Regan Russell killer to enter a plea at Halton Court as family submit impact statements and campaigners unite for worldwide vigils to call for justice for Regan
Media Contacts:
Bill Russell, father of Regan Russell: contact via Anita Krajnc or Lori Croonen
Anita Krajnc, co-founder of Toronto Pig Save: (416) 825-6080
Lori Croonen, Toronto Pig Save organizer: TorontoPigSave@gmail.com, www.TorontoPigSave.org
When: March 27, 2023
Schedule of events:
7:30–8 am
Location: Harvester Road, just North of Appleby Line
Banner drop at the bridge over Highway 401
8:15-noon
Location: Halton Court, 4085 Palladium Way, Burlington, Canada
Courthouse vigil outside the courthouse
8.45 am
Bill and Pat Russell, Regan’s parents and Shannon Fromm, Regan’s sister, submit victim impact statements to Halton Court.
10 am
Plea hearing for Andrew Blake, truck driver of Brussels Transport Ltd
FB event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1265044111115815
Media files: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/5/folders/1QO4qzSEVanwzGORBEyoeEmpP4huYhkA8
Burlington, March 24, 2023 - On Monday, March 27, at 10 am EST, the Halton Court in Burlington will be holding a plea hearing for Andrew Blake, of Brussels Transport Ltd. Blake was charged with one count of careless driving causing death under the Highway Traffic Act. Animal rights activist Regan Russell was struck and killed on June 19, 2020, by a pig transport truck after a Toronto Pig Save vigil in front of Fearmans Pork Inc. pig slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario.
Bill Russell, father of Regan Russell, in Opinion Piece published in the Hamilton Spectator on Sunday, March 19th, 2023, wrote, “We believe our darling Regan’s violent death is worthy of a more detailed, meticulous, intensive investigation than what culminated as a mere moment of “careless driving,” writes Bill Russell
“We hope that the prosecution and courts take seriously that the driver’s activity poses a threat to legitimate protest and hope that the justice system addresses this in considering his case,” says Lori Croonen, a witness the day Regan died. “Even though this is an offense under the Highways Traffic Act this should not diminish the impact Blake has had on Regan’s family in particular who supported her activism and the animal rights community at large.”
Animal rights activists in Canada and worldwide feel equally saddened and inspired and energized even more, to continue to engage in this form of expression.
Vigils will be held worldwide on Monday, March 27 to honour her legacy. “Regan died doing what she most cared about. The justice we want are more systemic changes, not just to punish the pig transport truck driver. This is an opportunity to remember her legacy by holding worldwide vigils and also address systemic issues that led to the unsafe environment that resulted in this tragedy,” says Anita Krajnc, co-founder of Toronto Pig Save.
Background
Regan Russell (65) was a decades-long pioneer in Canadian animal rights activism who had peacefully campaigned on behalf of non-human animals for over 40 years. On June 19th 2020, she was violently struck and killed by a transport truck carrying pigs entering Sofina’s Fearmans slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. She was attending a special pig vigil with Toronto Pig Save to protest Bill 156, which had passed the previous day and to bear witness to some of the 10,000 sentient beings who are violently killed there each day.
Resources
Bill Russell, opinion piece, Hamilton Spectator (also printed in Kitchener Record), March 19, 2023 https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2023/03/19/regan-russells-father-seeks-justice.html?fbclid=IwAR2l0JHrFaC9jynkauUC6hffcLy4oqqXSeBPrXXgJXapmMnMLYtZiXzXmr0
Documentaries about Regan Russell
There Was A Killing - directed by Shaun Monson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7fxDT2fHUo&t=6s
Regan Russell - A Short Film - Animal Save Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf9gesaSG2E
Animal Rights Activist Regan Russell Killed at Pig Vigil - NowThis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg7FXmMPhAQ
Go Vegan for Regan
For the latest Go Vegan for Regan news updates, follow: https://www.facebook.com/GoVegan4Regan
Regan Russell family archive
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/19QeTRSRzU8SjaX99aHTY4OK8O-kwuxmq