Barry Bradley’s Old Newspaper Clippings

Throughout his career in the Force (1960 – 1995), Veteran Barry Bradley developed a newspaper scrapbook containing notable news stories about the RCMP in British Columbia.

Each week, we will post two or three of these old newspaper clippings for the inters of Veterans and their families.  This week we have posted a major problem on the Pattullo Bridge and two articles about the Freedom Doukhobors.

Truck On Pattullo Upsets Cargo On Pedestrian 

Toppled truck ties up traffic an critically injures pedestrian (Source of photo – Columbian newspaper).

(Columbian Newspaper – August 11, 1962) – The ‘suicide curve’ at the north end of Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster claimed another casualty Fridge night when a truck loaded with bales of wire overturned and spilled its load on top of a pedestrian.

Constantin Baron, 64, of North Surrey, is in poor condition in Royal Columbian Hospital with fractures legs, face and head lacerations and abrasions.

RCMP said the large truck trailer was approaching the bridge from the north when the load shifted and the vehicle overturned.

Within minutes traffic was tied up far into Burnaby. Police said the tie-up was one of the worst in the bridge’s history. Cars were bumper to bumper for 2 1/2 hours.

Some of the bales fell off the bridge and snapped a number of cables on the railway swing span below; operations on the span was temporarily hampered.

The driver and a passenger in the truck were uninjured.

Five persons have been killed in the same area in the past nine months.

The latest fatality was in March when Richard Leslie, 15, was killed in a two-car crash. A coroner’s jury recommended a concrete divider rail be place between posing lanes of traffic after the deaths of Hector Sanderson 65, and his son, Edwin 35, at almost the same spot Dec 17. A week later, on Christmas Day, another accident occurred at the spot and William Wormald, 82, died later from injuries he received in the accident in which his wife was killed.

Troops Erect Barbed Wire At Agassiz

Photograph of RCMP members monitoring the Doukhobor convey to Agassiz, BC (Source of photo Columbian Newspaper).

Prison preparing for Son ‘invasion’ – (Columbian Newspaper – 1962) A squadron of 140 permanent force troops moved into Agassiz Friday night to build a barbed wire ‘no man’s land around the federal prison, the target of trekking Feedomite Doukhobors from the Kootenays.

The precautionary move to bolster the protection around the prison compound was ordered Friday by the federal justice department. At the same time civic officials in Ken municipality – including both Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs – indicated that 24-hour guards probably would be posted on all public buildings and schools in the area.

Officials Meet

The posting of guards was proposed at a meeting at Harrison Hot Springs Friday between municipal officials, Attorney General Bonner and Inspector S.E. Raybone, officer commanding RCMP Chilliwack detachment.

Ken Municipal Council earlier told the Freedomites they were not welcome in Agassiz because of ‘their previous record of arson, bombing and nude demonstrations.’

But Friday, as the Freedomite trekkers started on the last 300-mile leg of their journey to the special Agassiz prison where 67 Freedomites are serving terms, the situation was becoming more tense.

Supplies Of Wine

The army squad from the 3rd Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers was ordered out from Camp Chilliwack with supplies of barbed wire. They were under the command of Major R.A. McDermott.

The soldiers worked through the night to build the new barbed-wire protection. The prison compounds already are surrounded by an inner cable wire fence 12 feet high and a second outer fence 14 feet high. The troops planned to withdraw after stringing the wire.

In Ottawa, Deputy Penitentiaries Commissioner J.R. Stone repeated that Freedomite prisoners would not be moved from Agassiz, despite the threats of some of the marchers that they would go in if the prisoners did not come out.

Justice Minister Fleming said the Freedomite marchers ‘will not be permitted’ to attack the penitentiary. He did not elaborate.

Officials in Kent, a municipality of 2,300 persons, said no detailed plans on security guards have been drawn up. The council will have to work this out.

It is believed that guards probably will be detailed for works department buildings, the buildings at the agriculture grounds and on equipment at gravel pits. The school board will guard all schools.

No guards are expected at the municipal hall as the RCMP office is housed in the building.

After the meeting, the attorney-general and Inspector Raybone inspected the prison area, 4 1/4 miles west of Agassiz.

Mr. Bonner said no immediate action is planned against the trekkers, ‘While the emolument remains lawful, it can’t be made the subject of any official actions, he said.

Sons Reach New Camp At Bromley

PRINCETON (Columbian Newspaper 1962) – An advance party of 169 Sons of Freedom Doukhobors made camp in Bromley government campsite near here Friday, just 125 miles from their goal at Agassiz Mountain Prison.

The Freedomites made the trip from their base camp at Grand Forks in 38 cars.

Police say every vehicle was checked for firearms and explosives, and they have the names of every person who left Bill Podovennikoff’s farm where the group has camped since last Friday.

The U.S. border crossing, only two miles from the farm, was also alerted but no Freedomites crossed there. Police say the advance party con sited of 95 men, 69 women and five teenagers.

The remaining 200 odd Freedomites still at Grand Forks camp consist of mothers and children under 15.

Freedomites estimate it will be nine or 10 days before the entire group reaches the Agassiz Mountain Prison. ‘Only God knows what we will do when we reach the prison but it is the end of the line for us,’ said Marie Shlakoff, a Freedomite spokesman.

Police say the trek from Krestova has meant a shift of the Freedomite capital to Grand Forks. They say that, of the original 700 odd marchers who arrived here, about 300 appear to have taken up permanent residence.

A senior RCMP officer, long-familiar with the Doukhobor problem, said he was surprised that the tekkers included very few men or women between the ages of 20 and 30 years.

‘The people who are going to Agassiz have nowhere else to go,’ he said. ‘The ones who are staying here have found jobs or are living on farms of relatives. Many of the real Freedomites are remaining. It looks like Grand Forks is going to be the new Freedoite capital.’

John Verigin, spiritual leader fo the orthodox Doukhobors, said Friday, he is pleased that some Freedomites are leaving Grand Forks. He watched the departures through field glasses from a nearby farm.

Forty carloads of supporters guarded his house against attack, as the Freedomite cars passed on the highway in front of his farm.

‘I am pleased that they are leaving Grand Forkes but I am concerned about those who are remaining,’ he said.

Freedomites spoke of a ‘secret compsiracy’ that has caused terrorism and bombings in the past. Spokesman Fanny Storgoff said: ‘Our destination is the Beuchenwald they have built for us at Agassiz. There is nothing for us at home. Everything is burned. The government will have to look after us now and we’ll go to our prison.’

The Freedomites issued a statement Friday which said in part: ‘Do with us as you wish. Do with our bodies as you think necessary – soap, fertilizer, handbags, lamp shades and bind your books with our hides.’

‘If you find that Mountain Prison will not accommodate all of us then build us a duplicate at Krestova.’

Friday’s move had its humorous aspect. An RCMP officer, while checking a Freedomite car, found a large garlic sausage. He said he asked the Freedomite why they had the sausage when all Doukhobors are supposed to be vegetarians.

The Doukhobor replied: ‘There is no meat in a Canadian garlic sauage.’