Crime crusader’s past catching up to him
After a recent spate of gang-related shootings in Calgary local business owner Joshua Baba had seen enough. It was time for action and time for the public to get involved. On July 31 Baba stood on the steps of city hall and announced he was starting up a citizens anti-crime lobby group called Stand Up Calgary. To kick-start the cause he was going to put up $10000 of his own money and hoped local business owners and individuals would chip in.
“If you want to make our city a better safer place to live and raise a family and if you are tired of empty promises and rhetoric then join our coalition” local media quoted Baba as saying. Self-employed by Baba Media Group Baba is also known to have worked as director of communications for the Wildrose Alliance party.
To the McCully family in Prince George B.C. the promise of $10000 to initiate a worthy cause sounded familiar. Only when they heard it they say it brought unfulfilled promises and unpaid bills. Now the family is warning Calgarians to be wary before involving themselves with Baba’s causes.
On May 25 2007 Ron McCully’s son Cpl. Matthew McCully was killed after stepping on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan. He was the 55th Canadian soldier killed in the conflict since 2002. Devastated by the death of his son but determined to see something positive come of it
McCully reached out to the local Canadian Legion in Prince George B.C. to see what the family could do to help Canada’s troops.
The Legion told the McCully’s that Baba had already approached them to start up a support-the-troops initiative. Soon the family was in contact with Baba and excitement grew about the possibility of creating a small monument for their son and a healing centre for soldiers and their families.
McCully claims Baba told them he was independently wealthy and “personally pledged $10000” to establish the foundation. During a press conference held at the Coast Inn of the North in Prince George on Oct. 10 2007 Baba told local media he would give $10000 of his own to the Matthew McCully Foundation. Encouraged by Baba’s enthusiasm they set to work. Plans were made to hold a gala event at the Coast Inn last November. According to McCully statements made by Baba led him to believe Canada’s Govenor General Michaëlle Jean would be in attendance. He was also told a local sign company was donating its services for the cause.
According to Brett Nicholson co-owner of Trim-Line Graphics Ltd. Baba ordered 13 signs worth approximately $3400. Most of the signs were in support of Canadian troops which people could sign for two dollars with proceeds going to the foundation.
Nicholson claims Baba originally asked for the signs to be billed to a company Baba worked for at the time. Baba later requested the signs be billed to the Matthew McCully Foundation. The bills were not paid says Nicholson.
During a phone interview McCully was surprised to learn there was an outstanding bill for the signs from TrimLine. “Brett’s done the work he deserves to be paid” says McCully.
About three days before the gala event the McCully’s say they were
advised by members of the community that there may be problems with the event. “We had RCMP friends say the security (for the governor general) was not in place. It’s not happening” says McCully.
The gala event was cancelled. Cash from the sales of its $100 tickets was returned. Family members who flew in from across the country at their own expense returned home. McCully who last year lost his job of 34 years at the local lumber mill was forced to take out a loan to cover some of the $2300 worth of expenses incurred by the gala event’s cancellation and a theatre performance. In order to pay the theatre space which the McCullys believed was also donated they had to withdraw $400 from their deceased son’s foundation. “We felt taken in by [Baba]” says McCully. “There was so much that he said he was going to do and it just was never completed.”
“To the best of my knowledge [Baba] never misappropriated money” says McCully. “It’s just a lot of blowing smoke.”
“I had my suspicions from the start that Josh Baba’s involvement in the foundation was going to eventually become problematic for the McCully family” says Frank Peebles a reporter for the Prince George Citizen.
Peebles reached Baba by phone to question him about the $10000 promised to the McCully family for the foundation. “I am not going to comment publicly on my personal finances” he told the Citizen. When further pressed by the reporter on the pledge Baba stated “I have and I stand by those comments (but) I am not going to comment at this time until I have a chance to go through my records. I will issue a statement to you on Tuesday.”
Baba contacted Fast Forward on Monday August 11 during the investigation for the story. When asked to respond to McCully’s statements Baba told Fast Forward that he recalls ordering the signs at TrimLine but was unaware of the outstanding bill of $3400.
When pressed about the bill and the McCully Foundation he told Fast Forward “Before I answer any questions on this I’m going to make sure I have my facts straight in terms of recollection. This was late last year. I want to make sure that I go through my invoices and make sure everything is up to date and we’ll go from there.”
An in-person interview was scheduled for the following day but was cancelled by Baba. Subsequent calls to Baba were not returned.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Baba issued an e-mailed statement to Fast Forward . “Through my representative contact will/is being attempted with Ron McCully so that this matter can be resolved immediately. No further comment will be given until such conversations take place. Any further contact with me should be made through Oliver C. Hanson.”Hanson a lawyer who represents Baba declined to comment on his client or the situation.
Meanwhile McCully hopes to carry on with the foundation that bears his son’s name. He also offers advice to Calgarians. “I would question the $10000. Ask for proof.”
