Discovered: Previous failed attempt to intimidate Red River College to silence TGCTS

Attempts to directly intimidate Red River College into silencing free speech and The Great Canadian Talk Show on 92.9 Kick-FM was not a tactic reserved for the Winnipeg Free Press.

We have learned the tactic was trail-blazed by an employee of Red River College, who claimed to be relaying the message from their former place of employment -- Winnipeg City Hall.

What the person did not apparently do, however, was disclose that they were also a member of a cycling lobby group -- RHCO (River Heights-Corydon-Osborne), and attended formal meetings with many members of Bike to the Future (BttF).

The double - agent was "concerned" that the relationship between the College and City Hall may be somehow affected due to our questioning of the actions of city officials and bike path consultants, and their connections with the Bike Lobby.

In an attempt to undermine our radio show, the message suggested all those associated with the station, including the College, could be sued if we persisted. The College's lawyer confirmed to Kick-FM and College officials there was no evidence of defamation being broadcast.

The timing is very telling.

The attempt to intimidate Red River College (the funder of the campus station) came one day after Councillor Jeff Browaty promised to demand answers, after the city 311 service diverted an email addressed to the City Auditor.

As heard on TGCTS all during the week RRC was pressured, blogger Graham Hnatiuk provided clear evidence that key stakeholders in South Broadway were never spoken to by the consultants, even though the contract required it as a pre-condition to rolling out the construction.

He questioned why payments to the Assiniboine Avenue bike path consultants were made, and asked the Auditor who was responsible for paying for costly revisions that were going to be necessary due to the mishandling of the file (and as are going on, to this very day).

The 311 service lied to Hnatiuk that the Auditor did not deal with public inquiries such as his, and sent his email instead to Active Transportation coordinator Kevin Nixon, whose job it was to supervise the consultants work in the first place.

Assiniboine was one of many projects, including Berry St. and Sherbrook, in which a pattern of neglect of the concerns and needs of residents and businesses of the community, in favour of Bike Lobby demands, was exposed on TGCTS.

In this case, a Red River College employee claimed to have received a complaint -- which was obviously from one of their friends -- but presented it as if came from a legitimate source.

The precedent has been set, that anyone who challenges the Bike Lobby and their friends at City Hall might find themselves blindsided by attacks from secret allies of those who are under scrutiny.

Such is the value of Freedom of Expression to members of the Bike Lobby, who will use their professional connections to waft veiled threats to funders, rather than put those "complaints" in writing, and respect the principles of due process and fairness.