news // 4 Family of Peter de Groot speak out » Sister Danna reveals misrepresentation of Peter in media Angela Espinoza News Editor i Minews 3 * @theotherpress.ca When the Other Press originally covered the Peter de Groot story, media at the time misspelled de Groot’s surname as “DeGroot.” Peter also did not have a criminal history as earlier reported. (): October 20, the family of Slocan shooter Peter de Groot spoke out for the first time at a press conference. The death was unjust, and felt police could have done more to keep the situation from escalating. Peter allegedly fired at : police during an October 9 : altercation, which resulted : in the three-day lockdown of : Slocan, BC. Police searched for : Peter until October 13, when : they found him in a cabin and, : noting his gun was pointed at : them when they entered, shot : and killed him. Peter’s sister, Danna de Groot, helmed the conference : and talked on behalf of the : de Groot family. One of the : major points of the conference : was how the family felt : Peter had been negatively e , : portrayed in the media. “He family’s response was that Peter’s : was, very simply, the most knowledgeable and intelligent : person that I’ve ever known,” ; said Danna. : spread misinformation about : Peter, such as a criminal history, : : drug and alcohol problems, : and that Peter suffered from : schizophrenia—all of which : Danna claimed were false. : Regarding Peter living on his : own and taking in animals, : Danna stated he preferred to : be alone: “He went back to his : childhood roots of reading and : writing, trapping and farming.” not have a history of violence, : came from a supportive family, : and had previously suffered : numerous health problems. : “His body was ravaged over : time; it was easy to judge him.” : for Peter began, another Media reports rapidly Danna stressed Peter did After the police hunt : sibling informed Danna of : the situation; Danna then attempted numerous times : to speak with the RCMP, first : over the phone, then in person. : Danna reportedly drove up from : : Vancouver to Slocan to try and : talk with police and let Peter : know she was there. Danna stated RCMP refused her requests to help : search for her brother in an : attempt to find out how the : situation got to the point : of manhunt and lockdown. : Danna stayed in Slocan for the : duration of the situation and : reported updates to her family : via text. While in Slocan, she : was eventually contacted by : RCMP, who informed her of Peter’s death. theotherpress.ca : “Why was my repeated : request to talk to Peter ignored : and our efforts disregarded?” : said Danna. “Why was it too : much trouble to get us to help to preserve the life of our : vulnerable brother and prevent : the killing from happening? “The officers on the scene : had to have had a complete and : utter disregard for his life or : they would have taken the time : to save him.” The de Groot family is currently seeking legal action. : Their hope is that further : investigation could reveal a : clause fora “wrongful death” : suit. Danna defended that if : Peter had allegedly shot at : police first, as reported, he likely felt threatened. Home mail delivery coming to an end » First run of community mailboxes replacing Canada Post delivery Angela Espinoza News Editor i Mi news 3 * @theotherpress.ca ( vanada Post has begun shifting over to community mailboxes as of October 20. Over the next five years, home delivery of mail via Canada Post is to be obsolete. The decision was announced in December 2013, and is currently in practice throughout parts of Canada. Thus far, various addresses in along with addresses in the cities of Halifax and Winnipeg, are experiencing the first run of the new mail system. : Converting to community : mailboxes came as a result of : lost revenue for Canada Post : over the past several years. To : combat the losses, stamp prices : rose in March this year while : the switch of delivery systems : is likely to cut up to 8,000 jobs : over time. Postal workers were : not consulted prior to the : Parliament-supported : decision. Members of the : Canadian Union of Postal : Workers (CUPW) are currently : finalizing a court challenge : against Canada Post, as Ontario, Alberta, and Montreal, : the loss of jobs is not only : substantial, but many civilians : could be hindered by the use : of community mailboxes. : The union’s president, Denis : Lemelin, has been vocal about : the way in which issuing the : changes was handled with : regard to postal workers and : those who are recognized as : seniors or disabled throughout : Canada. : representing the CUPW case, : said ina press conference, : “Did you [Canada Post] have : any studies of the impact of : the decision on seniors and : disabled before you took the : decision?” : organizations representing : seniors and those with : disabilities will also be on : the side of CUPW during the : court challenge. Many others : however see the community Paul Cavalluzzo, a lawyer Various groups and : mailboxes as a general : inconvenience. The Globe and Mail : palsy—for why community : mailboxes are not feasible for : : all. Thus far, the petition has : interviewed several residents in : : Ontario during the first week. : “Snowploughing in our area : is quite bad,” said Doug Boyd, : who lives in the city of Kanata. : “In the wintertime this is going : to be quite a disaster. Is Canada : Post going to follow the city : ploughs around and dig these : things out every day?” : There is currently an online : : petition on Change.org titled —: : “Don’t let Canada Post end door : : to door delivery.” The petition : was started by Cambridge, : Ontario resident Susan Dixon, : who has cited her living : situation—as a mother of two, : with one child having cerebral over 200,500 signatures, and : needs fewer than 100,000 more : before it can be presented to the : House of Commons for review. Community mailboxes : however will mainly affect : residential areas. Canada Post : has stated businesses will not : be affected by the change, and : will continue to receive mail delivery service. There is currently no confirmed date for when : residents of BC will begin using : community mailboxes. As : with the other provinces and : territories, BC will likely have : mailboxes installed in stages : throughout the province.