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OTTAWA -- An Ottawa father is being sued for more than $4 million after leading the charge to have a parole office moved away from an elementary school.
Albert Galpin, who has children in Grades 4 and 6 at Elgin Street Public School, is being sued through a numbered company that owns the building that leased space to the National Parole Board.
"There are sex offenders reporting there. That shouldn't take place around an elementary school," Galpin said. "We've caught parole officers having meetings during school hours with parolees in Minto Park just opposite the school."
The parole office moved into the building at 301 Elgin St. -- just across the street from the school -- in 2004. The lease lists Brian Wm. Karam as the president of the numbered company. Karam could not be reached for comment yesterday.
After pressure from concerned teachers and parents led by Galpin, Public Works Minister Stockwell Day announced in 2006 the parole office would move from the Elgin St. location when the lease expires in September.
INJUNCTION SOUGHT
The lawsuit against Galpin, filed in September, seeks $3.8 million in loss of future income, $300,000 in punitive damages and a "permanent injunction restraining the defendants from intentionally interfering with the plaintiff's economic relations."
The location of the Elgin St. office contradicts Corrections Canada's own written guidelines that stipulates a parole office can't be within 300 metres of schools, parks and residential neighbourhoods.
City council passed a motion yesterday urging the federal government to move the new parole office to a downtown business district after a location on Somerset St. near a residential neighbourhood was rejected also because neighbours complained.
Meanwhile, parents of Elgin Street Public School are rallying behind Galpin in his legal fight.
They have set up a fund to help pay his legal fees, which have accumulated to about $6,000.
"It is shocking and disheartening that someone could be sued just for speaking out and trying to protect the safety of his own children," said fellow parent Kelly Neal.
"We hope that the owner of the parole office building will ... drop (the) claim and let parents, children and local residents get on with their lives."
SHANE.ROSS@SUNMEDIA.CA