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	It's Costly Getting to the Truth Cornwall Sex Abuse Inquiry Tab at $8M and Climbing Ottawa Sun [Canada] January 30, 2007 http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/BreakingNews/2007/01/30/3481922.html Cornwall — The bill for the public inquiry into the institutional response to allegations of systemic sexual abuse in the Cornwall area has hit nearly $8 million, and that's not including most of the lawyers' fees. Peter Engelmann, lead counsel for the commission, said Monday the inquiry cost $2.6 million during the fiscal year 2005-2006, which began April 1, 2005, and ended March 31, 2006. Since April 1, 2006, the commission has cost $5 million and it's expected that number will increase by the end of March, bringing the grand total to close to $8 million. "The total does not include the lawyers' fees for those public institutions which received funding," said Engelmann. "Those fees are in line with standard counsel fees." Commissioner Normand Glaude said Monday the inquiry will continue at least through early 2008. It's expected costs for the coming year will mirror the previous 12 months. "What is most important is to do our work thoroughly and correctly," said Glaude. "If something comes up that requires extra time, I will not 'walk by' but will take the time needed to get the job done." Glaude said invitations have been sent out to a broad array of individuals and institutions to come to the inquiry and speak about their experiences regarding the mandate. "I have extended the opportunity to those who either faced charges related to sexual abuse of children and young people or those investigated but not charged," he said. "To date, these individuals have declined the opportunity." The most high-profile person who has so far refused to accept any invitation from the inquiry is Perry Dunlop, the former city police officer credited with bringing accusations of decades of child sexual abuse in the region to public attention. Dunlop's information resulted in a four-year Ontario Provincial Police investigation known as Project Truth. Fifteen men were later charged with more than 100 sexual offences. Dunlop, who now lives in British Columbia, has not responded to numerous requests from the inquiry to return to Cornwall to tell his story. "Many parties feel he (Dunlop) is an important part of this story and that he has a unique perspective (on these events)," said Engelmann. "We hope he will reconsider." In testimony Monday, David Silmser said when he was 15 years old, he was living on the streets and stealing to keep himself from starving to death. One of the places he targeted for some fast cash were the "poor boxes" at a few local churches. Silmser said it took him years to figure out exactly why he chose churches as places from which to steal. "Now I can figure it out," Silmser said. "I had no respect for the churches. I don't know if I thought that then though." Silmser, now 49, said he was sexually abused by Rev. Charles MacDonald on several occasions when he was an altar boy between the ages of 11 and 15, by a city school teacher, Marcel Lalonde, while he was at student at Bishop MacDonell School, and by Ken Seguin, a city probation officer who has since passed away. Silmser told the inquiry MacDonald was charged by the Project Truth team in 1996 with more than a dozen sex-related charges stemming from alleged incidents between 1967 and 1983. In May 2002, a judge stayed the charges, saying MacDonald's right to a trial in a timely fashion had been infringed upon. Lalonde was sentenced in 2001 to 15 months in jail and a combined one year of house arrest after being found guilty of sexually assaulting several young boys. Seguin was never charged criminally in relation to sexual abuse allegations against him. He committed suicide in November 1993.
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