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	After Three Years, Inquiry Report Finally Due By David Nesseth Kingston Whig-Standard December 12, 2009 http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2218888 - When the Cornwall Public Inquiry's final report is released in just three days, Ken Parker has faith that it will all have been worth the three years to get there. Sitting next to his wife Peggy, the senior couple was a fixture in the Weave Shed's gallery from the very beginning, attending virtually all 347 hearing dates. "It's been nice to get back to normal life," Parker said. "We've been able to tend to some tasks that got overlooked." Parker is a Roman Catholic and a retired teacher who says his interest in the inquiry was grounded in three areas: Justice for the victims of sexual abuse, as well as justice for the falsely accused. He was also concerned that Cornwall's image would be unfairly painted with the same brush that marked a spectrum of abuse. When inquiry Commissioner Normand Glaude releases the inquiry report on Tuesday morning, Parker believes other communities in Ontario could end up viewing Cornwall as a "trailblazer". "It's very hard to put a price on the value of institutional reform and making life safer for everybody and especially for children," Parker said of the inquiry's oft-cited $50-million price tag. "People need to look at what this will do for Cornwall and every institution in Ontario that has had problems in the past." Mayor Bob Kilger says he's looking forward to the inquiry report and its recommendations. He says he has a meeting about the report on Monday with the Police Services Board lawyer. "We're looking forward to turning the page," Kilger said. "This inquiry has gone on far longer than we ever anticipated. Some positive things will come from it, but we'll just have to wait to see what those things will be, and whether there will be a legacy." Glaude's report, which took more than nine months to complete, will make recommendations to improve the response of institutions such as the Children's Aid Society, probation offices under Correctional Services, and the Roman Catholic Diocese in similar circumstances. Parker is particularly interested in diocesan reform. He hopes never again to see the diocese merely transfer priests accused of sexual abuse. He also wants the diocese to ensure parishioner safety over the image of the church. "We don't want the judge to sanitize things," Parker said. "We know reform is necessary for the institutions." Parker said he's been pleased with the work of current Bishop Paul-André Durocher, who unknowingly inherited a challenging position with the Alexandria-Cornwall Diocese eight years ago. Durocher says he will be there for the release of Glaude's report, and he's open to any recommendations that will help the diocese respond to allegations of sexual abuse. In his circle, Durocher said, there has been little mention of the inquiry since it wrapped in February. But as the report's release draws nearer, he said talk has been renewed. "I don't look at it in terms of closure," Durocher said of the inquiry report, "I look at it in terms of what can we learn from the past in order to improve the things we do now and to ensure a better future." Durocher believes new generations of priests are better informed in terms of properly addressing allegations of sexual abuse. He describes the scores of modern day discoveries of abuse as "fallout" from a problem that was rampant decades ago. "The automatic trust that was given to the church and members of the clergy has waned," Durocher said. "That change is a healthy one. People approach relationships with authority in a new way. Trust needs to be earned." Durocher said one example of reform he's already made includes the formation of a group of citizens and parishioners that rewrote the policies for the diocese about sexual abuse allegations. The diocese also introduced a new screening policy for church volunteers. "He's made many, many reforms, and we're very happy with that," Parker said. Parker is also the vice-president of Citizens for Community Renewal (CCR), one of the public interest groups with standing at the inquiry. He says the position is likely to give him early access to Tuesday's report at the Ramada Inn in Cornwall. CCR submitted a 500-page report of recommendations to the inquiry. One of the hardest parts of the inquiry for Parker was hearing the testimony of 38 victims, beginning with Larry Seguin in October 2006. Many said that their allegations of sexual abuse were never taken very seriously. "It brought tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat," Parker said. All in all, 388 people were approved for counselling services through the inquiry. Most were victims. According to Colleen Parrish, director of policy for Phase 2 of the inquiry, 150 of those people are still actively involved in counselling. Ninety-five are abuse survivors, the rest are family. The majority live in Cornwall and S, D and G. About 25 psychologists and social workers with counselling designations have been active with the inquiry, Parrish said.
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