I met and spoke with Howard Gowan on an early spring day in 2004. He is still busy writing letters and filing his replies. He is knowledgable about politics and police history in this province. I videotaped him for a while. Since I don't have the band width to post a video, I invite you to watch this slideshow I prepared from it.

Shortly after September 11, 2001, Howard Gowan received word that he is on the CSIS terrorist watch list. Howard has been a professional gunsmith for many decades. Even after his harrowing experience of being kidnapped and receiving shock treatments which forever damaged his mind and his family life, he was still given permits to keep his firearms. He has always had his permit renewed and there has never been any question that he is a responsible citizen who has not ever been charged with a criminal offense. Now, as he is being required to re-register his firearms, Mr. Gowan has not been provided with the necessary paperwork to accomplish this. Could the Mounties be planning to steal his valuable firearm collection -- as they have already done with many citizens? Howard Gowan is not a terrorist. In fact he as been the object of a campaign of terror by the Saskatchewan government for over thirty years!

Many people have taken the trouble to look into Mr. Gowan's case. It was put before the Saskatchewan legislature in 1994. We fully carry the full entry from April, 1994 and Justice Minister Robert Mitchell's empty promise to look into it. This case of outrageous citizen abuse made its way to the federal government -- where it was referred back to Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan buried it and now it is once more starting to stink along with all the other cases they buried. Winter has a way of heaving up buried material from the frozen earth. This winter a lot of deep rocks are surfacing.

The terrible story of Howard Gowan predates David Milgaard and is one of the worst stories we know of Saskatchewan police, in this case the RCMP in Wymark, Saskatchewan, running roughshod over the life of a private citizen and refusing to own up to what they did and compensate the victim(s).

In this case an entire family was affected. The story has been told in Briarpatch, on the Ombudsman show with Robert Cooper (remember that one?) and five years ago the fifth estate revisited it.

Since he was released from Weyburn Mental hospital where he had been held without legal warrant, for more than 30 days, with a brain addled by shock treatments he had resisted taking, Howard Gowan has not ever stopped seeking justice.

Many politicians have written letters on his behalf and he has written many himself.

A lot of paper has piled up over the years, so much that we were defeated in our attempt to make a coherent, managable story. We will say, with certainty, that no one challenges Gowan's assertion that he was wronged. In fact one wrong against him piled up upon another as is so often the case in a cover-up.

We hope that by posting this on the internet we can help keep the story alive.

All of Saskatchewan should hang its head in shame for what has been done, in our name, to Howard Gowan. His lawyer, Clarence Voss failed to properly represent him and instead contributed to the smear against him.

The general story on Gowan, agreed to among the lawyers, politicians and even some journalists, is that he "brought it on himself" and should be taught a lesson for not accepting his victimization. The truth is that he was kidnapped from his home, incarcerated in a mental hospital which can be accurately characterized as a snake pit, tortured and, upon release told that what had been done to him was lawful when in fact it was not. He "brought it on" by complaining to the RCMP about trespassers on his farm land. His complaints ere legitimate but were turned against him by a community all too ready to criminalize a person who stood up for his rights.

A genuine apology and real compensation to Howard Gowan might be a first step towards reconciliation in this province between the government bureaucracies (including the police) and citizens. If they could see their way to doing right by Howard Gowan and his family, they could move on to Milgaard, the Foster Parents, Martensville and the families of Natives murdered or damaged by police negligence and casual racism.

When the reckoning comes, and make no mistake, it is coming, owning up to the damage done to Howard Gowan must be part of the process. We may think that what happened to Howard Gowan could not happen to us, but if we tolerate this kind of treatment of even one individual, we can expect no better for ourselves.

Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd.
William Blake, The Proverbs of Hell

Truth suppress'd, whether by courts or crooks, will find an avenue to be told. Sheila Steele, injusticebusters.com

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Publisher Sheila Steele

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injusticebusters court advice :

How to walk yourself through the justice system

 

Why you should dump your preliminary hearing (written July 1998 and still valid)

 

Sermonette: Sucked in, Diegested and spit out by Saskatoon police (You will find links to many more sermonettes in the sidebar on this page

Another target of Dueck's malice:

Wilf Hathway

Our activism contributed greatly to the good vibes which happened around the civil trial.

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Index to the stories on this website

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Index to Saskatoon Police stories

This is a pretty good scrapbook for the 1998-2002 period.

Hatchen and Munson: These two drove Darrell Night to the edge of Saskatoon on a freezing January night in 2000. They were found guilty of unlawful confinement, did some time and are acknowledged by the Saskatoon Police Service for each having served for 17 years. The Police Association stood by them and paid for their defence until they were convicted. Only then were they fired.

Federal Prosecutors Report

Bad forensics

The CSI effect

"Expert" testimony

Reid Technique

Monique Turenne

James Driskell

 

Edmonton police

Halifax

Toronto police

Vancouver police

Winnipeg police

 

2005: In the United States the proven wrongful convictions just keep coming at us!

Supreme Court orders new trial and quashes conviction in two more cases with improper disclosure issues

A round-up of wrongful convictions in Canada

 

AIDWYC

Innocence Project (Canada)

Innocence Project (U.S.)

Northwest Law Center on Wrongful Convictions