[All] Fw: Anti-SLAPP - Get Involved!

Mon Jun 18 00:24:04 EDT 2012

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: X Y <antislapp at gmail.com>
To: Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> 
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 4:02:19 PM
Subject: Re: Anti-SLAPP - Get Involved!

Dear Louisette,

Thank you for sharing your story.  Would you be willing to speak with me?  I would be interested in writing a news article that can be shared on Environmental Defence's anti-SLAPP campaign webpage and set out to supporters.

Additionally, I understand that you are a member of the Grand River Environmental Network.  Would you be willing to encourage the Grand River Environmental Network to protect your ability to speak out by joining Environmental Defence, Ecojustice, and CELA in their anti-SLAPP campaign.  

Your group or organization could do the following:

	*  Respond to this email to let us know about your support for anti-SLAPP legislation.
	*  Link your group or organization's webpage to the following site:  http://environmentaldefence.ca/campaigns/protecting-public-participation
	*  Contact your MPP and let us know about it.
	*  Have your organization agree to sign-on to letters and reports in support of anti-SLAPP legislation.

Your participation can make a difference.

If you or the Grand River Environmental Network are interested in getting involved, you can contact me at 416 806-7096.

Sincerely,

Tasha Schmidt  
Lawyer (B.C.L. / LL.B.)

On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Louisette Lanteigne <butterflybluelu at rogers.com> wrote:

Hello
>
>
>I strongly support Anti Slapp legislation because citizens need to be protected when raising concerns of non-compliance issues. I was sued for 2 million dollars, based on the text of a city council speech I gave where I tried to reasonably identify the location of an oil and diesel spill that I spotted in a nearby subdivision. The sign on the yard where the spill was located indicated the spill was on the property of company X, a housing firm. This firm was owned by the developer who built my subdivision so in council I said the property was owed by developer X. I did not know this developer sold the company to another agency. The name was the same as when the developer originally owned it. I had no knowledge that the firm was sold and at the time of the council speech, all I was trying to secure was a reasonable description of the area so city could arrange a clean up of the toxic spill. 
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>Later on I continued to see more and more spills so finally I approached the MOE. They stated they wanted to see my photos but I had three years worth so I built a website to post the photos instead thinking it would remain a private communication between me, the city, region and provincial officials. Someone leaked news of this site to the developer who saw the transcript of the council speech I gave. Based on that I was sued for 2 million dollars. 
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>The duress it created for my family was overwhelming. We lived paycheck to paycheck. I made multiple attempts to talk to the developer but they refused. Eventually they got my priest to contact me saying they wanted to meet with me. This upset me so much that they would use my priest for this. I was disgusted. I told them I would see them in court. Even with absolute and qualified privileges it would have cost me $40-70k to defend myself to prove my own innocence and even if I won, without anti slapp law in Canada, I would still be out that money so it was a catch 22. I had no choice but to settle and basically lie to the press saying it was my fault, that this company was not responsible for any spills even though it conflicted with the transcript of the city council speech I have proving this same developer had a history of spills and labour law issues when they built my subdivision. I know. I witnessed it. I had to lie to get a settlement. It made
 me physically ill and to this day it causes distress when I think of it. It should not be legal to make a person lie to the public! 
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>We need reasonable protection for citizens who are trying to make the effort to protect their communities from projects that place others at risk. We need to protect people who want to speak out on behalf of public safety and common sense. 
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>Thank you
>
>
>Louisette Lanteigne
>700 Star Flower Ave.
>Waterloo Ontario
>N2V 2L2
>519-885-7619
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>________________________________
> From: X Y <antislapp at gmail.com>
>To: allerton at ualberta.ca 
>Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 7:49:11 AM
>
>Subject: Anti-SLAPP - Get Involved!
> 
>
>
>
>Dear Anti-SLAPP Supporter,
>
>If you are part of a group or organization that 
might be interested in vocalizing in support of Environmental Defence, Ecojustice, and 
CELA in the anti-SLAPP campaign, please let us know.
>
>
>Unless the Ontario government acts, speaking up to defend our 
environment will get harder. Big companies with deep pockets are 
muzzling Ontarians by using SLAPP suits to silence people who speak up about projects that 
could harm our air, water, land and food. 
>  
>A strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP, is 
meant to limit your freedom of expression. People who are SLAPPed are forced into court, which means they will likely have to pay a lawyer's hefty fees even if they haven't done anything wrong.  Most Ontarians 
can’t afford these costs and stop speaking out, leaving fewer of us to 
defend our environment.
>
>If you are part of a group or organization that might be interested in helping Environmental Defence, Ecojustice, and CELA in their anti-SLAPP campaign, your group or organization could do the following:
>
>
>	*  Respond to this email to let us know about your support for anti-SLAPP legislation.
>	*  Link your group or organization's webpage to the following site:  http://environmentaldefence.ca/campaigns/protecting-public-participation
>	*  Contact your MPP and let us know about it.
>	*  Sign our petition, letting the McGuinty government know that the time for action is now.
>Help stop SLAPPs in Ontario - speak up for your rights.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Tasha Schmidt  B.C.L. / LL.B.
>
>
>
>
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