One of the leading fundraisers for the Alberta independence movement says voters shouldn’t be turned off from his message because of his personal criminal history. Bob Deer, 72, spends most of his afternoons along 16 Avenue in northeast Calgary next to his van, a single chair and countless flags and pamphlets promoting separation. The self-proclaimed “Seppy” started the Alberta Land Consortium Inc., which is now a registered third-party advertiser ahead of October’s referendum. But as he pushes for an independent Alberta, Deer is also trying to set the record straight about his role in a 2006 killing that led to him serving more than nine years in prison. ‘Courts got it wrong’ Deer, who is now a retired homebuilder, got into a property dispute with businessman Jack Beauchamp in 2006. After a month of back-and-forth, Deer drove his friend, Mohamed Karim, to Beauchamp’s company offices, Morbank Financial. Beauchamp was then shot six times. Both Deer and Karim were originally convicted of first-degree murder in 2007, but in 2012, their offences were downgraded by a judge. Karim was charged with second-degree murder and is still in prison. Deer’s charges were changed to manslaughter. He still maintains the courts got it wrong. “I served nine years and a little bit,” he told CTV News. “My guilt is what my lawyers call being the getaway driver in a bungled bank robbery where the security guard gets shot, and everybody goes to jail, including the driver who never knew anything.” “I ended up doing jail time for somebody else because it’s an honour code to keep your mouth shut.” Deer won’t say exactly what he did wrong — only that he’s now turned a page. “I’ve been out of prison for 10 years now, and I have not once broken the law,” he said. ‘Convince me’ Deer says he’s been an outspoken advocate for Alberta leaving Canada since the Pierre Elliot Trudeau government days. The former oilfield worker says Trudeau’s controversial 1980 National Energy Program policy led to personal bankruptcy. “I became what you might call a separatist,” Deer said, “the day a tow truck hooked onto my Cadillac.” Now, under new leadership in Ottawa, he claims it’s “just about worse than ever.” “Mark Carney wants to sell our infrastructure to the Chinese just as fast as Brookfield can put together a management team to operate them,” he told CTV News. “So you can vote to be a liberal and be a socialist and you then eventually vote your way into communism and then you can never vote again.” Deer says he’s been set up in the same gravel parking lot every day since Jan. 15. He passes out free signs and takes donations to put back into Free Alberta merchandise, which he then gives out in exchange for more donations. He says he has already raised more than $53,000. CTV News was on site Wednesday and didn’t meet anyone who stopped to talk — but we did hear a number of obscenities directed at the set-up screamed from passing cars. There was also some honking — taken as a positive sign of encouragement. Deer says the latter is more prevalent, especially on the rare days he has volunteers with him. “A quarter million of us are fighting really hard just to get the word out and do the very best that we can,” Deer said. “I don’t want to fight with you. I just want to hear a really good reason to stay in Canada, and in 150 days, I’ve not heard one yet.” ‘Don’t trust me’ Deer, who says he has three kinds of cancer, claims to be on borrowed time. In fact, if Alberta does separate, he says he probably won’t be around long enough to witness the long-term impacts. That’s why many of his signs and pamphlets push a phrase asking people to vote in October for their grandchildren. “They deserve better than this,” he said Wednesday. “It’s our job to save them from the greed and corruption.” He hopes an independent Alberta would continue to have the same health-care benefits Canada does, but without equalization payments and heavy taxation that “drag down” the economy. Asked how his prior convictions relate back to his trustworthiness on independence, the Saskatchewan-born Deer says the two are unrelated. “A criminal history doesn’t have to do with trust,” he said. “Sometimes people get caught up in things and that shouldn’t influence you as to the type of person that they are.” “So, I’m saying don’t trust me. Please don’t. But do this one thing.” As for the criminal case, Deer told CTV News he wishes the best for Beauchamp’s family. But he’s not saying anything else about the case…for now. “Maybe if you’re doing a story with me on my deathbed, which may not be long from now, I may tell you a little more,” he added.
