Bad optics for Michael Ignatieff's visit at the Dartmouth Sportsplex.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Liberal Party van blocks handicap parking spaces

Bad optics for Michael Ignatieff's visit at the Dartmouth Sportsplex.

Posted by Tim Bousquet on Mon, May 25, 2009 at 2:49 PM

I should know by now to carry my camera with me everywhere.

Yesterday, national Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff spoke at the Dartmouth Sportsplex arena to shore up support for provincial Liberal Party leader Stephen McNeil. I was downstairs in the gym.

When I left, there was the Liberal Party van parked sideways across six handicap parking spaces, with cones and ribbons around it lest any handicapped driver get any ideas.

The Sportsplex blocks these spaces with uncomfortable regularity, but you gotta wonder why none of the Liberal handlers or pols didn't say, "Hey, the optics are all wrong here, let's park on the other side of the door and block the non-restricted parking instead."

It could, I suppose, be argued that there is a surplus of handicap parking spaces at the Sportsplex—there are four immediately in front of the door, with the six across the lane from the door; I rarely see more than three or four in use, but on the other hand, if they're all going to be used it'll be for some high-profile event like, say, the appearance of the national leader of a political party.

Arguments about what's the right number of handicap parking spaces aside, they evidently were felt necessary (or were required by law) when the Sportsplex was built, and the spaces should be sacrosanct regardless.

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Comments (25)

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and this article is 'newsworthy' WHY??

gheesh, Tim Bousquet must've been having a reeeealy slooow day when he wrote this drivel.

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Posted by techcafe on June 3, 2009 at 5:09 PM

Amy Pacer: Tim may have not known that the spaces are for BINGO and as a reporter should he have......is that widely known or just the inner posse knows that?

My concern is since it probably is not well known and we know truth and reality are perceptions: is it safe to say that regardless of what Tim says what did the PUBLIC see and think....whether it was free BINGO spots or not...good judgment still should have been used.... I measure a person by what they do when they do not have to do it......

They could have easily not parked there as a safe measure.....or do these votes not count?

On another note: I guess Stephen felt he had to shave his beard...why..was he looking like a perp?

Stephen shaving beards wont make your LIB posse clean.....incarcerations will.....

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Posted by mcgayle on May 31, 2009 at 4:57 PM

Vote GREEN, it's a nicer colour than red, blue or orange/blue.

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Posted by Joeblow on May 27, 2009 at 8:59 PM

These guys don't care inless they are confronted. Some aid you would think would be smart enough by now to take notice that where they are parking is against the law. But they don't care. The young aids that these politicans have setting things up for them are all Wannabes as well. The State over the people? Ignorance and aggroance at it's finest. And they want you to vote for them. Don't do that. They don't deserve to be elected. Don't be fooled.

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Posted by Mr. K on May 27, 2009 at 3:36 PM

Bet "Frank" reporters are jealous as hell that the Coast beat them to this story.

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Posted by Whiskey Tango on May 27, 2009 at 11:31 AM

johnlocks, all Liberals are handicapped. Lack of brain cells, a requisite for party membership.

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Posted by Joeblow on May 26, 2009 at 12:16 PM

Hey amypacer, why let facts get in the way of a good story. Liberals don't usually bother with facts when it comes to politics, or in the case of Ms Dhalla only enough 'facts' to mislead.

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Posted by Joeblow on May 26, 2009 at 12:14 PM

It's funny that this is an article in the Coast, when the Coast delivery van blocks the crosswalk in front of your building every Thursday morning.

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Posted by Guilliup on May 26, 2009 at 11:36 AM

If you looked closer, you would've realized those spaces are only reserved for the Handicap during Bingo. That is also why they are located so close to the doors to the Bingo hall.

There is no Bingo on Sunday afternoon (especially when there is a convention in the hall), and because of that, those spots were not (at the time) reserved for handicapped persons.

Additionally, there are four handicap spots in front of the Sportsplex which are more frequently used by the handicapped patrons that frequent the facility, as they can enter on the ground floor.

Horrible reporting Tim. Horrible.

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Posted by amypacer. on May 26, 2009 at 11:22 AM

Hey IGG, you are in Canada now, don't block handicap parking spots. If it's not your fault, get better sevants.

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Posted by Hey Iggy, the Canadian Flag is not a beer label on May 26, 2009 at 9:11 AM

I believe that if you place your Liberal party membership card on your dashboard, it entitles you to park in handicap spaces.

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Posted by flurd on May 26, 2009 at 9:04 AM

Mr. Big can park anywhere he wants to park his 'special' van. I still wonder, who's idea was it for his wife to call him 'Mr. Big'? Hers or his? (she was on Rick Mercer and called Iggy 'Mr. Big') How weird is that?

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Posted by Dusty Woman on May 26, 2009 at 8:52 AM

Tim, just ignore Dick. He's a Dick, you know. But a Liberal Dick. You have met a lot of them, they are everywhere.
Dick Ignatieff.
Dick Chretien.
Dick Regan (choice of 2)
Dick Dhalla.
Dick Trudeau.
Useless Dick.
Big Dick.

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Posted by Joeblow on May 26, 2009 at 8:20 AM

Fake Conservative?

Huh? Wha?

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Posted by Tim Bousquet on May 26, 2009 at 7:31 AM

Why don't the Liberals have any handicapped MPs like the Conservatives?

Doesn't Ruby Dhalla have a staff member in a wheelchair?

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Posted by johnlocke on May 26, 2009 at 1:29 AM

Q: If a Liberal acts like a hypocrite in Canada, does anyone hear him?

A: Depends on which province.

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Posted by Albrrrta on May 25, 2009 at 11:34 PM

Dick Richards WHO!!!

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Posted by Turtle's back on May 25, 2009 at 11:14 PM

I think Tim is more comfortable as a NDP supporte, anyone with half a brain who had read just a few of his articles would realise Hell would freeze over before he'd vote Tory.
The Sportsplex board & GM and have always been very,very,very tight with the Libs.
If the bus was parked opposite the side entrance to the bingo hall then you will notice the handicap parking only applies during Bingo nights and not during the day time.
I think Dick Richards is the former Liberal MLA from the Savage era, obviously an overly sensitive Liberal, although I have only met faux sensitive Liberals - think Ruby Dhalla.

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Posted by Joeblow on May 25, 2009 at 11:01 PM

Ruby Dhalla's lawyer Howard Levitt will soon be holding a press conference where he clearly makes the point that it the Handicapped People's fault and part of a conspiracy.

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Posted by BC Voice of Reason on May 25, 2009 at 10:58 PM

Can any reliable source back these claims up? Sounds like more hogwash from Stephen Harper's basement.

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Posted by Dick Richards on May 25, 2009 at 10:46 PM

Hey, you made National Newswatch! That's a major score!
http://www.nationalnewswatch.com

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Posted by Tory Story on May 25, 2009 at 8:37 PM

"And a fake conservative journalist was the only person to see it?" Well only befitting the Liberal leader who at best is a fake Canadian

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Posted by Canadian Lad on May 25, 2009 at 7:46 PM

Isn't parking in a handicap zone illegal without a sticker? Oh well, everyone knows that a Russian aristocrat is more important than anyone.

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Posted by albertaclipper on May 25, 2009 at 7:38 PM

He doesn't care about it. No wanna be Canadian would. Only real Canadians care about the handicaps.

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Posted by Mark S on May 25, 2009 at 7:10 PM

And a fake conservative journalist was the only person to see it?

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Posted by Dick Richards on May 25, 2009 at 5:38 PM
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