Began

Whatever happened to the "FALCONRY CENTRE" ?
Well, let me tell you.

This is not a newspaper story. This is a true story. .... In fact my story is so true, that I would swear to it on a stack of Bibles under penalty of perjury. But since no Court has jurisdiction over the matter, I will present my Case to the Court of Public Opinion………You be the “Judge”.

You determine whether the facts rise to a level: “that shocks the conscience and offends the standards of all decency”.

Background to the Story:

I graduated grade 13 high school. Went two years to Sir Sandford Fleming College for Fish and Wildlife Technology.

Accepted a position with Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology on the re-introduction program for endangered Peregrine Falcons in the eastern USA.

Returned home to work in cast iron foundry making brake drums to pay off student loans.

Made a proposal to Metro Toronto Zoo for an educational free-flying birds of prey show. I created the show, provided the birds and was hired as the Senior Keeper/Demonstrator while training zoo staff to continue with the program.

Developed the idea of using trained falcons in bird control for aviation safety at airports. Did a flying demonstration at CFB Trenton attended by officials from Transport Canada. Led to 100’s of airports using this technique around the world. My technique has undoubtedly saved many lives.

Subsequently, I have over a 20 year period, contracted with and provided services to International and Military Airports and numerous other clients in Canada and the USA.

Operated a School of Falconry seasonally for 24 years, teaching the Art of Falconry.

In 1989 I purchased a property on the 2nd Line of Tottenham and began to build The Falconry Centre.

The Falconry Centre
(covers about 3 acres)
It took me about 5 years to build and cost me over $700,000 dollars just in materials.

Houses 200-300 birds of prey.
Numerous species of Eagles, Vultures, Hawks, Owls and Falcons.

As the Centre was finished I decided to open it seasonally to public tours. Mainly school groups, seniors groups and just during the summer for the general public. From 1989 to 2010 – The Falconry Centre was the base for Bird Control Contracts, a Falconry School, Breeding and Selling Birds and Public Tours.

What people do not know is all of my original birds of prey were purchased from captive sources
such as zoos or falconers in other countries. I was never allowed to have any birds (wildlife) from the wild,
even injured birds which were and continue to be summarily killed.

After paying all taxes on my earnings, I used my disposable income to buy, pay for the transport
and quarantine all the birds I obtained. Then through my knowledge and skill and over 30 years of work,
my collection of birds grew to 100% success in breeding; even the most difficult and rare birds.

Yes, I am a bird farmer. A farmer of birds that most would mistakenly believe are wildlife or a public resource.

Also of importance to this brief background is:
I always paid taxes on time and in full.
Paid full contributions to every Social Program.
Never collected welfare.
Never used Health Care.
Never received a subsidy.
Never had an automobile accident.
I have no debt.
I have never done drugs.

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Now, let me tell you what happened to the Falconry Centre !

One day some people come to me and say; “we are from the government” and you cannot have these birds anymore unless you get our permission. After 30 years, you tell me this now? Yesterday I can have them, today I cannot. And I quote: “You have to get our permission or you must give them to someone who already has our permission”. Yes, I must give them away. I cannot even sell them to someone who has permission to have them, because that would be against the law.

But wait, didn’t I work and labour for 30 years, pay the government their share? Now they want it all. That doesn’t make sense. So, what would a normal guy do? He would make an application and wait to see if he can keep all his hard earned property. Wait for approval.

But a simple man like me, would say, “If these birds are your property then take them and please forgive me, for somehow I must of come into possession of your property. But if I own these birds and they are my property, then get lost.” Of course, no man or woman on earth could ever come forward and truthfully claim my birds are their property. So, I told them to get lost.

From 2007 to 2012, I am repeatedly threatened with harm, fines, jail and their intent to steal. And I repeatedly told them; “If these birds are yours, take them. If not, get lost.”

Then one day I am in a law office and this senior lawyer says to me, and I quote: “You do not own anything, not in this country you don’t”. Well, I had no idea that I did not own anything, but I wish to thank him from the bottom of my heart for telling me. So, you have to wonder who owns all my birds then. Maybe I should send the owner a “bill” for buying the owner all these birds along with the cost for housing, feed and care over a 30 year period.

A few months later I meet with a senior lawyer in the Attorney General’s office and ask him if what this lawyer told me is true. He confirms it is true. He confirms I do not own my house, truck, children, birds, running shoes or even the pizza I ate last night. Wow, who would ever know that?

I then asked him: “If I do not own anything, then how could I ever own a debt?” He could not or would not answer it. It took me a few years, but I figured it out.

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Now, the Falconry Centre is quite a large facility with over 200 birds of prey. And these are not little birds. To just come in and take them all, would make people wonder what is going on. You cannot just take a man’s life long work from him and give it to someone else. So, they waited and waited while telling everyone not to deal with that crook, or we will charge you. We will starve him into submission.I even offered some people birds for pennies on the dollar to maintain the necessities of life for my family, but the fear people have is amazing.

One winter, just before Christmas my son is feeding the birds in the Falcon Breeding Chambers. He comes running to the house like he had seen a ghost. He tells me that a breeding pair of White Gyrfalcons are both dead on the ground. As I went to check all the other chambers, it turns out that all my White and Silver breeding Gyrfalcons pairs are dead in the same night. I remember how he kept looking at me all day, as if to say, Dad why are you not crying?

These were the most valuable birds I had at a value of $100,000 dollars for a breeding pair.
I may never know who did it, but I do know how it was done.

Then they started going after my wife and children. My wife is charged with having the birds. She is confronted one day by the same people who are continually threatening me. They tell my wife I am dangerous, I could snap at anytime and should fear for her safety. They offer her a place to stay if she will leave me. They tell her, we know you have two children at home which really creeped her out.

Around the same time my wife is audited for the first time in her life by Canada Revenue Agency and told she owes $43,000 dollars going back 10 years. I guess her Certified Chartered Accountant who prepares her tax returns is a crook or at least incompetent.

Eventually, they waited until I gave them a cover story which they knew the public could support like, “Major Pot Bust at The Falconry Centre”, however they forgot to report in the newspaper stealing all my birds at the same time. A crew was brought in to take all the birds. Birds like “Lady Amber”, a female Golden Eagle and “Cotton Jenny” a Bald Eagle which I had for 30 years. Spent 1000’s of hours training over the years. Simply taken, given to who knows who, free of charge.

"Lady Amber" "Cotton Jenny"

But if the birds are not mine, then neither can the “Pot” be mine.

From 2006 to 2011 I had exhausted all means to provide for me and my family the necessities of life, I decided to grow either Hemp or Tobacco on my 11 acres. I chose Hemp. I obtained hemp seed out of the pigeon feed and also traded a Native Indian eagle feathers for hemp seed. The seed out of the pigeon feed never germinated but the hemp seed I traded for grew well. So in 2011 I grew hemp all over my property including the front lawn.

Note: Hemp and Marijuana are the exact same species of plant. No one came or bothered me so the next year I grew it again from seeds I saved.

On June 13, 2012 at midnight my dog starts barking and I notice some people in the Centre with lights on their head. In my house coat and slippers I go to see who it is. A man comes up to me and places his machine gun in front of my face and says, “this is who we are. Get back into your house or I will arrest you.” They said they were chasing someone.

The next morning one of my Bald Eagles in the Eagle Aviaries is dead having been spooked in the dark and broke it’s neck.

Later that same morning at 11 a.m. my wife is arrested on her way back from caring for a 98 year old woman who she baths, cleans her house and does her laundry twice a week. She is placed in a jail cell for a day, finger printed, mug shot and ordered to go to court. She retains a lawyer, for $3000 dollars. The lawyer goes to Court but there are no charges on the docket. He tells her there must be a mistake and to call him if she is arrested again. She is still waiting.

On July 4, 2012, I am walking with my dog down through the Centre in just my shorts and running shoes with my morning coffee in my hand. A Swat team lying in wait came from all sides with machine guns. I am ordered to kneel down before them or be shot. Guess which one I chose?

Why not just knock on my front door? I had repeatedly told them if they own my birds and other stuff, take it. I don’t want someone else's property.

I am handcuffed and taken away. On my way up to a vehicle, I see one of the Swat guys with a painted face looking through the sights of his machine gun in a ready to fire position. It is pointed at the back window of my house at my wife and daughter. I yelled at him to lower his gun, which he did do.

I was held in custody for 10 days. While in custody I am thinking the trauma on my family is over but on July 12, 2012 they returned. My wife was off looking after the old lady again and my daughter was home alone. As she opened the door, they burst in with guns drawn, and scared the living crap out of her. Then ordered her to remain seated at kitchen table or they would handcuff her to the table. I am not a vengeful man, but they really hurt her !

They spent the next 6 hours in my bedroom obviously going through everything, looking for who knows what? I had $4500 dollars set aside for my daughter at McMaster University and it was taken along with who knows what else.

All my remaining birds were taken that day. But they did not charge me with having birds of prey without a licence. WHY? Because I had these birds for 30 years before a licence was required. So, they charged me for having Cannabis plants without a licence.

After more than 7 years of harassment, interference, threats and trespass, you can now add stealing to the list. As of the summer 2012, I and my family are now completely destitute. All my crops were destroyed, all livestock taken along with a long list of farm equipment. Everything needed to make a living was taken.

I sent Registered letters to those who I know took and carried away my property; no reply, just ignored.

All my property must be restored to me immediately, because "stealing is against the law".

My only crime was to have the audacity to claim what is mine in a country where no one owns anything.

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NOTE: When I was taken to the police station, I was taken to an interview room. Before the detective turned on the recorder, he leaned across the table and said, "Why did you not just get rid of everything?"

You see, they had arrested my wife a month earlier but no charges on the docket in court. They waited another month to see if I was scared and would get rid of everything. I learned later that they even accessed the neighbours property to see if I got rid of everything.

This indicated to me I was making progress, as they were unsure whether they had lawful jurisdiction over me and my property. But what could they do? If I could do things without a licence surely many would follow. We can't have that. Nobody is above our law !

The Falconry Centre is now a Ghost Town. Slowly rotting to the ground.

So, now you know what happened to the Falconry Centre.

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Click "COMPLETING MY JOURNEY" to find out how this ended and how I got the answer to what I must now do.

Till then .................. my name is Marcus.