How I got to this Point

Over an 18 year period, I went from barely able to walk due to being denied proper medical treatment, where the medical professional was  recommended by others, not by myself, but by many of who have a questionable reputation; too losing almost everything, including my family and sanity.

1992:
2nd yr Electrical apprentice: Alpac Project in Northern Alberta, was working on the “Chipper”, which is a long walk up the steps, 4 other co-workers and I were the first up the stairs, seemed like a nice day out there, cloud cover breaking with the morning sun and warming up, to keep the November air just perfect for work.
Add 2” of snow during the night, the pines are looking beautiful along the horizon, I was first to grab the hand rail and go up, next thing I knew my right leg came up, w/knee hitting my shoulder, left leg does a side-ways 90 degree angle from my upper body to the right side under my right hip and that is how I hit the ground, “Tin Bashers” had left a sheet tin on the ground, right at the base of the stair case of the chipper.

I can remember the pain, along with my 1st instinct, when in pain react to it, I got up w/help from my colleges, was able to stand but not able to climb the stairs, so I was put on the “REEL” to spin off cable for the conveyor belt of the Chipper. Reel was about 75-80 yard’s away it took me 15 minutes to get there when I did I fell on the reel, after about 30 mins I was unable to spin cable off the reel, so I was told to go back to the lunch trailer, about 100 yards away, and wait for the foreman and a nurse, this was about 7:45 -8:00 am.
10am coffee break I was 20 yards from the Lunch trailer, my co-workers saw me and carried me the rest of the way, (they were on top inside the chipper the whole time), no-one else knew I was injured (except the foreman).

It took time for me to feel everything that was wrong with me, even after I seen the Doctor for the first time, which was 4 hours later, during that time I waited for my Foreman and a nurse, all I got was Foreman (w/ aspirin in his hand), General Foreman and Job-site Manager all came an talked to me, told me that I will have to fill out WCB forms so they can contact WCB and make them aware immediately. It was a claims manager from WCB that called me at the job site (they brought the phone to the lunch trailer) asking me questions on my injury, I told him I don’t know as I haven’t seen a doctor yet, he then informed me of my rights under the Act as per medical attention, and he will have a doctor ready for me Lac La Biche, approx 30 miles away, half of it rough bush roads, I was informed to get to my bunk in camp and wait there until the ambulance came to get me.

In the next few hours I was accused of “Malingering”, “looking for a free ride” etc, etc; I used a wall to assist me in walking I fought hard to take each step, most of the pain I felt under my right knee cap, as it was so painful that I barely felt the pain in my hips and lower back, I took it as symptom of the knee, not the opposite, as that is what I was told by the Doctor, who the WCB had lined up for me before I got there, which I ended up driving myself, as they were waiting on Ambulance to bring me in, that in itself brings up more questions then I can get answers.
For three days I went to him, driving back and forth to camp, as the Company wanted to keep it “lost time prevention”, I took 5 separate injections under my knee cap each visit then asked "If my knee felt better", after taking those shots under the kneecap I wasn’t feeling any pain from the meds I was given, but 3 hours later it sure didn’t help, I was right back to the max pain level of a 10+, sitting in camp alone , with other trades men, yelling through the walls to “quit that moaning and suck it up” .

That was the original injury which went undiagnosed, until 2.5 years later due to a re-injury, physio-therapist then put my hip back into place, which was refused to be such by the Alberta WCB, automatically it is a new claim and they used the old injury as a deduction of Medical/Financial/ rehabilitation responsibilities.

Between 1992 and 1999, I experienced 4 separate situations like this and each time was off work for over a year, only difference is that in 1999 my Doctor said “enough is enough”, this mans body cant keep taking this punishment of cut him off and return him to work so he can only come back again, . A year long battle broke out on this in appeals, of which time I had no income what so ever and the repercussions my family went through was more then outrageous; it was criminal.

I fought the WCB claims manager & Employer; as together, they created false information pertaining my length of employment, hours and day of lay-off, I thank my union for supplying me with the information I needed to win that appeal, and I do hold them accountable for misrepresentation of a worker in many ways, but that is not what this story is about.

WCB put me through their vocational program, my resumes were mixed with other peoples information, not mine; they gave me questionnaires to determine a new profession, they refused most due to the schooling costs; they then requested I write an entrance exam to an accredited School for Electrical Engineering, was accepted; by that December the school had a letter written up stating that “I do not have the academic back ground for the completion of the Pre-technical course that was required to enter Electrical Engineering.”

So I was then informed of my monthly pension, which I would be collecting, and on that I was not able to support my family as I did prior; unless I can come up with a permanent solution.

I came up with a “Portable Work Station”, many uses, made specifically for people who enjoy D.Y.I projects. I created it due to my hobbies of wood, metal, lapidary and other projects I have enjoyed during my life, it could even be converted easily into small portable office. It was built to hold tools (power /hand), material, 300lb weight capacity, extend-able, height adjustable, everything I needed to work with my injury.

I then made up a few drawings and then took the materials I had and created a semi-prototype of what I wanted, you must remember this was with material I had handy; nothing was bought, as I had no money for that.
I did a test of it in my garage, worked not to bad; I then went through the process of pricing material to build another, did more testing, fixing where I found fault in structure, I needed the proper equipment to do this, so off to find the Financing I need.

I made presentations to various Retailers and Distributors, in hopes of getting a break in Financing; I found a national retailer that wanted to handle my Work Station but would only buy in lots of 1500 and payable within 90 days. In order to reach that amount of product I needed to know manufacturing costs, I had a manufacturer set up that would go over my design, blue print it, minimal cash up front as he knew my situation, to be my sole manufacturer, but not until I sent them the finished, tested proto-type for production. I had other designs drawn up as well, from mobility aids for handi-capped, portable fencing and other designs/plans in various fields, all non-related with P.W.S, which were all included in my business plan to the WCB; of which they took out of my hands and placed it in the hands of the Business Development Bank of Canada.

The B.D.B.C had given the Portable Work Station a 45% chance of success w/out a proper proto-type having been built, it was their startup costs of the venture that I disagreed with.
My calculated cost was just over $70,000.00; $50,000.00 less than business plan that the B.D.B.C had written up for the WCB, it was rejected.

I was informed by Mr. Rob VanDoesburg during this time: “that I know nothing of business and therefore I should enroll into Business Administration”, he did advise me that it was my decision to take this course, then if I still felt that I wanted to pursue this venture, I would have the means to do so, on my own, or to collect $900.00 per month until retirement, as I would not receive any venture capital from the WCB, nor would they grant me an advance on my benefits to do so: this was before the B.D.B.C was done the feasibility study of the Work Station.
I discussed this situation thoroughly with Mr.VanDoesburg , he stated that “if” I showed a solid commitment to this venture, it may be considered, so we bought property, close to rail and hiway, which enabled me to keep overhead down, location to build proto-type and other designs I had planed to create to have manufactured.(of which I penalized after for not having WCB permission to move to that location, they would however have paid for my moving if I had moved to the location they chose for me & my family)
That wasn’t showing enough commitment and I was forced to go to academics even though from the past situation which had the same entrance qualifications, pass, fail or drop out they were done with me. When I was to start classes I would receive my full benefits, until then I was to live off the deemed employment of an Electrical Engineer, which after deductions was about $350.00 per month.

6 months later I have no claims manager, no-one to inform directly that I desperately needed the upgrading to enable the completion of the B.A course, I finally got hold of a WCB supervisor Mr. Patrick McDermott and was able to relate the information to him, he advised me once again pass, fail or drop out they are done with me, as that is the reason I no-longer have a claims manager, as soon as school was done so were my benefits, so a C.M was not needed.
That winter I received my T5007 tax form, it claimed I made over $44,000.00 that year, I questioned this and requested the Financial reports on my claim, unknown to them I had kept all my benefit stubs since the beginning of my claim, I then requested an audit due to many irregularities of the financial statements, that is when Ms. Shirley-Anne Garlinski started handling my claim and I had found over $40,000.00 (at that time) wrongfully removed from my benefits; 3 years later I am again forced into a situation ; this time it was to plead guilty to fraud charges (of which they had been doing the defrauding, prior to and after, as over $70,000.00 wrongfully removed now).

As I never stopped working on finding the finances for the Portable Work Station during this, along with getting an Industrial Design registered with the Canadian Patent Office , I had been able to gain my name on the list for the CBC television show “The Dragons Den” which was about a year before I knew I was facing criminal charges and had to withdraw from the program due to the acceptance agreement, I had also gone to various Federal Government programs to gain financing but was informed that I am a WCB recipient and therefore their responsibility, go to them for assistance. With everything else that I have posted on my blog’s this is what was happening behind the scenes as well, I will still get all this going, but again I cannot do anything with the position that I must sit stagnant as I cannot come up with what is needed for success nor will those responsible allow for me to go forward, only under their direction may I succeed into deeper poverty and social stigma.
all of this due to greed and corruption inside the Alberta Government.
From the year 2000 until 2007, my wife and I had spent 3.5 years in the courts fighting two Alberta Government agencies, 2.5 years alone fighting for our children, of which we were proven innocent, all due to just one, the Alberta Workers Compensation Board, during that time not only was all this going on , but with our special needs child going through over 27 major surgeries  in 7 years, dealing with psychologists and many other professionals due to the WCB & family Services working together during the time of my benefits being cut off, stating that we cannot afford the food for our children and placed them in foster homes, which in turn lead to the 2.5 years in court, along with the Fraud charges the WCB laid against me and forcing me into pleading guilty under duress; all this while attempting to concentrate on academics which I was unprepared for and refused the assistance I needed.