You Want To Save Yourself From Libel?

Add advocacy to your organizations name. Of at least that is what some groups would like to happen but the truth of the matter is if you are going to throw stones be prepared for people to take action.

Sorry not enough for port officials
Continues with defamation suit against citizens
March 02, 2007
Donovan Vincent
CITY HALL BUREAU

The community group facing a $3.4 million defamation suit by the Toronto Port Authority is angry the court action is proceeding despite the group's apology to the federal agency.

Community Air, a citizens' group opposed to the port authority and the Toronto Island Airport the authority runs, issued a full retraction and apology on its website. The statement, which was posted a few weeks ago and remains on the site, "unreservedly retracts'' statements that "reflected adversely'' on the "honesty, competence, responsibility and regard for the law'' of former port authority chair Henry Pankratz, president Lisa Raitt and chief financial officer Alan Paul.

The initial remarks that led to the lawsuit were written in a briefing memo Community Air sent to politicians last March and posted on the group's website between April 16 and April 19 last year.

"On my own behalf and on behalf of the directors of Community Air, I acknowledge that these statements should not have been made nor circulated,'' Bill Freeman, Community Air chair and spokesperson, writes in the Web posting.

But that doesn't seem to have satisfied the port authority.

Freeman is due to be questioned in a hearing next week by lawyers for the port authority, and a representative from the federal agency is to be questioned by lawyers for the community group, also next week.

"We made an apology which we put on our website, but they've made no attempt to resolve this issue,'' Freeman said in an interview yesterday.

His group has scheduled a news conference for Monday to voice their frustration that the court case is going forward.

Critics, including Toronto Mayor David Miller, have called for the port authority to be disbanded, and the island airport shut down.

The lawsuit has been viewed by some as a way for the port authority to stifle criticism through a "libel chill.'' It's also viewed by some as an unfair assault on a volunteer advocacy group that is using its fundraising money to pay legal fees.

Port Authority chair Michele McCarthy and president Raitt did not respond to telephone and email requests for interviews from the Star yesterday.

In October, at the port authority's annual general meeting, there were signs the agency was preparing to back off on its lawsuit.

"I doubt we will seek to get damages,'' McCarthy told the meeting, which was attended by members of Community Air.