Sunday, June 25, 2006

Its taken over six years but I finally get to say, "Bye bye for you Mr. Arnold Samuel Asham - Grassroots News and you are toast on June 29, 2006!

ARNOLD "THE DEFENDANT" ASHAM











Tansi/Good Day Folks:

In response to a June 21, 2006 posting, "What he has a rap sheet?" which noted MMF lawyer Murray Norman "The Happy Litigator") Trachtenberg had sued Grassroots News publisher Arnold Asham for non payment of legal fees, an anonymous reader contacted us and stated in part:

"Arnold Asham has spent more time in court than a few of the judges ..... he is an interesting character."

Over the years like many of you we too had heard numerous rumours about the operation of his "newspaper." So yesterday we "ran him" through Manitoba Justice's online file registry (www.jus.gov.mb.ca). Please note:

(1) This information relates only to Small Claims Court and Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench civil matters. It is impossible for us to do a criminal record check

(2) There is another Arnold Asham of curling fame, however, we are assuming the Arnold Asham identified in the online Manitoba Justice website search relate to Mr. Asham and Grassroots News. If this is incorrect we apologize in advance

The information available is skeletal - it only lists documents. For more detail you'll have to go to the File Registry at the Provincial Law Courts Building to access their contents. Here's what we found:

(i) C104-01-39410 Her Majesty The Queen in the Right of the Province of Manitoba (Plaintiff) versus Arnold Samuel Asham (Defendant) - 2004

(ii) SC04-01-99328 Medpak Limited (Plaintiff) versus Arnold Samuel Asham (Defendant) - 2004

(iii) SC (Small Claims) 03-01-94918 Saul Selby (Plaintiff) versus Grassroots News and Arnold Asham (Defendants) - 2003

(iv) CI03-01-33599 Saul Selby (Plaintiff/Respondent) versus Grassroots News Arnold Asham (Defendant /Appellant). From the records it appears Mr. Asham lost in Small Claims Court (SC03-01-94918) subsequently appealing to Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench where Justice Perry Schulman dismissed his case on September 25, 2003

(v) SC02-01-93707 Murray Trachtenberg (Plaintiff) versus Arnold Asham and A. A. Aborginal Advertising Incorporated carrying on business as Grassroots News (Defendants) - 2003

(vi) SC02-01-90915 Grey Goose Bus Lines Limited (Plaintiff) versus Arnold Asham (Defendant) - 2002

(vii) SC01-01-84296 Greg Stefanyshyn, Vector Graphics And Design (Plaintiff) versus A. A. Aboriginal Advertising Incorporated and Grassroots News (Defendants) - 2001

(viii) SC00-01-82104 Garden City Dental Centre (Plaintiff) versus Arnold Asham (Defendant) - 2000

(ix) SC00-01-83170 Norman Asher (Plaintiff) versus A.A. Aboriginal Advertising and Aboriginal Advertising publications of Manitoba (Defendant) - 2000

(x) CI00-01-16942 Southeast Child & Family Services (Plaintiff) and A.A. Aboriginal Advertising Incorporated carrying on business under the name and style of Grassroots News a Dividion of Aboriginal Advertising publications of Manitoba and Grassroots News a Division of Aboriginal Advertising Publications of Manitoba and Len Kruzenga (Defendant) - 2000

(xi) CR91-01-10343 Between The Queen and Arnold Asham Accused 1991 (file transferred to Dauphin Judicial District) - 1991

Now for my favourite Arnold Asham story.

During February 2000 Louis Riel Capital Corporation Chairman Alphonse Ducharme, Board of Director Leo Campbell (appointment deliberately not renewed) and I as General Manager (Asked to resign refused and was fired!) were summarily dismissed from LRCC for opposing the "forced move" of corporate headquarters to 150 Henry Avenue plus inappropriate interference by the MMF in its "supposedly arms-length affiliate's" internal affairs, Leo and I launched a petition.

The plan was to send all signatures collected to Mr. Bob Dickson (Ottawa - at the time Executive Director, Aboriginal Business Canada which established and funded LRCC (ABC is embedded in Industry Canada). Leo paid (About $800!) to have the following small clip out coupon published in The Winnipeg Free Press:

An Open Letter To The Metis And Non Status Indian People of Manitoba

Hello, my name is Leo Campbell. for over five years I was a Director of the Louis Riel Capital Corporation which is funded by Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) to provide loans to Metis and Non Status Indian people throughout Manitoba. Because of the increasing political interference in the day-to-day operations of the Corporation, I am circulating the followign petition that will be sent to ABC in Ottawa.

I the undersigned am a person of Metis or Non Status Indian ancestry currently residing in Manitoba. Further, I believe The Lousi Riel Capital Corporation should be operated as an independent, autonymous Aboriginal financial institution free from political interference including any involvement or influence from a Metis political organization(s).

If you would like to sign the petition or read the two page letter of explanation that accompanies it, please contact the Local Manitoba Metis Federation Chairperson in your area or your representative in the Provincial Legislature. Please return signed petitions to my by April 29, 2000.

Thank you and Meegwetch
(Signature)
Leo Campbell

This announcement was sponsored by Leo Campbell a Metis rancher from Waterhen, Manitoba. Mr. Campbell can be reached at:

Box 130
Sknowan, Manitoba
Telephone/Fax: (204) 628-3355

If you are unable to obtain a copy of the petition, you can also show your support by completing this coupon and mailing it to the above address.

I Support The Petition

Name:______________
Adress: _____________
Telephone: __________

After the WFP ad was purchased Leo then paid for a series of 20 second announcements which he read on NCI Radio. We tried to have them aired during what was then "The Metis Hour" sponsored by the MMF. Although the Sales Department Representative for Native Communications was nervous even agreeing to let them run he finally concluded there was no basis for denying us. However, they could only be played before and/or after TMH show.

Subsequently explained to Mr. Arnold Samuel Asham in a telephone conversation (February 2000) we had entered into agreements with the WFP and NCI Radio and wished to run the petition in Grassroots News for which, of course, we'd be prepared to pay. He flatly refused and when I asked why suggesting that was not a democratic way for a newspaper to operate, he refused and promply hung up. So to to you, Sir, I finally get a chance to say "Good Bye" and when The Honourable W. Yvon Dumont becomes the MMF's next President on June 29, 2006 both you and your "newspaper" are toast. You forgot, Sir, "What goes around comes around."

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

clare dig to find out about the burrows ave building.reports are DC sold the business to underworld guys and the burrows address is now a money laundering business. Rosie is name mentioned and carmino ?big money dc suport

4:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the saying "You are as good as the company you keep" says a lot about the relationship between Arnold Asham and David Chartrand

5:48 PM  

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