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[Lone Clone]

Stanfield supporter embraces God, rejects columnist


By David Baines, Vancouver Sun May 29, 2010

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Stanfield+supporter+embraces+rejects+columnist/3087220/story.html

There is, in my view, no substantive evidence that the Gallowai Bul River gold project near Cranbrook is economically viable.

As previously noted, Calgary promoter Ross Stanfield has raised $229 million from about 3,000 shareholders over the past three decades to develop the mine, and he has repeatedly assured them the mine is on the verge of production. But nothing ever seems to happen.

Last year, 12 dissident shareholders filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court to oust Stanfield, but they lost the case. An appeal is underway.

Meanwhile, B.C. Securities Commission enforcement staff have asked the commission to order Stanfield to provide an independent report on the property. This seems sensible enough, but Stanfield still has many shareholders who resent outside intrusion -- either by regulators or reporters -- into what they view as their private concern.

One is Debby Raabel, a naturotherapist from Hinton, Alta.:

"I own shares in this mine and have been reading your articles. Are you related to any one of the Group of 12 dissidents? If not, does one of them hold shares in trust for you ...? Reading your one-sided vindictive articles on Bul River makes me think you have a very personal interest in this mine."

Now let me assure all readers that I have no interest in this matter other than as a journalist. When I asked Raabel what evidence -- other than Stanfield's representations -- she was relying on to support her belief that the property was economically viable, we moved into another galaxy:

"Now FAITH is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for and the EVIDENCE of things not seen. Heb 11:1 AMEN and yes, yes, and yes I do live my life on faith and it's a glorious, joyful, peaceful life. ... Perhaps Jesus will return (and HE IS COMING SOON) before the mine produces anything, HALLELUJAH COME LORD JESUS!!!!"

What we have here is the very toxic mix of business and faith. I have learned there is a large contingent of devout Christians within the overall Gallowai Bul River shareholder group. While I respect their faith, I sincerely hope they use their calculators, rather than their Bibles, to make investment decisions.

Raabel asked whether I had taken a mine tour. I have not, and would not, simply because -- like most people -- I know nothing about geology and would be held hostage to whatever my tour guide told me.

But I do know somebody who took one, and here's what he had to say about it:

"Until the mine stopped conducting mine tours for existing shareholders and potential new investors, Eldon Warman was employed by the Stanfield Mining Group as the tour bus driver. On one such tour I was told quietly by Mr. Warman that the ore in the Gallowai mine was worth $20,000 per ton and that the Grand Mineral ore was worth $ 70,000 per ton.

"The conversation then wandered into the need for Mr. Stanfield to be very discreet about the mine's true wealth so as not to draw the attention of those who want to take it over. Over the years, shareholders have been regularly cautioned in the company's promotional material as well as by the sales reps about forces actively seeking to take over the mine."

I am quite familiar with Warman. He lives in Calgary and he's founder of Detax Canada, an organization that clings to the belief that the federal government cannot legally force citizens to pay taxes.

He is also grossly anti-Semitic. He complains about financial domination "by Zionist Jew banksters," and expresses regret that "we don't have a greater need for soap and lampshades."

There is no evidence that Stanfield shares these views, but it's difficult to believe he does not know about them. Warman is extremely provocative and has had well-publicized run-ins with police, the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

In addition to hyping investors on bus tours, Warman sent a letter to the Pincher Creek Echo in July 2008, complaining about the B.C. government's vetoing of a proposed mill that was purportedly going to process ore from the Gallowai Bul River deposit.

He alleged the cancellation was part of a conspiracy -- facilitated by government bureaucrats -- to "starve out" Stanfield so that they could hijack his mineral claims. Although there is no evidence that Stanfield knew about the letter, its contents are entirely consistent with his oft-repeated claims that government agencies and major mining companies are conspiring to usurp his project.

Last week, Warman weighed in again. He sent out an e-mail critiquing my column on BCSC enforcement staff's efforts to force an audit of the Gallowai Bul River property. It begins: "Attached is the latest David Baines article in The Vancouver Sun, with my comments. It is pretty obvious with whom this Jewish gentleman has his loyalties."

Aside from the fact that I'm not Jewish, his critique is filled with misrepresentations and outright lies. For example, he disputes the fact that Stanfield's former consulting engineer, Philip de Souza, was disciplined by his professional association for making unsupportable claims about the property. Rather, he says, de Sousa's reports were "understated to protect company proprietary information from those special interest groups who obviously covet the Stanfield Mining Groups' mineral claims." Such garbage.

Like Raabel, Warman believes I am "acting as a promoter" for the dissidents, who are trying to steal the property for themselves. Happily, there are some shareholders who take a more charitable view of the dissidents' campaign, and my reportage of it:

"Thanks, for your article in The Vancouver Sun," said Sandy Gakhal, an Edmonton professional engineer who is no longer a true believer. "I want to see Ross Stanfield held accountable. ... It's about time the securities commission stepped in."

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