of the night when Saint John, N.B., taxi driver Sonny Trenholm, 67, headed into a gas station for a snack. As he rounded the corner, Trenholm saw an SUV rolled over on the driver’s side—and heard a woman, trapped inside, screaming, “I’m on fire!” He ran over, called 911, and yelled at her to kick the front windshield. The glass shattered, and he pulled the woman out, tore off her burning coat and hugged her. Rescue workers arrived, and Trenholm drove home—but got no sleep. “I thought she was going to die,” he said the next day. But she didn’t. -
Giving Large
By Cathy Gulli - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM - 2 Comments
Newsmakers Violet and Allen Large hit the jackpot and gave most of it away
Nova Scotia lottery winners | Daniel St.Louis
One Sunday morning in mid-July, while tucked inside their 147-year-old white farmhouse in Lower Truro, N.S., Allen Large asked his wife, Violet, “Did you check the tickets from last night?”
This exchange had become a ritual for the couple, who’ve been together for 46 years, and have played the lottery—twice a week, every week—for about as long. Violet hadn’t, so she dialled into the Lotto 6/49 hotline and listened. After a few seconds, she said out loud, “Well, we got $10,” because the first three numbers matched. After a few more seconds, the rest of the numbers matched too.
So Violet, 78, did the only thing she could think of next: she hung up. And she called back. Again and again. “Oh, I checked those numbers so many times,” Violet says. Then she called Allen from out of the kitchen, and handed him the phone receiver. Allen, 75, listened, he looked at his wife, and nodded: “Yeah, that’s the right numbers.”
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'Something very special'
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 8:20 AM - 0 Comments
Their long courtship provoked ridicule. But William and Kate were friends first. They test drove marriage. And he gave her plenty of time to back out.
David Davies/PA; Michael Dunlea/Daily Mail; UK Press/Keystone Press
There was nothing stately or demure about Kate Middleton that night in March 2002. Barely clothed, the lithe brunette sashayed down a dimly lit catwalk toward Prince William, who—sporting a wide grin and dark suit—appeared every bit an aristocratic frat boy. Having secured himself a front-row seat at the charity fashion show for $450, William now saw Kate, heretofore his friendly roommate, in a whole new way: stone-faced. Sexy. Hand on hip. Her straight hair twirled into tight ringlets and laced with yellow ribbons. And wearing nothing but a black band across her breasts, a bikini bottom, and—in the spirit of peekaboo flirting—a sheer, turquoise-trimmed wrap around her long torso. That’s when, it’s been said, William first saw in her his future queen consort.
That image, of course, couldn’t be more different from recent pictures of the newly engaged couple at St. James’s Palace on the day their forthcoming nuptials were announced in a 104-word press release by Clarence House, the Prince of Wales’s private residence. Arm in arm, William and Kate, both 28, stood and smiled elegantly for the requisite “photocall” to appease the press and the public’s increasingly voracious interest in their relationship status. Her royal blue dress—discreet yet celebratory—perfectly complemented the giant sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring that William gave her after proposing during a 10-day safari in Kenya in October. It had belonged to his late mother Diana.
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Mailman turned salesman
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 1:20 PM - 5 Comments
Canada Post’s new online shopping service has left some private sector competitors reeling
There was a time when shopping at the post office amounted to choosing between a stamp featuring a native flower, the national flag, or some other patriotic and decidedly non-commercial emblem: the white-tailed deer, Oscar Peterson, or “masterpieces of Canadian art.”Now, Canada Post, a Crown corporation, is fast becoming the country’s leading online retailer—hawking everything from sweaters, shoes and treadmills to coffee machines, cologne and computers. Last month, in an effort to boost its parcel shipping business (as letter mail sales continue to plummet), the company unveiled the Canada Post Comparison Shopper website, which allows consumers to find, rank and buy their choice of five million products from 500 North American retailers, including Canadian Tire and Sears. Since then, 30,000 Canadians have taken to scrolling through the offerings every day—making it the most visited comparison shopping website in the country, almost instantly.
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Gordon Campbell, fiscal genius?
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 9:20 AM - 6 Comments
Campbell has been crowned the country’s most fiscally responsible premier by the Fraser Institute
CP Images
Lately, it seems like Gordon Campbell is the kind of premier only economists could love. Despite an embarrassing nine per cent approval rating among British Columbians—many of whom are annoyed about having to pay the HST, not to mention their leader’s recent $240,000 TV promo funded by taxpayers—Campbell has been crowned the country’s most fiscally responsible premier by the Fraser Institute.
In a recent report, the Canadian think tank ranked 10 premiers on how they’ve handled government spending, taxes, debt and deficits since coming into power. Campbell bested the other provincial leaders with an overall score of 89.1 out of 100. Newfoundland’s Danny Williams, who finished third, is the only premier east of Manitoba to crack the top five. Meanwhile, Ontario’s Dalton McGuinty ranked last with a paltry 29.7 points out of 100.
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Liveblog: Col. Russell Williams hearing, day 4
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 9:12 AM - 0 Comments
WARNING: Contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
WARNING: The following contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
For more on the first day of Russell Williams’s hearing go to: The dark, depraved side of Russell Williams revealed in court
[10:51 AM]
Court is closed. Williams is handcuffed again, and led out of the courtroom. First he speaks to his lawyer again. He is escorted out, shackled.[10:37 AM]
Justice Robert Scott says that there is an expression often said, “Nothing surprise me anymore.” Of that adage, he says, “That has no meaning here.”The judge suspects that long before his firs crime Williams had these thoughts.
“He will forever be remembered as sado-sexual serial killer. he lived a charmed life. … his double life fooled most people. He may be best described in the biographical sense as Canada’s bright shining lie. Russell Williams’s fall from grace has been swift and sure. his crimes have adversely affected this country and this community, all victims alike.”
Justice Scott says his sentencing is meant also to serve as a deterrent to others. He is also taking into account Williams’ statement to the court. “I found it to be sincere.”
“Although I would be less inclined to adopt the Crown’s shock and awe presentation to the court,” he says it demonstrated the escalation of crimes.
He asks Williams to please stand up. He does. The judge reads out the sentences:
Count 1, life imprisonment for the murder of Comeau
Count 2, life imprisonment for the murder of Lloyd, to be served concurrently
Counts 1-73, 75-78, 81-86, all property offences, 1 year on each count, to be served concurrently
Counts 73, 74, 79, 80, two sex assaults and confinement, 10 years on each count, to be served concurrently
Police will take Williams immediately to Kingston penitentiary.
The judge also imposes a lifetime weapons prohibition, sex offender registry for life, DNA data banking orders. He imposes the $8,800 victim fines, and orders the destruction of items seized.
He lets Willams sit down. He tell him that he is eligible for parole after 25 years, “but that’s no guarantee that you will be eligible at that time.”
[10:32 AM]
Judge asks Williams if there is anything he wants to say.Williams stands up, facing the judge, with his back to the majority of the people in the courtroom.
“Your honour,” he pauses. He puts his hand in pocket, then on the bar around the prisoner box. “I stand before you indescribably ashamed. I know that the crimes I hve committed,” he stops, crying, “have traumatized many people. The family and friends of Marie France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd in particular have suffered and continue to suffer profoundly desperate pain and sorrow as result of what I’ve done.” He is crying. “My assault of [the sexual assault victims] has caused them to suffer terribly as well. Numerous victims of the break and enters have been seriously distressed. My family has been irreparably harmed,” Williams says through tears. “The understandable hatred that was expressed yesterday and has been palpable throughout the week has me recognizing that most will not accept this: I very deeply regret what I have done. And the harm I’ve caused,” he stops, crying. “I’ve committed despicable crimes, your honour,” he pauses again, crying, “in the process, betraying my family, my friends and colleagues and the Canadian Forces.” He stops again to collect himself. “Excuse me,” Williams says, and then continues: “I shall spend the rest of my life knowing that I ended two vibrant, innocent and cherished lives. My very sincere hope is that my detailed confession on the night of Feb. 7, my full cooperation with investigators since, and ultimately my guilty pleas earlier this week have in some way served to temper the very, very serious harm I’ve caused my victims, their families and friends. Thank you.”
[10:27 AM]
Edelson says there are many questions about why Williams committed these crimes. Why?He says the standard of criminal responsibility was met by Williams.
Edelson hopes that Williams’ “guilty pleas my be viewed as an atonement. He cannot stand before this court and expect forgiveness. We can hope that his act of pleading guilty may in some way at some time help in the healing process.”
“It is unlikely that anyone affected with ever fully recover from his crimes.”
Edelson says he is not intending not to raise sympathy for his client. He will be in prison for the rest of his life, and will only be eligible after 25 years. He pleased guilty knowing that.
He says the defense would be remiss if it did not quell media speculation that Williams got special treatment.
Describing the “seismic” violations Williams carried out, Edelson says that his client “knows he stands at the epicenter of these shock waves. He is prepared to take responsibility for the damage he has caused.”
[10:18 AM]
Williams’ lawyer Edelson stands to speak.He says the defense takes no issue with the life sentences that will be imposed against Williams.
Edelson says that nothing can change the legal consequences since Williams has pled guilty. This puts the lawyers in a paradoxical position. They can’t do much to change the sentences, but says that the guilty pleas of Williams may serve to some degree as reparation.
It’s not the role of the defense to address the victim impact, says Edelson, but it does wish to acknowledge their suffering. “Their pain is incalculable and really beyond our comprehension.”
He says we live in society where the accused has the right to declare “I am not guilty.” He continues, “The act of pleading guilty is a rarity.” He says Williams’ exceedingly uncommon pleas to first-degree murder have allowed the justice process to proceed quickly and “lessen the turmoil” of a long case.
He points out that Williams did not have to tell the police about the break-ins, many of which had not even been reported by the victims. He also notes that Williams was fully cooperative in helping the police find evidence, even leading them to Lloyd’s body, and decoding his complex computer filing system containing the footage of his crimes.
Edelson says there is nothing the defense can say about Williams life that hasn’t already been reported.
[10:14 AM]
Burgess is contrasting the brave fight Marie France Comeau put up against Williams as he raped, tortured and killed her. He contrasts Jessica Lloyd thinking of her love for her mother while Williams raped, tortured and killed her.“Can there be any greater contrast between evil and good?”
He asks the judge to impose full sentences on all counts.
Claps take over the courtroom.
[10:03 AM]
Crown Lee Burgess asks the judge to impose a lifetime weapons prohibition against Williams. He notes that Williams will be put on the sex offender registry, and in the DNA bank.Burgess also asks that the $100 victim fine for every count against Williams not be waived. He said since Williams has assets and a pension, he should be required to pay the $8,800.
Next, he asks for anything Williams used in carrying out these crimes be destroyed: Clothing, sex toys, rope, zipties, duct and electrical tape, his cameras, hard drives, computer, tapes. He also asks that Williams’ Pathfinder be turned over to the Crown. The judge asks to what end, will it be sold? Burgess says, “I don’t know how much value is left. … It’s going to be crushed.”
“This year has been very difficult for this community. … We have been shocked and saddened. But that’s not what defines this region. We have come together in mutual support.”
Burgess describes the “monstrosities” that Williams inflicted on so may people, made more devastating because he held the rank of colonel, who was supposed to be—and was—seen as a leader. “He exploited that to divert suspicious. He laughed at us … as he lived the life of a serial killer by night.”
He points out that on the night Williams committed one sexual assault, he had earlier gone to drop the puck at the local hockey game. Williams carried the Olympic torch, and the community cheered him on.
Describing the trauma and violation suffered by the victims. The crimes lasted a few hours, Burgess said, but “the scars will last a lifetime.”
[10:00 AM]
Williams is led into the courtroom. He stands in the prisoner’s box, his handcuffs removed by an officer. Like all he days before, his lawyer whispers in his left ear, he nods, and sits down. He resumes his hunched forward position, looking down. Then the judge enters, all rise.[9:59 AM]
A mic has been put in the prisoner’s box.[9:53 AM]
Lawyers are assembling in the courtroom. Word is that Williams’ attorney Michael Edelson will make remarks today for the first time since the hearing began on Monday.[9:21 AM]
Fourth day of the sentencing hearing for Russell Williams, the disgraced colonel who has pled guilty to dozens of break-ins, two sexual assaults, and two murders. Footage of the crimes, and of his confession has run out. Victim impact statements have been read through tears. Weariness is palpable. Word is today will be the last. Williams may make a statement. Court resumes at 10 AM. -
Liveblog: Col. Russell Williams hearing, day 3
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 9:20 AM - 0 Comments
WARNING: Contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
WARNING: The following contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
For more on the first day of Russell Williams’s hearing go to: The dark, depraved side of Russell Williams revealed in court
[4:13 PM]
The judge gives his condolences again, and thanks those who spoke.
Court is adjourned.
[4:01 PM]
Roxanne Lloyd, Jessica’s mother takes the stand.
“I am Jessica’s mother.” She says her daughter’s full name, birth date, and date of death. She pauses, holding back tears.
She speaks quickly, firmly. Because of Williams, she says, she can never hug her daughter again or be hugged by her, tell her she loves her, get a phone call or email from her, go shopping or on trips with her.
“I feel like my heart has been ripped right out of my chest. I loved her from the moment I realized I was pregant. … I will continue to love her for the rest of my years on Earth, and even after I die.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine what Christmas will be like without her. It will be unbearable.”
“So many dreams I had for my daughter and myself have been destroyed.” She won’t hear Jessica tell her she’s fallen in love. She can’t help her plan her wedding. She can’t share the joy of becoming a mother, and she can’t become a grandmother.
“I have been put through sheer agony. No mother should go through what this has put me through.” Searching for her daughter, then finding out she’d been murdered, then finding out how she had been degraded and traumatized. “How could he do those horrible things to her, and then drive by her house twice a day knowing her family was searching for her?”
“I had to see my daughter in a casket. I had to see that it was all true. I prayed some big mistake had been made. But when I saw her in that casket I knew my hopes and dreams were over.”
“I never believed I would outlive my child. I wrote the eulogy for her funeral.”
She has never been one for medication, but she is now on sleep drugs and antidepressants.
“I can’t help wondering and asking why? How could he do this to my … wonderful, witty, thoughtful daughter?”
“Why did he do this to me too? Now I am a broken woman. I will never be the same.”
“The only good thing to come from this is he can never do this again. And it’s because of my Jessica that he has been stopped.”
She continues: “I’ve heard people should be forgiven. I can never, ever, ever forgive him. How am I supposed to live the rest of my life without Jessica? I can honestly say I hate Russell Williams.”
“I now wear her jewelry. I am wearing this necklace. It’s a mother and child. Jessica always preferred silver. I also wear a silver teardrop with Jessica’s ashes.” Andy wears a bracelet with her ashes in it.
“No amount of suffering Russell Williams feels today compares the suffering we have felt.”
Lloyd’s mother wishes she could bring her daughter back. “I would gladly take her place. I would die for her. Since that is not possible, I am here to today to make sure that Russell Williams is properly sentenced and that we get justice for Jessica.”
She finishes speaking, and loud applauds erupt in the courtroom.
[3:52 PM]
Andy Lloyd takes the stand. The judge gives him the courtroom’s respects.
He says it has been difficult to process his grief in the public spotlight.
“My sister and I were always close, especially after our dad died,” he stops, crying. He takes several sips of water.
They shared friends, and spent a lot of time together. “We were not only siblings, but friends.”
“I am a very proud supporter of the Canadian Armed Forces.” He speaks of the honorable service of his father, and how he would be horrified to know what Williams did to his daughter.
“Every day is a struggle to get through. I miss her so much. Special occasions are especially tough. Like Victoria Day weekend, which is one of her favourites.” Her birthday always fell on that weekend. “This year, like always, I had my annual party, but it wasn’t the same because she wasn’t there.”
He and his mother had a hard time on their August birthdays and Thanksgiving. “Looking ahead I can’t even imagine what Christmas will be like.” He sighs heavily.
“I was looking forward to being an uncle almost as much as I was looking forward to being a father. That won’t happen now. No big brother should have to go through what I went through. Searching for her, then learning she’d been murdered.”
“What did Williams think seeing me on every major media outlet,” he says of the pleas he made for help during the search for Jessica. “I can’t help but think he laughed at me, thinking, ‘She’s in my garage.’ ”
He can’t sleep, he is on multiple medications. “All I want is my life to go back to the way it was before.”
The only good thing now is that Williams has been caught, “and it’s because of my sister. My sister and the community think of her as a hero for stopping this from happening to another woman.”
“The media attention has been overwhelming.” He says he spoke with reporters because he wanted to make sure that this story is about his amazing sister, not about “the colonel—ex-colonel.”
He doesn’t understand why fate or God could let anything like this happen to such a good person.
He steps down. Claps erupt.
[3:51 PM]
In closing the aunt says: “Many people say that it took our little angel to take Russell Williams down.”
Lloyd gave her gift once that read, “The love in our family flows strong and deep. Leaving us special memories to treasure and keep.” She says, “Those memories will remain in our hearts forever.
[3:48 PM]
Lloyd’s aunt continues: “We all planned on seeing her get married, and have babies.” She says it is so painful to see Jessica’s mother suffer so much. “She wants her daughter back. Something none of us can do for her.”
“What gave him the right to take someone else’s child?”
“He has no idea what love means. He couldn’t have loved his own family because now they have to live with this too.”
[3:36 PM]
Court resumes. Williams is not hunched over, with his head tilted down, but it’s unclear if he is looking at the speakers giving their victim impact statements.
Next person is another aunt of Lloyd.
“We are a very close family. When one member is hurting, everyone feels the pain.”
She remembers Lloyd as a beautiful baby. Full of smiles, and “those huge green eyes just sparkled.”
“Jessica’s father was military, and so very proud of it, as we were of him.”
Lloyd’s aunt describes the happy times the family had together before Lloyd’s murder. “Then our world fell apart. I have never in life felt more pain, sadness and anger than I have these past several months.”
She doesn’t believe Williams took into consideration the love Lloyd had for her. She remembers being with Jessica’s mother, looking out Jessica’s picture window waiting for her to come home. Initially they were optimistic. “Then we went from fearing the worst, to living the worst.”
Her son told her their lives will never be the same. “You want to know how this has impacted my life? How hasn’t it?”
A six-year-old relative says he wants to be police officer so he can catch bad men like the one who hurt Jessica.
[3:10 PM]
Break. Many tears in the courtroom.
[3:04 PM]
A cousin and best friend of Lloyd’s take the stand. She talked to her multiple times a day, and saw her at least once a week.
“I have come to grips with the why questions never being answered,” she says. About the lurid details of the attack and murder against Lloyd, she says, “I knew her so well that those mental images will continue to break me everyday of my life.”
“I’m going to learn to appreciate life again know that I can still walk around on this Earth.” She says she believes that what goes around comes around, and that she can’t wait for fate to play out.
[3:01 PM]
Lloyd’s aunt continues: “Jessica did not have to die. She did not have to die this way. … I will never forgive Russell Williams.” While searching for Lloyd “We suffered each and every day while he continued on as if nothing had happened,” she say.
“What tears me apart that after everything he did to her,” the aunts contiues, “he ended her life, and then he dumped Jessica on the side of the road like a bag of trash.”
She pauses, crying. “We love you Jessica, we miss you everyday, and you will live in our hearts forever.”
[2:54 PM]
Lloyd’s aunt, fighting tears, says that Lloyd had said that she wasn’t afraid living alone, but that she was feeling uncomfortable about the “Tweed creeper.” Thirteen days later, Williams attacked and murdered her.
Lloyd’s aunt remembers standing outside with Lloyd’s mother and begging God that Jessica was safe and not cold.
Lloyd’s mother was devastated: “When your child is murdered, you just can’t accept it. There are so many whys?”
She remembers the call Lloyd’s mother had to make to Bell to disconnect her daughter’s phone line. It last more than an hour. She had to keep repeating that her daughter had been murdered. “How cruel.”
Lloyd’s aunt can find no peace. “Why did her attacker choose her, and why didn’t he let her live? What if she had stayed at a friend’s house, or a friend had stayed at her house? What if she had an alarm system or a dog? What if? What if? What if?”
[2:52 PM]
Multiple people have said the Lloyd wanted to have children, and mourn that her mother will never get to hold a grandchild. Lloyd said she would have named her son Tie, after her favourite Maple Leaf player, Tie Domi.
[2:45 PM]
Jessica’s aunt takes the stand. Starts to cry. She composes herself and begins in a steady voice. “Our family will never be truly happy again.” She says, speaking directly to Williams, “Since Jan. 29, when you selfishly took Jessica from us, we are all scarred for life.”
[2:30 PM]
Another woman takes the stand. “Russell Williams murdered my best friend,” she says. She grew up on the belief that you should look for the best in people and situations. Speaking to Williams, she says, “The only beauty I see in you is that you’re caught.”
After Lloyd’s father died of cancer, she made a promise to herself that she would take care of Lloyd. “I failed.”
“My life was almost perfect. I bought my first home and I had a career I thought I could only dream of.” At Christmas she and Lloyd gave each other a hug that lasted so long it was like it “foreshadowed what was to come.” They didn’t want to let go of each other. “That was the last face-to-face time I had with Lloyd.” Later, she says she “cried going to pick up my second set of keys because Jessica would never use that set.”
“I spent days and nights waiting to hear something, anything. There was one day when I received a call from my colleagues. I told them I knew Lloyd was gone. After my heart told me she was gone, I turned to hoping her body would be found. I knew she was outside. I hoped she was wearing clothing, it was cold.” She continues, “I hoped for a miracle. My miracle didn’t happen. Life as I knew it would never be the same. I lost my best friend forever. I didn’t get to say goodbye. He took that from me. I didn’t get to tell her I love her, or hug her. Russell Williams stole that from me. He was above the law until he met Jessica Lloyd. He had no idea the love her family and friends had for her. If he had, he would have never stepped foot in that house.
I have survivor’s guilt. I am constantly considering the what ifs. If I had never left Belleville, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I’m now filled with hate and anger, and I have no idea how to live a life with these emotions.
I think about what Jessica’s last thoughts were, but I already know the answer.” She thought of her mother and brother and the pain they would feel. She says she doesn’t want to partake in life as it now exists. “I tell my colleagues my puffy eyes are allergies, all the while I cry myself to sleep at night. I don’t fear life and death. I am not suicidal. I would never give Russell Williams the satisfaction. Instead I fear for my friends and family and hers. It’s come to the point that when I can’t get a hold of someone I think the worst. I can’t handle losing anyone else.”
The woman continues, “This year I didn’t want to have a 28th birthday, because Jessica didn’t get to celebrate hers. Christmas was one of Jessica’s favorite times of year; this year I will prefer to sleep through it. I hate Russell Williams. I will never forgive him. People say forgiveness heals all wounds. I guess my wounds will bleed until the day I die.
She says Williams used his power and authority to take advantage of the Canadian public.
Making this statement, she says, “brings me no closure or satisfaction. I’ll leave today and continue to live my nightmare. I’ll get through my days knowing that Jessica feels no pain and that she is in peace. There will be a day when I get to tell her that I love her most.”
[2:22 PM]
Next person, another woman, takes the stand. She is speaking as a friend of Lloyd, and the on behalf of friends of Lloyd.
One friend says she never viewed the world the same after Lloyd’s murder. She loved her like a sister. Williams destroyed her life by taking her away. She hopes he rots.
The woman then speaks for herself: “I have never known the word hate. I never knew how someone’s name could make me cringe or how seeing them could make me feel physically ill. I despise Russell Williams. How dare he. His selfishness has changed who I am. I resent that he doesn’t have the courage to look at me.” She looks at him, but Williams does not appear to look at her. “I hopes that man loses everything. I hate him.”
[2:18 PM]
A break-in victim takes the stand to the right of the judge. She spells her name.
She’s tried many times to write this statement, but didn’t know what to say. She has studied criminology and psychology. She thought about the perpetrator, and how much the person needed to get help. He had to be emotionally disturbed. But as months went by, the effects of of the break-in became apparent. Her family put bars on the windows, she changed her routine. She moved to another city, and she had her landlord put in an alarm and introduced herself to neighbors. Now that her physical needs were met, her emotions took over. The person took her “trust, security and emotional well-being.” She had panic attacks, and has trouble sleeping to this day. She saw a therapist and was prescribed medication. Although there are much more heinous crimes than the one she suffered, she says this experience has affected her life very negatively.
[2:15 PM]
The Crown notifies the courtroom that victim impact statements will be read.
The judge is thanking the victims for coming forward.
[2:14 PM]
Williams is led back into the courtroom. He is hunched over. The judge enters. All rise. For the first time since the court proceedings began the large TV screens showing Williams photographs and confession, among other evidence, are turned off and away from the people in the coutroom.
[1:22 PM]
The court made available letters that Williams wrote after making his confession: one to his wife, which references the family cat; another to Jessica Lloyd’s mother; a third to Marie-France Comeau’s father; one to Laurie Massicotte, one of the sexual assault victims; and one more to the other sexual assault victim. Scrawled on lined paper, they read as follows:
Dearest Mary Elizabeth, I love you, sweet [illegible]. I am so very sorry for having hurt you like this. I know you’ll take good care of sweet Rosie. I love you, Russ.
Mrs. Lloyd, You won’t believe me, I know, but I am sorry for having taken your daughter from you. Jessica was a beautiful, gentle young woman, as you know. I know she loved you very much—she told me so, again and again. I can tell that she did not suspect that the end was coming. Jessica was happy because she believed she was going home. I know you have already had a lot of pain in your life. I am sorry to have caused you so much more. RW
Mr. Comeau, I am sorry for having taken your daughter, Marie-France Comeau from you. … I know you won’t be able to believe me, but it is true. Marie-France has been deeply missed by all that knew her. RS
Laurie, I am sorry for having hurt you the way I did. I really hope that the discussion we had has helped you turn your life around a bit. You seem like a bright woman who could do much better for herself. I do hope that you find a way to succeed. RS
[Name censored], I apologize for having traumatized you the way I did. No doubt you’ll rest a bit easier now that I’ve been caught. RS
[1:04 PM]
Break.
[12:53 PM]
“I guess what’s on my mind now, Russ, is what made you decide to tell me this?” Smyth asks, referring to the confession.
“Mostly to make my wife’s life easier,” Williams says, looking down.
Smyth asks, “Is what you told me tonight the truth?” Williams replies, “Yeah.
Smyth asks Williams how he feels about what he’s done. Williams is slient. Finally, he responds: “Disappointed.”
Smyth asks if it hadn’t come to this point, does he think it would have happend again. “I was hoping not. I can’t answer the question,” says Williams.
Smyth says, “Okay,” stands up, and says he wants to cover off a few more details. Williams sits down again.
In Comeau’s basement there is a hole in the wall. Williams says doesn’t know why.
Smyth asks about clothes that were tied around a support pole in her basement. Williams says that was from when he tied her up shortly after he’d knocked her out. Smyth asks if her mouth is duct taped at that point. Williams replies that he can’t be sure, “but the pictures would show it.”
Williams then explains that the smashed photo in the bathroom was the results of a struggle he had with Comeau. She had run into the bathroom, and he subdued her again, and got her back in the bedroom “and regained control of her.”
Smyth asks about the blood in the bedroom. “All of the blood was from when I was first trying to subdue her.”
Smyth asks why Comeau’s breasts were injurd. Williams doesn’t know. “I certainly touched her breasts, but I didn’t do anything to hurt her. But when I suffocated her she was on her front. So maybe there is something there. She was lying on the floor of the bedroom as I suffocated her, there was obviously a struggle, so maybe there’s something there.” Smyth asks what happened next. “Well, she died.” He took the tape off, and put her back on the bed.
Smyth says that there are a number of unsolved cases. Williams says “Before you do that can I go to the washroom?” Smyth obliges.
Courtroom footage ends.
The video proceeds with Williams being asked if he wants to write something to the victims or their families. The paper stays blank. Williams later describes the break and enters. He is invited to write again. He is left alone for an hour. Williams did write three letters. They will be submitted as exhibits. They are letters to victims, and one to his wife, Mary Elizabeth Harriman. There are others he wrote that he later scratched out, which police have in their possession.
Williams denies any connection to other crimes.
He requests to review with officers what can be found in his home so they can get taht quickly and leave his wife alone.
He then takes officers to Lloyd’s body.
[12:49 PM]
Williams describes the other sexual assault, saying it was similar to what he’d just outlined against Massicotte. He calls the victim “cute,” and tells Smyth that she had told him she had an eight-month old baby. He breathes deeply, leans forward.
Smyth asks why he put the underwear of the sexual assault victims with those of the murder victims. “I don’t know.”
He stretches his neck in the chair while describing where in the laundry room he has put the green military duffle bag containing women’s underwear. Smyth asks if there is anything else in the bag. “Just underwear.”
Williams sips water, gets up again, hands behind his back, paces, leans against the wall. He explains where photos of him wearing underwear were taken. “In Marie-France’s case, in her house. With the others, in my house.”
[12:42 PM]
“We’ve been through this,” he says to Smyth when asked what happened on the night of the assault. He goes through the familiar list: subdued her, assaulted her, took pictures, stole lingerie, left. He says he told her that there were other guys in the house to control her. Williams say, “She was worried she was going to be killed. I said, ‘I’m not going to kill anyone.’ ”
He says he used his one and only digital photo camera, and a video camera. Williams tells Smyth they are in Tweed. He is rubbing his left thigh. He tells Smyth he left Massicotte’s by telling her to “count or wait for a couple of minutes before she called the police. I left.” He went home. Smyth asks if he waited to see if the police showed up. “No.” Williams says he went to sleep. The next day he went to work.
[12:39 PM]
Williams is standing against the wall still. His left hand is resting on his neck.
Smyth asks how he targeted Massicotte, the sexual assault victim. He says he knew she lived alone. Williams sits down again. Crosses his arms. “I looked in the window, and she was alone.” Williams says he knew she had a boyfriend, but “she told me they had been fighting. So.”
He had gone to Massicotte’s house before the night of the assault and “looked for signs of her boyfriend, and took two pieces of her underwear. That’s all.”
Williams got into the house through a window at the back of the house.
[12:36 PM]
Williams is trying to piece together a timeline again. This time sounds like he was at Comeau’s for more like five hours.
He left her home, and went straight to Ottawa on the 401 East. He had a meeting for a C17 acquisition project.
[12:28 PM]
The attack on Comeau lasted “an hour and a half, two hours,” says Williams. Then, he suffocated her using duct tape, he says, “as I described.”
Smyth asks why he did that. “Well, I had been taking pictures. As I described to you, it was going to be a pretty straight line to Tweed.”
Smyth asks why Williams used that method rather than another. Williams is silent, leaning forward, then back. “I had thought about strangling her earlier,” he says, and had tried, but it didn’t work. “Then I decided that I needed to suffocate her.” Smyth asks what footage exhists of him trying to strangle her. “Just me putting my hand on her throat, and her responding very aggressively.” He goes on to describe suffocating her.
Williams stands up again, grabs water, leans against the wall. Is trying to piece together how long he was in Comeau’s house. “I didn’t have a watch on so I’m not sure.” But roughly four hours.
Smyth asks what kinds of conversations he had with Comeau. He says none becuase he had taped her mouth. “She was quite aggressive.” He thought her screams would be “taking a chance.” She had screamed when she first saw him. “When she discovered me she was very vocal, screamed quite a bit, until I subdued her.”
He left through the back door, and left with some of her underwear.
Smyth asks if he did anything else to cover his tracks. “I turned off my Blackberry. Other than that, no.” Smyth asks if he destroyed evidence. “I took her sheets off the bed and ran them through the laundry in her house. I just put them in, put a bunch of bleach in, and let it go.”
[12:25 PM]
Williams says of Comeau: “She wasn’t wearing anything to start with. She had some shawl over her shoulder, which she dropped when she saw me.”
Smyth asks if she said anything to him when she saw him. Williams says: “She did. She called out, ‘You bastard!’ Then I subdued her as I described.”
He outlines the struggle they had, how he tied Comeau up, and carried her upstairs. “As I described, I put her on the bed and I raped her over a period of time. Just vaginal.” No condoms were used, he says.
[12:22 PM]
Williams is describing bringing in a green military duffle bag, which contained, among other things, a skull cap and head band. He says he was probably wearing running shoes because it hadn’t been snowing.
Williams describes hiding by the furnace in the basement, and waiting for Comeau to go to bed, “but she didn’t. She came downstairs looking for her cat. As I described, I subdued her with the flashlight.” Williams grabs his water. “Essentially wrestled her to the ground and tied her up.” Smyth asks with what. “Same rope, green rope.” He’s says it’s 20 ft. long, and in Tweed. Williams sits down, sips his water, puts it down, and crosses his arms again.
[12:19 PM]
Once Williams was in the house, he says he was “Just playing with her underwear.” Smyth asks what that means. Williams replies: “Wearing it.” He took a few clean pieces from her drawer, and left.
He went back another night. Got there at about 11 PM. Could hear her on the phone from the backyard. Williams stands up again, paces, puts his hands behind his back, leans against the wall, looks down. His white-socked feet are visible.
[12:16 PM]
Williams is describing how he parked far away from Comeau’s house, and then walked there. Says that the first time he went in, “looked around and made sure that she was living there alone.” He got in through the bottom side basement window. It was unlocked.
[12:15 PM]
Smyth turns to Comeau. He says he wants to understand why Williams targeted her specifically. Williams says, “I don’t know. Really. I went out there just to see where she lived.” He says he found her address through work.
[12:11 PM]
Williams explains to Smyth what he did over the next few days while in Ottawa.
When he returned to Tweed on Tuesday, Williams dropped Lloyd’s body off in the woods behind rocks. Smyth asks what prompted Williams to measure the distance to where he was dumping her body. “That’s just the way I am. Numbers.”
Williams says he cleaned and vacuumed when he went home.
[12:00 PM]
“Then we had a little lie down because she was obviously exhausted. Covered her, and went to sleep. Maybe for an hour or so. And I had told her ealrier that before I let her go i wanted to take some pictures of her in her underwear and, uh, have sex with her.” He pauses, chin in hand. “So after she had the rest for an hour or so, I had her put,” he pauses, “a number of different outfits she had.”
Looking for clarification, Smyth says “I’m sorry?”
Williams sighs, shifts, crosses arms. “A number of different panties and bras that she had.” He acknowledges that he is in some of these pictures. Smyth asks what kind. “Well, I’m with her. On the hard drives you’ll see there’s video as well. So there’s video of the, uh, yeah. Almost four hours, I guess.” He shifts, unfolds his arms, leans forward, left hand on knee. “Well, of initially of her place, me raping her.” He shifts again, crosses arms. “The video pretty much covers everything.”
He says he used video at Comeau’s as well. Smyth asks if the video contains “the same kind of stuff.” Williams says, “Yeah, but I didn’t have her put on any stuff.”
Then he got Lloyd dressed, fed her—”fruit”—and as they were walking out, Williams struck her.
Smyth asks when he decided to do that. Williams is quiet. “Well, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to let her leave. But, uh, the idea of striking her on the head was in the afternoon.” Smyth asks what the strike was supposed to accomplish. “I thought I would be able to knock her out, and then I was going to strangle her.”
When Williams did that, “Her skull gave way a little bit, and there was a lot of blood. She was immediately unconscious. And then I strangled her.” Smyth asks how. “Same rope, just put around her neck while she was unconscious.” He says he had taken the ziptie off of her neck “after she was killed.”
Smyth asks how he knew Lloyd was dead. “She,” he pauses, “her body stopped moving.”
He then bound her up in the fetal position. Long pause. He leans forward, sighs, puts his hands on his knees. “I put her in the garage. It was very cold. And drove to the base. Because I was flying early the next morning.”
[11:56 AM]
Smyth asks where the rest of the duct tape he used is. “It’s all gone. I used the rest of it to bind her body.”
He describes how they both slept for a couple of hours, but then says he isn’t sure if she slept. “We were up and down, up and down. So it was two hours in bed. But there wasn’t much sleep.”
Then, he says, “She had a seizure, actually. She felt it coming on. She’d had some before. Lasted quite a while. Got her dressed, into the family room, and, anyway. She recovered. Anyway. It was the stress. But, uh, yeah, probably went on for about 15 minutes.”
[11:54 AM]
Williams says they drove directly to Tweed, where they arrived between 4:30 AM and 5 AM.
His position has barely changed. He is still sitting back with his arms crossed. His voice is calm, quiet. He pauses between clipped phrases, looking down at the ground, nodding as he speaks.
He describes having her take a shower, and the tape he had put over her eyes.
[11:50 AM]
Williams admits he threatened Lloyd, and put a ziptie around her neck. He says he continued to rape her, had her put on lingerie, took pictures, then got her dressed and they left.
Smyth asks when Williams decided he was going to take Lloyd back to his home. “I’m not sure. That wasn’t necessarily always the plan. But at some point it was there for,” pauses, “I was there for three hours, three and a bit.” Stops.
Williams said Lloyd was “certainly cooperative. She just didn’t put up too much of a fuss.” He says, “I had told her that I would let her go later on.”
[11:45 AM]
While detailing how he got into Lloyd’s house the first time, he stands up, walks over the table, and puts something heavy and metal down, probably his keys. He leans against the wall with his water in hand, looking down, his ankles crossed. He details waiting for her to come home, and that when she was asleep he “snuck up to the side of her bed, expecting to try and knock her out. She woke up, but she did as I said. So I didn’t hit her.”
Smyth asks what he said. “Lie down on your tummy. She did. I tied her up. With some rope I’d brought.” Williams is scratching his head. He tells Smyth Lloyd was wearing “sweats.” He sits back down and says he took her clothes off. He sighs heavily. Looks at the wall. Smyth asks then what. “I raped her,” he says. Smyth says that can mean different things, to be specific. “Vaginal and oral.” Williams says no condoms were used.
[11:44 AM]
Williams believed that because Comeau was in the military “it would have been difficult for investigators to ignore that connection to him.”
[11:40 AM]
Smyth asks what kind of feelings Williams experienced when with Lloyd. “I thought she was very attractive.”
“I think I killed her because I knew that, uh,” he pauses, “that her story would be recognized.” He stops, looks to the ground. Smyth asks what he means. “Because she knew I was taking pictures. So because of the two stories in Tweed,” he believed he would have been an obvious suspect.
Williams says he doesn’t know what he would have done to Lloyd if he hadn’t taken pictures.
“The attention the first two got was very much focussed on obviously the pictures I took. So anybody else telling stories about pictures would ahve been a farily straight line.”
He looks down.
[11:37 AM]
“The first one I just spotted her. I got into the house while she was asleep. Noticed that she was alone. And hit her with my hand while she was sleeping. Subdued her. Mostly just by weight, on top her. Had her take off her pajamas, took some pictures, took some of her underwear and left.
Smyth asks about he otehr one. “SAme kind of deal. Went through the back of the house. She was sleeping by the TV. Vry much the same story.”
Smyth asks if there was anything different. “Not much. I did have the flashlight that time, I hit her with the flashlight to knock her out, and subdued her with my weight. took of her clothes, took some pictures and left.”
Smyth asks why these things happened. Williams is silent. Signs. Chin in hand, looking at ground. “I don’t know.” “But I don’t have any answers. And I’m pretty sure the answers don’t matter.
He says he didn’t know any of them, so it was not a matter of liking or disliking these women.
[11:35 AM]
Williams says he took underwaer from both of their houses, and they are in boxes in the furnace room near the wall. “Probably one is from the scanner. If you look through the boxes there, you’ll find it.
Smyth asks how many pieces are there. “Probably 60 pieces of theirs.” Whose? “Of Jessica and Marie-France,” he says, using a French enunciation of the latter’s name.
he says there are also underwearr from each other other two women—the sexual assault victims.
[11:29 AM]
Smyth says Comeau’s name. Williams says there was an open window in the basement when she wasn’t home. He returned another night when she was on the home. She distrubed me downstaris. She was trying to get the cat upstaris, but it was fixated on me. She came down toward me, I guess because she wanted to figure out what the cat was staring at.
When she spotted me, by the same flashlight i subdued her, tied her up, brought her upstairs. Pause. “And strangled her later on. Or suffocated her.” He shifts, sighs, “with some tape.”
Smyth asks how is subdued her. Williams says with the flashlight. “I hit her a couple of times around her head trying to knock her out. Didn’t. But she was bleeding a little bit. Eventually through a struggle subdued her.” He looks at the ground, arms crossed. Williams says he had been hiding behind the furnace, and she didn’t recognize him because he had stuff on his face.
He looks down, nods, then looks up at Smyth, who asks about the suffocation. Williams says he “put tape on her mouth, nose and held it there so she couldn’t breath.” Smyth asks what kind of tape. “duct tape.”
Williams says she never recognized him. He had “just a cover for my head. Just a sport, pullover, cap-type thing. And just a headband over my nose and mouth.”
He says the flashlight is at his home in Tweed. “It’s a red, double D. It’s like a big, I can’t remember what brand. It’s a bigger one.”
[11:25 AM]
Williams says he saw her on the treadmill one night. He noticed another time she wasn’t home. When she came back home, he went in through the back patio door. She was asleep, but he didn’t hit her. Pause. “Well, so I raped her in her thouse, and then i took her to the car, and I took erh to Tweed.” He is looking down. pauses, scratches his neck. He is speaking quietly. Now holding his neck. “Spent the day in Tweed. I hit her as we were walking. She thought we were leaving. I hit her on the back of the head.” Silence. He looks up at Smyth, sighs. “Do you want to know anything in particular?” he asks, taking his water cup in her hands. “I was surprised her skull gave way. She was immediately unconscious. So I strangled her.” He says he hit her with a flashlight inside the house near the fireplace. He says they’ll find signs of the hit, mainly blood on the tile floor. “I wiped it up. But I know it can be easily spotted. Science will show it, I’m sure.” He says she was dressed, and that she will be clothed when they find her body.
[11:11 AM]
Williams is back in the courtroom, and the proceedings resume.
In the video, Smyth tells Williams that investigators are looking up electronic evidence all the time. And that this investigation will cost at least $10 million, and that anything the investigators want or need will be granted, no question.
Williams signs, puts his the side of his face in his left hand, looks at the ground. He is silent.
Smyth says he’s put his best foot forward for him, and that he doesn’t know what else to do to make him feel the impact of what’s happening.
Williams sighs, shifts. Turns to the right away from Smyth, rests one arm on the back of the chair. He says, “I want ot minimize the impact on my wife. How do we do that?” he looks at Smyth, who says, “You start by telling the truth.”
Williams is silent. Signs. “Okay.”
Smyth says, “So where is she?” referring to Lloyd’s body.
Williams is silent. He looks up and says, “You gotta map?”
Smyth asks which town is she near. “I’m not sure but if you give me a map that covers [an inaudible area near Tweed], then I’ll show you where she is.”
Smyth pulls out a map. Williams says, “You need a real map. A detailed map of that area and I’ll show you where she is.” He says she is not buried.
Smyth asks if Williams wants water. He says sure. His face is out of view of the camera, as he is leaning forward.
He leans back and says that Lloyd has been there for about a week. And that she was in Tweed on Thursday and Friday. He says she was alive for “almost 24 hours.”
Smyth tells Williams he is doing the right thing. “Again, my interest is in my wife’s life. I’ll tell you everything, and where my SIM cards are.
He says they are in Ottawa, some are in the camera bag, some are in his office in a filing cabinet. In one of the top two drawers. He says there is plastic divider and inside there are two.
Williams says that the cards have been erased but that he suspects polic will be able to draw images of “Jessica and I”. Smyth asks about Comeau. Williams say, “There may be images on there as well.” And the two assaults? “yeah.”
he says there are two hard drives at the hosue in Ottawa. “I can draw you a littl epicture of where they are.”
Smyth gets him paper, and asks if he wants anything to eat.
Williams begins drawing, and says that he wants to continue talking to Smyth.
Smyth leaves the interview room. Williams continues drawing. He stops when Smyth re-enters the room. He takes a drink of water from a white styrofoam cup.
Smyth pulls out a better map. Williams says she is 40 ft. off the road. “She is on the surface. In a grey something or other.”
“This place that my wife is in, it’s been a dream for her. So they can take what they need and leave her alone.”
He says it doesn’t matter if they move forward or backwards. Smyth suggests starting with Lloyd.
[10:44 AM]
Break.
[10:40 AM]
Smyth asks Williams how it’s going to look when people learn that he had ordered his subordinates not to speak to the police.
Fast-forward. Williams says he is concerned about the impact this is going to have on his wife and the Canadian Forces.
Smyth asks if there is something he can do for Williams. He signs. “I’m struggling with how upset my wife is right now,” he says, sighing, shifting from arms crossed and leaning back to leaning forward and staring at the table of evidence again.
“I’m concerned that they’re tearing apart my wife’s new house.” Smyth says he is too, and that will only be worse if the police don’t know where to look for evidence.
[10:31 AM]
Smyth asks Williams, “What do you want to do? There is only one option.” Williams ask, “What is the option?” Smyth replies, “I don’t think you want the cold-blooded psychopath label. I don’t see that in your. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m fooled. I don’t know. This is over. You can have a bad ending, where Jessica’s parents continue to wonder where their daughter is lying. There is a huge search underway. It will continue.”
Williams can be heard sighing periodically. His arms are still crossed, he is looking at Smyth, who asks again, “What are we going to do?” Long pause. Williams barely moves. He sighs. Looks down, emotional. Smyth asks again. “Russell, what are we going to do?”
“Call me Russ please,” Williams says, rubbing his moth, grabbing his ncck, looking around, puts his face in his hand, looks to the ground. “What are we gong to do, Russ?” Smyth says. The he asks if Lloyd’s body is someplace locked up. Williams signs, silent, arms crossed again. Staring at the table of evidence. Silence persists. Smyth asks what Williams is struggling with.
Williams looks at him, silent. He rubs his face. Smyth asks again.Williams looks at the ground. He sighs heavily.Silence. Stillness. He signs again, leans back, crosses arms. Looks around the room. Waits. “It’s hard to believe this is happening,” he says. Smyth asks why. Williams pauses, still, sighs. Smyth asks again. Williams blinks, swallows hard. He is still. Leans forward, “It’s just hard to believe.”
[10:23 AM]
Crown stops footage to tell courtroom that now an officer will come in with Williams’ boots.
Smyth says at the beginning he talkd about how he’d treat Williams with respect, but that “the problem is that every time i walk out of this room there are issues that come up. They are not issues that point away from you. They point to you.”
He shows Williams the match between the footprints near Lloyd’s house, and a photocopy of his footprint, which he’d just given to the police.
Williams leans forward toward the table where Smyth has the evidence. he says they are identical. Williams is silent, but nods quickly and slightly.
Smyth says they need honesty because this is getting really out of control really, really fast. Williams sighs deeply. Shifts, continues leaning forward.
Smyth says we called you in to give you the benefit of the doubt. but you and I both know you were at Jessica Llody’s house. adn I need to know why.
Silence. Williams takes something in his hands out of camera view. Stares. “I don’t know what to say,” he says finally. Putting the evidence back on the table.
Smyth tells Williams that his wife now knows what’s going on becase his homes are being searched, ahd his SUV has been seized. He says that both of them know that evidence will be found before the evening is over. He tells this is his opportunity to take some control, and that his opportunity to offer some explanation is quickly expiring. That the cops are applying for a warrant to search his office.
Williams sigsn. Shift. Looks at something again, likely the prints. Pauses. Smyth calls his name twice. “Russell. Russell.” On the second time, Williams looks up, almost startled. “Huh?” Smyth says he knows that Williams’ mind is racing.
Williams looks at Smyth and encourages him to step up now, rather than wait for the evidence to come out after without him.
[10:18 AM]
Smyth shifts to Lloyd’s disappearance now. He asks if there was ever any reason why Williams would have driven off the road and into a field. Williams says no.
Smyth asks if it would surprise Williams to know that forensic officers they examined tire tracks near Lloyd’s home, and then identified those tires as the same on his Pathfinder. “Really?” he says, lifting his eyebrows. Smyth says yes. “Okay,” says Williams.
Smyth says witnesses saw a vehicle near Lloyd’s house that matched his. He nods, and frowns in surprise. Smyth tells him the tire tracks in the field are very similar to Williams. He asks again if Williams has any recollection of being off that road. Williams says no.
Smyth shifts to Comeau again. He asks if there is any reason why Comeau would have specifically referenced you in some of her writings. “Not at all,” he says. Smyth asks if there is anything that would suggest to him that Comeau might have thought about Williams. “Not at all. We had one flight together. I’d go back occasionally to talk. If that’s the case, that’s very surprising.”
[10:13 AM]
Smyth is running through when Williams used his work swipe card to figure out when he was where.
He asks Williams if he is sure that he was in Ottawa on Nov. 24, 2009. He says he thinks so.
Williams smiles, shifts forwards, puts his hand on his knees, then goes back into his armed crossed position.
He says had dinner with his wife after meetings, and then left. But he can’t remember what restaurant, just that it was near where their new home was being built. He can’t remember who paid or how either. The meeting ended between 3 and 4.
Smyth asks again if that’s when he went out with his wife. He says he thinks so. He says that afterwards he drove back to Tweed. Smyth asks if he is just guessing. Williams says no, he believes this is what happened, that he kissed his wife goodbye and headed back to Tweed.
[10:11 AM]
When asked, Williams tells Smyth that he has Toyo tires on his SUV. These are the second version of those tires on his vehicle. They were put on in the fall. The dealership in Ottawa says these tires are very popular for Pathfinders, he points out.
[10:10 AM]
Smyth says that sometimes when people get stopped in a vehicle canvas about a crime, they get nervous and say things they didn’t mean. He says if Williams did that when he was stoppped last week regarding the disappearance of Lloyd, that he shouldn’t feel bound to that.
[10:09 AM]
Smyth goes through each victim by name and asks again, did he ever go to their house? Williams insists no. He says he hadn’t even heard Lloyd’s name until he heard it on the news.
[10:07 AM]
Smyth asks Williams if he has had any contact with any of the four victims (two sexual assaults, two murders) that would explain why his DNA tests might be found in their residences, but that he might not be telling the cops because he doesn’t want his wife to know about an affair or something. Williams is uneqivolcal: “Absolutely not.”
Smyth asks “Is there any reason why we’d find your DNA in those residences?
Williams says Laurie, he doesn’t know her last name, lives three doors down. That he’s never been in her house, but met her once.
[10:01 AM]
Fast-forward. Smyth asks if the police were to do an investigation of his background whether anyone would say Russell Williams did this.
He says no. “It would be very boring.”
Smyth asks straight out: Do you watch TV shows like CSI? Williams says he prefers Law & Order, but he does watch CSI.
When Smyth asks what forensic evidence Williams is willing to give. Williams asks what he needs. Smyth says footprints, fingernail samples, blood samples. Williams says sure, that he can provide that.
Crown is pointing out the shift in body language. Already Williams has gone from sitting back, hands between his legs, to arms crossed.
Williams asks Smyth: “Are you going to be discrete? Because this could have a very significant impact on the base if it comes out that I did this.” He says this stuff will go through “the rumor mill.”
He gives a saliva sample, and also hands over his boots for the imprint analysis.
Smyth asks Williams if he is concerned about the tests he’s doing. He says the investigation is significant. Williams nods, stares at Smyth.
[10:00 AM]
Williams says that when he got the email about Comeau’s death he was at home in Tweed. He says he had been in Ottawa earlier in the week for some meetings. “I seem to remember that I got this word shortly after coming back from Ottawa.”
[9:56 AM]
Williams said he met Comeau once before. He is describing the hectic flight schedule he has. He and Comeau were on the same flight crew once. It was around August or September 2009, he says.
[9:52 AM]
Williams says that on Friday after Lloyd was last heard from he was home most of the day. Previously had head that he said he had the stomach flu. He says he left Tweed to sleep at the air force base just before bedtime. He says he’d been in Tweed all week. “Yeah, I think that’s the case. Flew Saturday. Headed to Ottawa that night.”
Thursday night he slept in Tweed. During that day he was at the base, he says. “I think it was a fairly standard day.”
He says he left the base, pauses, “I don’t remember anything peculiar, so I would say seven to nine, somewhere in that range.
[9:49 AM]
Williams acknowledges that Comeau was one of his subordinates when Smyth is outlining the crimes.
He acknowledges that he had heard about some of the crimes.
Williams agrees that there is a connection between where he lives and works and the crimes—he lived near some of the places where crime occurred, and worked where Comeau did.
[9:46 AM]
Smyth tells Williams that police are investigating four occurrences—the two sexual assaults, and the two murders.
Williams, nods, chews his gum, grunts in acknowledgement, and says “yes, yeah, yeah,” as Smyth outlines those crimes.
Smyth tells him the charges that police are looking at laying, whether it’s him or somebody else. That’s why he wants to make sure that Williams feels he can speak to a lawyer whenever he wants.
Smyth asks if Williams if he has a lawyer. Williams says he has a realty lawyer. He says there is no reason he wants to call a lawyer now.
[9:42 AM]
The video footage begins. Williams is wearing a yellow and black snow jacket, jeans, and a blue and white-striped polo.
He chewing gum, and when asked by the detective if he has ever been questioned before, he says never, and smiles up to the camera.
The crown reiterates that Williams said that he was glad the police were doing such thorough checks. He is calm.
Smyth says he hopes Williams can appreciate there is a lot of big news, and that’s why the police are fast-forwarding the investigation. He tells Williams the interview is going to be thorough for efficiency’s sake.
When asked, Williams says he is a coffee guy, and that he appreciates the offer for some.
Smyth reads Williams his rights.
[9:40 AM]
Crown Lee Burgess sets up what the court will hear and see today: In the afternoon of Feb. 7, 2010 Williams was invited to the Ottawa police station to speak with Det. Sgt. Jim Smyth. Williams had spent the morning photographing the items he’d stolen and preparing to discard some of them.
Williams arrived just after 3PM. He confessed around 7 PM, and that continued on until about 1 AM. At that point he took police to Jessica Lloyd’s body.
[9:37 AM]
Williams is led into the court. Like yesterday, his lawyers whispers something to him, he nodds, sits down.
Judge enters. All rise.
He clarifies that at the conclusion of yesterday he found Williams guilty of murders, break and enters, confinement and sexual assaults.
[9:32 AM]
Routine announcement by officer that the proceedings are about to begin, and warning not to video record or take photos of evidence.
[9:26 AM]
Today the court will be hearing the confession made by Russell Williams to Ottawa police in February. There will also be video footage shown of the confession.
The lawyers have filed in court. Still many reporters and members of the public jammed in too.
No judge. No Williams. Yet.
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Liveblog: Col. Russell Williams hearing, day 2
By Cathy Gulli - Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 9:41 AM - 0 Comments
WARNING: Contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
WARNING: The following contains graphic testimony that readers may find disturbing.
For more on the first day of Russell Williams’s hearing go to: The dark, depraved side of Russell Williams revealed in court
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Baby, Can I have a drink?
By Cathy Gulli - Monday, September 27, 2010 at 12:57 PM - 0 Comments
Doctors and their female patients of child-bearing age need to start talking about alcohol consumption
Getty Images
Until now, a doctor wouldn’t usually ask a woman having a routine pap smear how many drinks she enjoyed that week. But new national guidelines recommend that alcohol consumption become a regular topic of conversation between female patients of child-bearing age and their physicians. “We’re not here to moralize or be pejorative,” says Dr. Vyta Senikas, associate executive vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, and a co-author of the report. “This is a question of awareness and harm reduction.”
The guidelines, published in the August edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada, recommend that doctors ask women who are or could become pregnant about their drinking habits, and record that information in their charts. Previous guidelines focused on diagnosing cases of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which affects as many as three in every 1,000 births, and results in neurological and behavioural problems.
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Boomers are far less fit than their parents were
By Cathy Gulli - Monday, September 27, 2010 at 12:53 PM - 0 Comments
Not that they’re inclined to believe it
Sullivan/Corbis
Boomers developed their “forever young” mentality partly as an aversion to how their parents aged, says social demographer Andrew V. Wister: “They saw the grey hair, the wrinkles. They got slower and chubbier. Boomers are very cognizant that they don’t want to age the way their parents did.” So it makes perfect sense that baby boomers are among the biggest consumers of Botox and hair dye. But beyond the surface, it’s another story: rather than being more fit than their parents were when they were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, many boomers are actually now in worse shape.
It’s an inevitable part of adulthood: realizing the ways in which we are just like and nothing like our parents. The revelation can be amusing, even nostalgic. Or, as recent statistics examining the health of baby boomers suggest, the realization can be unsettling.
In this, the second article in a three-part series examining the wellness and lifestyles of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1965, who account for nearly one-third of the national population—Maclean’s explores their physical condition and finds that for all their youthful attitudes, baby boomers are actually setting themselves up for senior years marred by sickness.
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The J.D. vs. LL.B degree
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 9:00 AM - 0 Comments
Why are schools switching to J.D.? What’s the difference, anyway?
Getty Images
When law students convene at the University of Calgary this month to slog over case studies and legal precedents, they will be working toward a different degree than their predecessors: a juris doctor (J.D.) rather than the traditional bachelor of laws (LL.B) degree.
On Sept. 1, Calgary joined an ever-lengthening list of Canadian law schools to stamp J.D. on their degrees instead of those other letters. But the thinking behind the switch seems as much about politics as it is about education.
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Baby boomers: are they more sexually adventurous?
By Cathy Gulli - Friday, September 3, 2010 at 8:34 AM - 0 Comments
Turns out, getting older actually makes for a more satisfying sex life
Heide Benser/Corbis
The romantic comedy It’s Complicated could double as a case study of what it means to be a baby boomer today. Jane, a divorced businesswoman played by Meryl Streep, is dating her architect and sleeping with her ex-husband. “I have so much energy recently, probably as a result of all the sex I’m having,” she clucks to a roomful of her girlfriends, who are titillated at the news. “Turns out I’m a bit of a slut!”
That punchy scene had audiences roaring: “they virtually cheer,” wrote David Gritten in the Telegraph earlier this year. It also became a social touchstone: “Once again the baby boomer generation is dictating its own rules as it gets older,” wrote Gritten, “in this case, living out the exquisite little secret that you can be 60 and still have a splendid sex life.”
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Surviving cystic fibrosis
By Cathy Gulli - Monday, August 30, 2010 at 4:00 PM - 0 Comments
The genetic revolution didn’t save her. That took a double-lung transplant.
Roger Lemoyne/ Denise Grant/ Maclean's archives
Anyone driving along Highway 401 west to Toronto from Montreal on Oct. 6 would never have known Caroline Donelle had turned her red Honda Civic into a hospital room on wheels. In the trunk were five oxygen tanks and stashes of painkillers. Donelle kept thinking, please don’t let anyone rear-end me.
In the backseat was her daughter, Ashley, then 24, shrouded in a thick comforter, pillows and tubes, wafting in and out of consciousness. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby, Ashley had defied expectations—reaching adulthood, attending university, travelling, even having a daughter, Leila.
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Farewell to the Queen
By Cathy Gulli - Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 4:33 PM - 0 Comments
The 22nd Royal Tour of Canada ends
The last day of the 22nd Royal Tour of Canada began with a warning by a security official to journalists huddled outside of Queen’s Park in Toronto for the farewell ceremony: dare to move beyond the sanctioned area once Her Majesty arrives and, “you’ll be arrested.”
A sudden jerk or a surge forward, the officer explained yesterday, could cause someone to startle or fall—read: Queen Elizabeth II or the Duke of Edinburgh (they are, after all, 84 and 89, respectively). The group was told this would be “embarrassing” for everyone.
No calamity occurred, save for scrapes sustained by a few people (stealthy members of the public squished in with media?) snapping photos. “How are your legs on that tree?” one asked another knee-deep in a bush. “A little prickly, eh,” came the reply.
Instead, as the nine-day tour came to an end, the Queen and Prince Philip made an elegant entrance; the shiny black car in which they were chauffeured featured a red rear license plate boasting a gold crown emblem.
Her Majesty emerged in a bright pink and green floral dress and matching millinery. A woman yelped something along the lines of “She looks beautiful,” at which point the Queen looked over, in appreciation or not, it’s unclear. The Duke was dapper in a dark suit and tie—royal blue, of course.
They scaled the red-carpeted stone stairs leading inside the provincial building, and were greeted by Ontario Lieutenant Governor David Onley. The Queen and Duke were then passed onto Premier Dalton McGuinty for the presentation of the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship to four recipients.
A quartet (three violins, one cello) played “God Save the Queen” and “O Canada.” During his remarks, McGuinty, who had accompanied Her Highness on a few excursions, quipped, “I can’t believe the size of the crowds I’ve been drawing.” The royal pair smiled politely.
Next, the Queen and Duke stepped outside to rededicate a plaque commemorating the 150th anniversary of Queen’s Park, which was officially opened by the Prince of Wales. Her Majesty tugged on a white rope, and a blue velvet cloak slipped off. She and the Duke gestured to the plaque discretely, while thousands of onlookers clapped and cheered.
The crowd’s enthusiasm beckoned the royal couple to begin their walk about, meandering along a paved path and chatting intermittently with spectators who were variously primped—fancy chapeaus mingled with chintzy red-and-white cloth top hats. Someone was inexplicably dressed up as a grizzly and waving a “God save the bears” sign.
Eventually, the royal pair made their way to acknowledge giddy dignitaries, including Toronto mayor David Miller and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Governor General Michaëlle Jean, wearing bubble-gum pink, matched the Queen (they must have coordinated; both wore pale yellow in Halifax on Day 1).
The Queen moved to the lawn to inspect soldiers from five Ontario regiments that she and the Duke command. Despite the heat—around 32 degrees—these soldiers, decked out in boots, heavy green garb and gloves, exhibited stoic reverence. One however, seeming to have nearly fainted, had to be hauled off for water and shade.
The farewell reached its climax when the 21-gun salute accompanied the military band like a thunderous metronome. The crowd whooped as the Queen and Duke walked towards a convoy that took them to Pearson airport. They got in, and drove off, and almost simultaneously, the onlookers dispersed.
As Royal watchers abandoned Queen’s Park, another crowd was assembling downtown—this time for the Shriner’s parade, which was happening in the afternoon.
One spectacle ends and another begins.
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Canada's most wanted: women
By Cathy Gulli - Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 2:00 PM - 0 Comments
The pitfalls of gender imbalance among peacekeepers
Getty Images
Scandal buffs may recall that when a UN peacekeeping mission got under way in Cambodia in the early 1990s, the number of brothels suddenly spiked. The new patrons, it turned out, were male troops. Rather than condemn their actions, the head of the mission uncouthly replied: “Boys will be boys.”
That fiasco highlighted just one of the pitfalls of gender imbalance among peacekeepers. Experts began to realize that the presence of female officers can modify male behaviour in a positive way. For instance, when female peacekeepers are present, the number of brothels and even cases of HIV/AIDS declines, says Nicolas Lemay-Hébert, director of peace missions research at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Which helps explain why, nearly 20 years post-Cambodia, the tide has shifted: “People are trying to change the gender balance in UN peacekeeping missions,” says Lemay-Hébert.
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Daddy knows best
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 3:00 PM - 10 Comments
More and more gay men are having children, and a new study shows they are very good at ‘mothering’
Courtesy City TV
On the day that Ronan was born, Paul and Rob, who have been married for 11 years, were both in the delivery room. “It was like a live one-hour National Geographic show,” Paul says of witnessing the “awesome” birth of their first child through gestational surrogacy. Since that heady event 20 months ago, the family has settled into a comfortable way of life in Port Credit, Ont. “If you’re looking for the gay couple that lives in the suburbs in a five-bedroom house with a pool—kind of the gay version of the white picket fence,” says Paul, “that’d be us.”
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Care for a yogourt soda?
By Cathy Gulli - Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 11:40 AM - 2 Comments
With annual sales of $1.8 billion in Canada, the already sprawling yogourt industry is only getting bigger
JEFF CHIU/AP
It’s a rare honour to be designated “food of the decade,” but yogourt has earned the title for its performance in the dairy aisle of grocery stores. “These are not handed out lightly,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group, a global market research agency that bestowed the award. “In the 30 years I’ve been doing this, there has only been one other food that was similar” in its rapid popularity, he says: pizza. And yogourt’s unlikely rise (this is a food made from bacteria, after all) is far from over. “There is still a lot of room to grow,” says Balzer.
Yogourt’s distinction is based on consumption data showing that, over the last 10 years, the average person has taken to eating it twice as often. In 2009, Canadians consumed yogourt 42 times, according to NPD Group, up from 20 times in 2000. That rising zeal is reflected in sales. Last year, while the Canadian economy tanked and nearly every dairy retail category took a hit—including milk and cheese—yogourt posted six per cent growth for a total revenue of $1.8 billion, according to the Canadian Dairy Commission.
