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Dick Findlay's Letter To VANOC
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Dick Findlay's Letter To VANOC
Dick Findlay's Letter To VANOC
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:59 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
A Case Of Work-Place Bullying -
On November 18, 2009 I wrote to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Organizing Committee (VANOC) inviting them to advocate/intervene on behalf of ex-Olympic boxer Dick Findlay in his long-standing dispute with official 2010 Games supplier Molson Breweries. With no reply forthcoming from VANOC, Mr. Findlay followed up with a letter of his own which I helped him prepare. The full text of Dick Findlay's December 16, 2009 letter to VANOC is reproduced here, detailing for the first time anywhere the abuse and persecution he endured in the months leading up to his unjust firing by Molson's then-Personnel Manager, Glen N. Schwartz (currently Executive Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Development. at BC Ferries Corp.) I've set up a FaceBook Group dedicated to achieving a just settlement for Dick Findlay, a great, ex-Olympic Canadian athlete who is a long-suffering victim of workplace bullying: Justice for Dick Findlay: A Great Canadian Fighter]. I urge and invite you (and all your Face Book friends) to join in support. Let's all get behind Dick and show Molson he does not stand alone. Re: A letter sent November 18, 2009 (via email) to Renee Smith-Valade, V.P. Communications VANOC on behalf of local ex-Olympian Dick Findlay - Ms. Smith-Valade, I write to express my dissatisfaction with your failure to respond to the letter captioned above and written by my friend and advocate, Nick Hughes. The letter has now been in your possession for four weeks and you appear to have deemed it unworthy of a response. This is unacceptable. As expressed in Mr. Hughes’ letter to you, it was my sincere hope that you and your VANOC 2010 committee could provide me with some assistance in settling my long-standing dispute with Molson Breweries. As a result of your having ignored Mr. Hughes’ plea on my behalf, it seems I have no alternative but to publicly confront Molson with its shameful victimization of me during my time as an employee there. You should know that in his letter to you Mr. Hughes merely touched upon some of the abuse and persecution I was subjected to by Molson’s then-manager of personnel, Glen Schwartz. Please allow me this opportunity to elucidate and elaborate further. For starters, let me begin by stating the so-called "culminating event" that precipitated my September 16th 1988 firing was a completely trumped-up charge of being on the company's premises without the company's permission. However, the facts of the matter show that to be an utter absurdity: For while it’s true I was on the company's premises, my sole reason for being there that day was to submit a medical form (disability insurance related, I believe) that the company had provided me and had instructed me to complete and return. In support of me, a petition was later signed by more than 40 of my co-workers that stated in part, "Periodically employees off work come down to the plant to pick up pay checks, look at the time sheets or deliver medical forms. This is acceptable practice." But this was only one of a series of bogus infractions that Glen Schwartz had fabricated over a number of months leading up to his firing me and which, of course, comprised my 'extensive disciplinary record' at Molson. On June 27th 1988 I was handed a two-day suspension ostensibly for leaving work a few minutes early and without permission the evening of June 24th 1988, a date that not ironically corresponded with my being told by union official Doug Wise that I was "finished" at Molson and that Wise and the union would arrange my firing "...just to show we can do it..." Doug Wise, it should be duly noted, had a personal relationship with Glen Schwartz that predated Schwartz' arrival at Molson. My understanding is the two, with their respective wives, often socialized with one another. Again, the actual facts surrounding the June 24th 1988 ‘incident’ are revealing: a second forklift operator and I had completed our work for the night (and for the week) and had been duly relieved by another worker -a shop steward no less -who had come on shift as part of the clean-up crew. This was standard practice as attested to in sworn affidavits from the co-workers who were directly involved in the incident. Not only that, I had actually been instructed to go home by the shift supervisor, Russ Chamberlain. In addition to the two-day suspension I received, I was demoted from my forklift position and made to work on the floor of the warehouse. Besides the humiliation I suffered, the demotion served to exacerbate my already-injured legs and was decreed by Glen Schwartz in spite of my physician Dr. Jack Taunton’s specific orders that precluded I stay off my feet. My return to working on the hard, concrete floor soon caused me to once again be rendered unable to work. As one co-worker stated in his sworn affidavit: "Management had been attempting to get rid of [me] for some period of time when this supposed incident of leaving work early occurred....By removing [me] from the forklift position, and making [me] work on the cement floor, [Schwartz and Molson] virtually guaranteed that [my] legs would give out." The most telling detail though is found in the sworn affidavit of the second forklift driver who left work that night at the same time as me, and who "...received no reprimand whatsoever for doing exactly the same thing as [me]" , clearly indicating that I had been singled out unfairly for discipline by Schwartz. Another time I was even reprimanded for the manner in which I handed in a doctor's note for missing work the day before. Rather than struggle up the stairs on my painful, injured legs to the supervisor's office, I gave the note to a shop steward who took the note upstairs for me and delivered it to the supervisor. Apparently, this was not good enough for Glen Schwartz and yet another black mark was placed against my good name. Then there was the accusation by Glen Schwartz that I had been harassing the staff at Sun Life Insurance over the telephone. This too turned out to be a complete fabrication on Schwartz' part when my old friend Judge George Angelomatis telephoned Sun Life on my behalf to ascertain the facts for himself. Mr. Angelomatis was assured by the Sun Life staff that I had at all times been "courteous" the couple times I had called up to enquire about the status of my claim for benefits. On this particular occasion George Angelomatis caught Schwartz in his lie and set the record straight in his own sworn affidavit in support of me. On and on went the abuse I suffered at the hand of Glen Schwartz in a seemingly unrelenting manner. I recall numerous instances of Glen Schwartz even calling me at home to scream at me over the phone as I lay in bed, unable to walk without the aid of crutches. The foregoing clearly shows an ongoing pattern of persecution and work-place bullying directed by Schwartz towards me. Why, is anyone's guess? It might have been a simple matter of intense jealousy or a sense of inferiority on the part of Schwartz, manifested as a personal dislike by him for me. It wouldn't be the first time a former boxer such as myself had been challenged by someone outside of the ring with a large chip on their shoulder and a desparate need to bolster their own ego. Perhaps it had something to do with union official Doug Wise influencing his friend Glen Schwartz to mistreat me. Most likely, it was simply in Glen Schwartz' very nature to bully those subordinate to him. What has to be stated emphatically is that in no way was I deserving of the mistreatment levelled against me by Glen Schwartz. As indicated above, there is substantial documentation in the form of several sworn affidavits that corroborate my version of events. One co-worker’s affidavit concludes with the statement: "I observed....Glen Schwartz acting towards other workers in an unprofessional manner. In the period since Glen Schwartz left as Personnel Manager at Molsons the labour relations climate has improved." Notwithstanding the foregoing, I was subsequently denied an arbitration by my union; the reasons for which are fairly obvious: the union was deeply implicated in the abuse I had so routinely suffered at the hands of Glen Schwartz. The union’s continued representation of me was contingent upon my admitting that the numerous so-called infractions listed herein had substance and validity; in short, the union was pressuring me to perjure myself, something I refused to do. The pressure brought to bear on me reached it’s crescendo one day when the union’s then-lawyer, Marguerite Jackson, after having first reduced me to tears over the phone said: ”There, you see, you’re crying; that means you have mental problems so we’re dropping the grievance.” While it’s true you have no influence over my former union, the same cannot be said for Molson, who in signing on as a supplier to the 2010 Winter Games is duty-bound to act in accordance with the spirit of the Olympic movement. Surely, a certain degree of altruism goes hand-in-hand with the notions of fair play and respect that form the basis for the Olympic movement. As a former Olympian I subscribe to those values and Molson should too. But, again speaking as a former Canadian Olympian, I must assure you that -particularly with respect to their treatment of me -Molson in no way complies with nor measures up to the lofty standard demanded of a corporation that seeks to be associated with the Olympic Games; and ought to be made to do so. So I implore you to reconsider my request to exert some influence upon Molson to make amends for their maltreatment of me. Otherwise I’ll have little choice but to publicly denigrate Molson and will do so unrelentingly if necessary. If need be, I am more than quite prepared to put my Olympic credentials up against Molson’s, having earned mine with blood and sweat. Finally, it has occurred to me that for some unforseen reason you might not have had an opportunity to read my advocate Nick Hughes’ November 18th email to you. That being the case, I have enclosed a copy for your convenience. Again, I hope I can count on your assistance so that any unpleasantness with Molson can be avoided. Please reply to Mr. Hughes whose email address is: nicks@dccnet.com Sincerely, Dick Findlay Canadian Olympian About Dick Findlay: Vancouver-born and raised Dick Findlay is considered to be one of the greatest boxing champions to have ever come out of B.C. Between the years 1958-68 he compiled an astounding list of titles that included: 1957 - Bronze Gloves Champion Emerald Gloves Champion 1958 - Emerald Gloves Runner-up 1965 - Seattle Golden Gloves Champion California Inter-City Champion Pacific Northwest Team Member at USA Nationals 1966 - Seattle Golden Gloves Runner-up Vancouver Golden Gloves Champion British Columbia Golden Boy and Best Bout Award B.C. Champion and Most Outstanding Boxer Award Canadian Champion Selected National Team Member for Canada at the British Empire Games 1967 - Oregon Golden Gloves Champion B.C. Golden Gloves Champion B.C. Golden Boy and Best Bout Award Canadian Champion Selected National Team Member for Canada at the Pan-American Games 1968 - Seattle Golden Gloves Champion Pacific Northwest Team Member at USA Nationals B.C. Golden Gloves Champion B.C. Golden Boy Runner-up B.C. Diamond Belt Champion B.C. Diamond Boy Canadian Champion Canada Team Member at Olympic Games (Mexico City) 1969 - Pro Record 10 - 1 _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke Last edited by Cheated By Labatt on Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:42 am; edited 2 times in total |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:04 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
I'd just like to add as an afterword that the foregoing letter to VANOC likewise received no reply. A copy has subsequently been forwarded to Bryan Cox, Molson's Director of Public Affairs.
- Added March 5/10 -I've decided to provide the text of my original email to VANOC that the foregoing letter from Dick Findlay references - Dick Findlay: Local Ex-Olympian (Sent November 18, 2009 via email to Renee Smith-Valade, Vice President, Communications, VANOC) Ms. Smith-Valade, I am writing on behalf of my friend and associate Dick Findlay in hope that you, in your capacity as a member of the VANOC 2010 committee, may be able to assist him in resolving a long-standing dispute with his former employer Molson Breweries (Vancouver). A brief synopsis of the history of the dispute is warranted: Vancouver born and raised, Dick Findlay is a legendary figure in the local boxing scene. He is a former three-time Canadian boxing champ who fought for Canada in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. As well, Mr. Findlay was a competitor in both the Commonwealth and Pan-American games. Long retired from the ring, in September 1988 Mr. Findlay was in his 20th year as an employee at the Molson brewery on Burrard Street when he was fired without cause while injured and disabled. His firing came after months of what's nowadays commonly referred to as work-place bullying by Molson's then personnel manager, Glen Schwartz. As you shall see, Dick Findlay was indeed an easy target for Schwartz, whose victimization of the ex-boxer culminated with Findlay's' termination coming a mere day after Molson's own medical advisor, Dr. James K. Lai, had determined that "..due to his ongoing leg muscle problem, [Findlay] was unable to work at his regular job at the time." Mr. Findlay's "ongoing leg muscle problem" stemmed from injuries sustained towards the end of his boxing career. In addition he had suffered whiplash in an automobile accident in 1986. In September 1987 he was assessed by renowned physician Dr. J.E. Taunton, then Co-Director of the B.C. Sports Medicine Clinic at U.B.C. and currently serving as VANOC's Chief Medical Advisor. Dr. Taunton noted at that time that "...[Findlay] is unable to walk for any distance...he presently requires crutches for a good part of the day" and suggested that injuries such as Findlay's often "..resolve over time", adding, "...it takes 12 months for full recovery." Apparently, this was not sufficient proof for Molson's Mr. Schwartz who -in the sworn affidavit of one union official -had Mr. Findlay summoned to his office for "..many disciplinary meetings" during which "..Schwartz yelled and screamed at [Findlay] trying to get him to return to work...Schwartz could not or would not believe that [Findlay] was unable to work because of his leg injury." The same union official "..recall[ed] several instances of...Glenn Schwartz pressuring and browbeating [Findlay] to return to work despite his leg injury." The same affadavit also provides compelling evidence that concurrently "..there was animosity and threats of violence from [a powerful union official] Doug Wise and his associates towards [Findlay] and other brewery workers." It appears that Doug Wise mistakenly held Mr. Findlay responsible for distributing a pamphlet that was highly critical of Wise at a time plant elections were being held. Mr. Findlay has alleged that Doug Wise approached him and accused him of distributing the pamphlet and an argument ensued in which Wise told Findlay he was "finished" at Molson's, promising to have Findlay fired "...just to show....we can do it." In a letter to the B.C. Human Rights Commission dated June 25, 2001 Mr. Findlay's long-time friend and associate, Judge George P. Angelomatis of the Provincial Court of British Columbia attested to Molson's workplace "..environment where [Findlay] had experienced personal differences with both his immediate supervisors in the company and the union and at a time [Findlay] was experiencing depression. The lack of support from his union and the apparent collusion between management and union clearly contributed to [Findlay's] mental breakdown that subsequently occurred." (emphasis added) Indeed, on February 14, 1995 a Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal found that "...Mr. Findlay is emotionally shattered by his experience of the last ten years" and "..conclude[d] that Mr. Findlay suffers from a severe, prolonged mental disability, and that he became so disabled in about 1988." But in no way could this have been news to Molson's Glen Schwartz who, on more than one occasion, had berated Mr. Findlay with taunts, allegedly saying to him: "you have mental problems and no one likes you down here so we are going to fire you." Thus, it becomes increasingly evident that a great injustice has been perpetrated on Dick Findlay. I have merely touched upon the indignities and blatant persecution he endured at the torturous hands of Molson's Glen Schwartz; for example, Schwartz resorted at one point to have Mr. Findlay relieved of his job operating a fork-lift and instead had him put to work at a job that required Findlay to stand and walk all day on the warehouse's unyielding, concrete floor, notwithstanding his injured legs and in direct contravention of Dr. Taunton's specific orders. Mr. Findlay maintains he was a good employee and was undeserving of the treatment he was afforded by Molson and by his union. Unfortunately, due to his conflict with Doug Wise he could not rely on his union to fight his wrongful termination; in fact the union has since revoked Findlay's membership and as a result of it's failure/refusal to advance his interests (i.e. provide him with a final and conclusive arbitration of his grievances) Mr. Findlay has sustained substantial losses, not the least of which include insured disability benefits and a considerable pension from Molson. Since 1995 when the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal granted him his status as a disabled person Mr. Findlay has lived at a subsistence level receiving less than $1,000 per month disability pension. Over the years he has sought on numerous occasions to have his so-called 'day in court' only to be denied that opportunity with disturbingly regular consistency. From his point of view his position is quite simple: wrong has been done to him and only Molson can put these matters right. In the past, Mr. Findlay has resorted to drastic measures to bring the matter of his dispute with Molson to the public fore; this has included picketing the Vancouver Court House and once even chaining himself to the doors of the Labour Relations Board's offices. He is certainly not above utilising such tactics nor is he adverse to enlisting the assistance of certain anti-Olympics groups in bringing his message home to Molson. I have cautioned him against such a strategy but Mr. Findlay is still a fighter at heart, with a mind of his own and a determination to prevail that knows no bounds. Make no mistake, he takes his role as a Canadian Olympian very seriously and is rightly incensed at Molson's involvement in these, his hometown's Olympic Games. Given the past deplorable treatment afforded him by the company, Mr. Findlay rightly views Molson's participation as an affront to everything the 2010 Games purport to (or ought to) stand for; an example of corporate cynicism at its absolute worst. Nonetheless, the last thing Mr. Findlay wishes is to cause any embarrassment to the 2010 Winter Games or, for that matter, to Molson. I know he is sincere in his belief and hope that all parties may avert any adverse publicity, with respect to the Molson/Findlay affair, that might reflect badly upon the Games, it's corporate suppliers or even the VANOC 2010 committee. My reason for bringing these matters to your attention stems from Mr. Findlay's own long-held belief that what he actually requires is a powerful advocate, one with sufficient public relations savvy to convince Molson that it is in their best interest to make amends with this proud ex-Olympian, whose dogged pursuit for justice and closure now coincides with a time when the world's eyes are fixed on Vancouver. Given his status as a member in the panoply of Canadian Olympic athletes, -and Molson's own commitment to the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games and the obvious inherent faithfulness to fair play implied in that commitment -I suggested to Mr. Findlay he seek out the assistance of your VANOC 2010 committee. Who better than VANOC to advocate for a local, Olympic athlete; to suggest to its supplier Molson to come to the table, meet with Mr. Findlay and come to an amicable solution to resolve the impasse? Indeed, VANOC may be his only hope in putting these matters at long last to rest. Obviously it behooves Molson -particularly at this time as the 2010 Games draw ever nearer -to show some real compassion for a decent, former employee and a great, Canadian Olympic athlete who got a raw deal simply because he ran afoul of a couple of insignificant, minor players in the labour relations game. The Canadian Olympic Committee's own website lists its Olympic values that include fairness and respect. In the interest of those compelling ideals won't you please offer your assistance to Mr. Findlay? I invite you to play a part in restoring this once great Canadian Olympic athlete's dignity. He, as much as anyone I've ever known, is deserving of your support. Below is attached some further information regards Dick Findlay and his long and ongoing battle for justice. On behalf of Mr. Findlay I thank you for your consideration in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information regards this local ex-Olympian. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Nick Hughes Advocating for Dick Findlay http://www.uncharted.ca/content/view/250/ _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke Last edited by Cheated By Labatt on Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:31 am; edited 3 times in total |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:33 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
I'd just like to add that one of the most disturbing aspects to Dick's unjust firing was that it came a mere day after Molson's own medical advisor had determined that "..due to his ongoing leg muscle problem, [Findlay] was unable to work at his regular job at the time."
Thus, it's reasonable to conclude Molson had every reason to believe Dick Findlay was injured and disabled at the time of his firing. Dick's "ongoing leg muscle problem" apparently stemmed from injuries sustained towards the end of his boxing career. In addition he had suffered a serious whiplash some 18 months prior to his firing when his automobile was rear-ended while his vehicle was stationary at a stop-light. In September 1987 -a year prior to his firing -he was assessed by renowned physician Dr. J.E. Taunton, then Co-Director of the B.C. Sports Medicine Clinic at U.B.C. and currently serving as VANOC's Chief Medical Advisor. Dr. Taunton noted at that time that "...[Findlay] is unable to walk for any distance...he presently requires crutches for a good part of the day" and suggested that injuries such as Findlay's often "..resolve over time", adding, "...it takes 12 months for full recovery." Apparently, this was not sufficient proof for Molson's Glen Schwartz who -in the sworn affidavit of one union official -had Mr. Findlay summoned to his office for "..many disciplinary meetings" during which "..Schwartz yelled and screamed at [Findlay] trying to get him to return to work...Schwartz could not or would not believe that [Findlay] was unable to work because of his leg injury." The same union official "..recall[ed] several instances of...Glenn Schwartz pressuring and browbeating [Findlay] to return to work despite his leg injury." (Unfortunately, that pressure eventually resulted in Dick returning to work too early. He was further made by Schwartz to work at a job that required he stand/walk on the warehouse's unyielding concrete floor for a full 8 hour shift. At the time of his firing he was off work as a result of this directive by Schwartz, which completely countermanded Findlay's own doctor's orders stipulating he be given a job that required no standing.) The same affadavit also provides compelling evidence that concurrently "..there was animosity and threats of violence from [a powerful union official] Doug Wise and his associates towards [Findlay] and other brewery workers." That's another disturbing part of the story of Dick Findlay's firing by Molson. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| SharynS |
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:16 pm
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Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2533 Location: the 'puter |
Out of curiosity, do we know where Molson's Glen Schwartz is and/or what he's doing now?
_________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:38 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
SharynS wrote: Quote: Out of curiosity, do we know where Molson's Glen Schwartz is and/or what he's doing now? Glen N. Schwartz is currently V.P. of Human Resources for the BC Ferries Corp. Earlier today I wrote to Richard Goode, provincial President of the Ferry Workers' Union to ascertain whether or not any of their members have encountered any similar problems with Glen Schwartz. My reasoning is: once a bully, always a bully; it would not surprise me in the least to learn that Schwartz has inflicted abuse on other workers elsewhere. I know he once worked for the Bay department stores and if anyone knows anything about his time there, I'd certainly like to hear about it. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:14 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
No response has been forthcoming from the Ferries Workers' Richard Goode.
On the other hand, it appears that Molson has reported Dick Findlay to the VPD alleging his letter to VANOC constitutes a 'threat'; to whom, I'm not sure? The only thing even remotely close to a 'threat' is Dick's promise to castigate Molson for their mistreatment of him. What I find most disturbing about this latest development is the actual manner in which the police brought this matter to Dick's attention: for they didn't contact him directly but instead made a surreptitious contact with a mental health professional, Dick's counselor, advising him to pass on a warning to Dick. How the police managed to find the name of a private citizen's mental health provider is open to some conjecture. It's not clear why the VPD chose to run some kind of background check on Findlay to find out who he consults for his personal mental health issues and then make contact with THAT person as opposed to contacting Dick Findlay directly. What's really going on here? Is this evidence of our edging ever closer to a police state? _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| SharynS |
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:13 am
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Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2533 Location: the 'puter |
Anyone know how many women have been murdered despite reporting threats of violence against them and then consequently advised by police that nothing could be done unless or until a crime had actually been committed? Anyone know how many people have died because police failed to act? Quote: ...didn't contact him directly but instead made a surreptitious contact with a mental health professional,... B.C Civil Liberties Association might be interested in hearing this story, it appears to be taking an active offense to the VANOC invasion. _________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:35 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
When I spoke with Dick's counselor last week he was unable to tell me much due to client confidentiality. Dick has since signed a release naming me as his confidant so I'll be following up for more details on Monday.
The counselor was able to tell me, however, that he gets such notifications from the police on a fairly regular -if not routine -basis. Yet his only subsequent advice to Dick was that he write no more letters; in other words: 'keep your mouth shut'. That's not going to happen anytime soon. Quote: B.C Civil Liberties Association might be interested in hearing this story, it appears to be taking an active offense to the VANOC invasion. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:12 am
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Update -02/18/10 -
A busy day began with a trip down to the Molson brewery to get some pics of Dick under Molson's giant Olympic mural. We got some video too and I'll be uploading that when we get some more footage together. In the meantime, you can view some of the day's photos at Dick's Facebook page Justice for Dick Findlay. While you're there, why not join our group in support of Dick. It costs you nothing but a click of your mouse and provides you with an opportunity to show Molson that there's strength in numbers. We could sure use your help. Later in the day Dick and I met with his counselor and psychiatrist and I was able to provide them with some further details of Dick's boxing career as well as some of the shameful abuse Dick endured at Molson. I think they both came away with a much greater appreciation not only of Dick's many accomplishments in the ring but also of his character as a man -well, that's what an advocate's for n'est ca pas? And finally, we've received a formal invitation to appear on Charles Boyland's Co-op radio program as mentioned in my earlier post. It'll probably take place some time next week. I'll provide details when we nail down the date. And rest assured even if you don't reside in the Greater Vancouver area, you'll still be able to hear the interview when it's later uploaded to Co-op Radio's web site. Special thanks to my dear friend Ms. V. for the great photography. Click on the photo of Dick's leaflet and you'll find you can clearly read every word. Note: on the reverse side I had his many boxing titles printed. That's all for now. Plenty more to come so stay tuned. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| SharynS |
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 4:39 pm
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Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2533 Location: the 'puter |
Pretty amazing work CBL. I want to know what, if any, attention this action got from the public. Did anyone bother to stop by or ask the questions? Did anyone care? Did anyone interfere?
_________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie |
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| BZelley |
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:38 am
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Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Canada |
APRIL 23, 1968 - Victoria, BC - 13 bout card
Bout 7: Brian Zelley (Nanaimo) over Barry Lowe (Victoria) Bout 13: Dick Findlay (Vancouver) over Les Vegas (Victoria) Isn't it funny how time slips away, but the memories linger on/ |
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| BZelley |
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:58 am
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Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Canada |
FROM OUT OF THE WILDERNESS into the LIGHT - The Champ Tells his Story
Stepping back in time long before his now 22 years shadow boxing in the dark on a merry-go-round that never stops, we were all young and ring warriors. Starting in September 1967 to May 1968, it was quite a ride for many open class senior boxers with eyes wide open looking to strike gold in Mexico at the 1968 OLympic Games. But, then at the Diamond Belt/BC OLympic Trials, it was the end of the road for many, but some were still standing for the trip to Edmonton for the Olympic Trials. And when the bright lights faded to black and the bells stopped ringing, the only one left standing to carry British Columbia into the Olympic boxing ring was two time "Golden Boy" Dick Findlay. As the years rolled by into the mid-Seventies, Dick gave back by serving as an official for the British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association, but by the Eighties he became a forgotten hero, and by the Nineties, he was just a faded memory for many. Sadly, he was still fighting, but for a bigger cause and without the use of blistering combinations or fast footwork, but for many of those years it was like an echo in the wind and the wilderness, and many in the sport of boxing were unaware of the biggest fight of his life but now we hear the echoes loud and clear as the champ moves forward to tell his story.  Looking forward - the path to Redemption & Justice 
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 7:26 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
SharynS wrote Quote: I want to know what, if any, attention this action got from the public. Did anyone bother to stop by or ask the questions? Did anyone care? Did anyone interfere? But while we were there a foursome dressed in Molson club jackets came by to view the giant "Spirit of the Games" mural which adorns the brewery's outside wall. It turns out they were Molson employees from Montreal, here for the Olympics -effectively tourists. They were cordial and we provided them with a leaflet to pass on to their superiors in the Molson organization. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:05 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
BZelley wrote Quote: As the years rolled by into the mid-Seventies, Dick gave back by serving as an official for the British Columbia Amateur Boxing Association, but by the Eighties he became a forgotten hero, and by the Nineties, he was just a faded memory for many. Dick also served as an official at last year's 2009 World Police & Fire Games held here in Vancouver. He told me he got to watch some great boxing during the course of the international event that saw emergency responders from all over the world competing in a variety of sporting events. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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| Cheated By Labatt |
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:34 am
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Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 34 Location: Hell and Back |
Dick and I appeared tonight on Charles Boylan's "Discussion" program on Co-op Radio CFRO 102.7 FM. We did a short 15-20 minute live interview.
I have no idea how it sounded to the listening public (the ones not whooping and celebrating over Canada's 7-3 drubbing of the Russians) but it'll be up on Co-op's web site in about three days and I'll post a link so all of uncharted's denizens can have a listen. Prior to the interview we killed a bit of time downtown and happened to meet Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff on his way to the hockey game. His eyebrows are much bushier on TV; either that or he underwent a trim for his outing at the big game -Ignatcognito? Then I was able to pass out one of Dick's leaflets first to CBC anchor Ian Hanomansingh and later to CTV's Pamela Martin (who's still a babe!!) One other note to pass on: I've submitted Dick's story to CBC reporter Kathy Tomlinson whose investigative reporting segment Go Public has recently gone national. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hopefully Ms. Tomlinson will do a report on the Dick Findlay saga. We're still looking for more people to join our Facebook group, Justice for Dick Findlay. If you haven't yet joined in support now's as good a time as any; plus, it's the BEST way to stay up on any and all new developments in Dick's story. Hope to see you there, folks. _________________ "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke |
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