National Parole Board office move provokes frivolous lawsuit in Ottawa
April 9, 2009 · By Charles Anthony
The trouble with our legal system is that Albert Galpin is forced to defend himself from this despicable nonsense. This is worse than a frivolous lawsuit:
The parole office moved into the building at 301 Elgin St. — just across the street from the school — in 2004. The lease lists Brian Wm. Karam as the president of the numbered company. Karam could not be reached for comment yesterday.
After pressure from concerned teachers and parents led by Galpin, Public Works Minister Stockwell Day announced in 2006 the parole office would move from the Elgin St. location when the lease expires in September.
Now Albert Galpin is being sued for $4 million because of supposed lost revenues incurred by this numbered company. This is an abuse of a publicly subsidized legal system. This nonsense reminds me of an other frivolous lawsuit.
Talk about a sense of entitlement. Nobody owes this numbered company anything, least of all a government contract.
I am Brian Wm. Karam’s daughter. The “Wm.” in my dad’s name stands for Bill – my grandfather, who would be ashamed of this frivilous lawsuit he has filed against Mr. Galpin.
This is not the first time my dad has used the court system to perverse the course of justice. As a child, I went through years of litigation in the divorce between my mother and father. As a consequence, childhood was stressful – my mother depressed and my father with a temper that would flare up at any little thing.
Ironically, I went to Elgin Street School from Kindergarten to Grade 5 and it was one of the very few positive things, given the unhappy home life. Elgin Street P.S. provided a refuge for me when my mom and dad were constantly bickering and using the children to get back at one another.
When I was 16 I finally decided not to go back to my dad’s – we have been estranged now for 34 years.
The sad thing is that my dad dragged my mom through the courts for so long that when I was 17 she finally went bankrupt. Unbelievable – her and my brother lived out of a small car for a period of time while she tried to get her bearings back. He wrote my mom a letter once telling her that us kids would amount to nothing. He was wrong – with the help of student loans and working, we both finished university and landed on our feet.
I see my father taking the same ridiculous and vengeful approach with Mr. Galpin right now. The parole office was moved to ensure community safety – he should just accept the decision. My dad should do what is right and drop the charges – he should also apologize to Mr. Galpin and to Elgin Street Public School and offer to pay any legal costs they have incurred.
I should have spoke up about my dad a long time ago to ensure he was never able to tear anyone down again. Just because he doesn’t agree with something, doesn’t mean it isn’t the best outcome. Dad – you are not always right. Stop this lawsuit now.
Spoofing this lawsuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKXiKcvlTFE
Terry, thanks for putting a smile on my face :)
Dad will be infuriated by the comparison, but what can he say when this is how he is acting. He hates not getting his own way.
Thank You Vania.
Your welcome Vanessa.
My father will never apologize, but I will for him. Please tell Mr. Galpin how sorry I am about what my dad is doing to your family.
I am very proud of Vania for speaking out. I knew you, your brothers and mom when you were young. I also knew your dad and I can see where you sense of fairness and justice comes from.
Brian Karam is a bully. Bullies become bullies by learning that they can be rewarded by their ways.
Social media tools such as this blog, Facebook, Twitter etc. live for the opportunity to correct injustices such as B. Karam’s frivolous law sutie to punish free thinking citizens who stand up for others like Mr. Galpin and his family.
There is an old saying that goes” Cut off the head to kill the tail.”
I propose that those who agree, link this site to your respecitive networks and launch a BOYCOTT of Karam’s known businesses in Ottawa starting with the McLaren’s Restaurant/Pool hall and the adjoining Business Inn Hotel. Then add to the list of his other interest as they become known.
Up front I acknoweledge this will effect people who work for Karam. They deserve to know what kind of person they enrich and why they now suffer by his hand.
Let’s teach this bully and all other bulliies a lesson.
Vania I really appreciate your comments. I am sorry that this has boiled over into the public sphere. Let’s get the claim withdrawn so that we can all get on with or lives.
Albert Galpin
Please note Vania that you are not responsible for your fathers actions or his behaviour. It took a lot of courage to speak out against a man like him. Vanessa Galpin
Well what do you know. the video has been removed by Youtube! Guess he got there!
It’s back up!
My father is a very good man. However, he also sees things “the Brian Karam way”, as he always puts it.
He’s done some very good work with the organization CODE and he has always provided support to people in the lebanese business community.
He also has good morals. One example is when a chambermaid (i’ll call her ‘Glo’) at his hotel was accused by a guest of stealing a diamond ring from her room. ‘Glo’ told my dad it may have been in a tissue she had placed in the waste-basket. My dad asked my brother to search through the garbage to see if he could find the ring, and he found it. I spoke with ‘Glo’ after the incident and she was so relieved that my dad had given her the benefit of the doubt.
I know my dad will find the right way to handle this situation if he looks inside himself. No one can show him the way – he must find it for himself. It is my hope that he will use his money and his legal skills for a better purpose than this – he has befoere.
Regardless of the outcome, I have come to understand that things have a way of coming around. Fate proves to reward those who do good. Using litigation that will ultimately bankrupt a man is not the right path to take. Particularly when the man has four kids to raise and was only trying to ensure their school was not situated next to a parole office.
The intense litigation throughout much of my childhood created a great deal of stress on the children, and the ultimate bankruptcy of my mother has resulted in financial difficulties not just for her, but for me as well. I am speaking out now after all these years, because I don’t want Mr. Galpin’s kids going through the stress and financial difficulties that I went through when my mom was in litigation . Please find a better way Dad – I know it’s in you. Love u
Vania,
You are very courageous. I can not begin to express how grateful I am for your comments to my post. I am deeply honored by your contribution to this blog. I do not even know how to put it in words. This is the best that I can do:
Of all the blog posts that I have ever written, writing this one makes me the most proud specifically because of your contribution in defense of my point.
Albert,
This sort of injustice deeply saddens me. I have written several posts trying to draw attention to state institutions that enforce an unfair disadvantage to the common man. Vulgar right-wing “conservatives” often uphold the state legal system as if it was the key to assuring a free market in all business affairs. They never realize the cognitive dissonance in their political position as exemplified by your plight and the plight of many other people who must defend themselves against lawsuits at absurd expense. There is no free market when the government forces you to defend yourself against frivolous lawsuits — it is quite the opposite of a free market, actually. Legally, if you just ignored this lawsuit, there is a good chance that the court would rule against you regardless of how absurd the claim may be. This nonsense often becomes a contest of who can afford the legal fees. The de facto winner is simply the richest guy who can bully the other guy into bankruptcy.
Mr. Charles Anthony, you have hit the nail on the head, as they say.
The only way out of this is for my dad to withdraw his claim; otherwise, Mr. Galpin will go bankrupt. Seems unfair – but, true.
From my experience with my father, he doesn’t change his mind.
If people protest or boycott his business, this will just make him fight back. He doesn’t appreciate being backed into a corner.
As you know, my dad is suing under a numbered company, not in his name, so even if the outcome did not favour my dad’s side, the company would have no money from which to reimburse Mr. Galpin’s side for his legal fees. On the other hand, it would seem that my father may possibly be able to deduct his legal costs as they may be viewed as having been incurred for the purpose of earning income. Wouldn’t that be an irony if it is the result :(
It’s too bad the community didn’t also use a numbered company to rally the parole office. Even though (and I learned this from my dad), it is cowardly to hide behind the veil of a company – if you’re going to fight the good fight for what you believe in – use your name, not a company name – stand proudly behind your actions.
The only option left now is to speak from the heart and pray that he will have a change of heart. Time will tell. But if it takes too long, Mr. Galpin’s family will suffer in the process.
Maybe an apology letter to him both from Mr. Galpin and from the community at large acknowledging the stress the media attention has had on him and the loss of rent that he might have potentially had if the parole office had stayed put, would suffice. But, the sorry would have to be sincere and acknowlege his plight.
I have a feeling that my dad’s hostility goes beyond his own plight. Mr. Galpin is part of the centertown community association that complained about the traffic around another business on Elgin St. that will remain nameless, but the owners of which are like family to my dad. I think his claim has more to do with getting the community to back off in its voicing of complaints about Elgin St.
There’s nothing more to say – all the information is now laid out. The decision rests in my dad’s hands.
Please note the posted link to the following support group on Facebook for my brother. If you could pass this on to your friends and family it would be greatly appreciated.
Ottawa Parole Office Relocation Legal Defence Fund
Helping Albert Galpin and other citizens who are fighting to have a Parole Office moved from across the street from an elementary school.
http://apps.facebook.com/cause.....m=d36b313d
Regards,
Vanessa