Walter Tucker

Thursday June 9, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday June 9, 2016 Michael Baldasaro, HamiltonÕs high priest of pot, dead at 67 Michael Baldasaro, a longtime marijuana activist and perennial candidate for office, has died in a Hamilton hospice after a short battle with cancer. Baldasaro, a Church of the Universe minister, died early Thursday morning, church member Rev. Juliet Boyd told The Spectator. He was 67. "It was very quick," said Boyd, noting Baldasaro had died of prostate cancer that had spread throughout his body. He leaves behind an uncle, sisters in Ohio and his son, Aaron, who lives in Vancouver. "And all the church members who adored him," Boyd added. Baldasaro, who'd only been in hospice for about week, made it his mission to help those who were ignored by others, she said. "He bothered with the people nobody else bothered with.Ó Mayor Fred Eisenberger said he was "saddened" to hear about Baldasaro's death. "Michael was true champion of Hamilton. His commitment to the City and his Church of Universe community was unwavering, but more importantly a genuinely nice man. I will miss his passion and good humour," Eisenberger said an emailed statement. "On behalf of the City of Hamilton, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues. We are sorry for your loss.Ó Baldasaro, who ran for the Marijuana Party, sought office at three levels of government in Hamilton since 1984. In 2014, he ran for mayor. "I'm the common guy," Baldasaro told The Spectator. "It's about time we had someone who knows reality.Ó He wanted to term limits for the mayoral office and pushed for lower city councillor salaries. "I'll take half off the mayor's pay," he promised. "I'm encouraging all councillors to do the same thing.Ó Baldasaro also advocated for the well-being of drug users, sex workers and the homeless. "They shouldn't be in jails. They need help. The police have better things to do than go after these people.Ó Church m

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 9, 2016

Michael Baldasaro, Hamilton’s high priest of pot, dead at 67

Michael Baldasaro, a longtime marijuana activist and perennial candidate for office, has died in a Hamilton hospice after a short battle with cancer.

Baldasaro, a Church of the Universe minister, died early Thursday morning, church member Rev. Juliet Boyd told The Spectator. He was 67.

“It was very quick,” said Boyd, noting Baldasaro had died of prostate cancer that had spread throughout his body.

He leaves behind an uncle, sisters in Ohio and his son, Aaron, who lives in Vancouver.

“And all the church members who adored him,” Boyd added.

Baldasaro, who’d only been in hospice for about week, made it his mission to help those who were ignored by others, she said.

“He bothered with the people nobody else bothered with.”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger said he was “saddened” to hear about Baldasaro’s death.

“Michael was true champion of Hamilton. His commitment to the City and his Church of Universe community was unwavering, but more importantly a genuinely nice man. I will miss his passion and good humour,” Eisenberger said an emailed statement.

“On behalf of the City of Hamilton, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues. We are sorry for your loss.”

Baldasaro, who ran for the Marijuana Party, sought office at three levels of government in Hamilton since 1984. In 2014, he ran for mayor.

“I’m the common guy,” Baldasaro told The Spectator. “It’s about time we had someone who knows reality.”

He wanted to term limits for the mayoral office and pushed for lower city councillor salaries.

“I’ll take half off the mayor’s pay,” he promised. “I’m encouraging all councillors to do the same thing.”

Baldasaro also advocated for the well-being of drug users, sex workers and the homeless.

“They shouldn’t be in jails. They need help. The police have better things to do than go after these people.”

Church member Karen Coruzzi said Baldasaro gave her a new lease on life after helping her get off the streets and hard drugs 25 years ago.

“He taught me to love myself,” she said. “He’s a great man.”

In 2014, he also ran federally for the Marijuana Party in Hamilton Centre. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

1

 

Wednesday February 9, 2011

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday February 9, 2011 The Hamilton-based Church of the Universe Ð a group that uses marijuana as a religious sacrament Ñ wonÕt be sparking up with the blessings of the court.The Church, through its Toronto G13 mission, lost its bid Monday to be exempt from CanadaÕs pot laws. ItÕs the latest defeat the church has had before the courts, including appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada on issues regarding its use of pot and other issues. Last year, the federal court declined to hear appeals regarding the 2007 marijuana trafficking convictions against church founders Walter Tucker and Michael Baldasaro. In 1992, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Tucker and his wife, Joanne, of a 1989 provincial court ruling that committed them for trial on drug charges. Baldasaro, who ran for Hamilton mayor last year, was dismayed by the latest ruling, but said it wonÕt change their views. The judge said she found church members sincere in their use of pot but she did not think it was possible to create a workable religious exemption. Meanwhile, The city is at risk of losing almost $1 million in revenue after councillors rejected a plan to ban grass clippings from green bins. A plan to promote ÒgrasscyclingÓ Ñ leaving grass clippings to decompose on lawns after mowing Ñ was supposed to help the city make enough room in its composting plant to continue accepting organic waste from other cities. Currently, the city makes $940,000 each year selling compost space to Halton Region and Simcoe. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator) http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/482684--city-mows-down-grasscycling-idea Hamilton, Michael Baldasaro, marijuana, pot, Walter Tucker

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 9, 2011

Church of the Universe in Legal Hot Water

The Hamilton-based Church of the Universe – a group that uses marijuana as a religious sacrament — won’t be sparking up with the blessings of the court.The Church, through its Toronto G13 mission, lost its bid Monday to be exempt from Canada’s pot laws.

It’s the latest defeat the church has had before the courts, including appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada on issues regarding its use of pot and other issues.

Last year, the federal court declined to hear appeals regarding the 2007 marijuana trafficking convictions against church founders Walter Tucker and Michael Baldasaro. In 1992, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Tucker and his wife, Joanne, of a 1989 provincial court ruling that committed them for trial on drug charges.

Baldasaro, who ran for Hamilton mayor last year, was dismayed by the latest ruling, but said it won’t change their views. The judge said she found church members sincere in their use of pot but she did not think it was possible to create a workable religious exemption.

Meanwhile, The city is at risk of losing almost $1 million in revenue after councillors rejected a plan to ban grass clippings from green bins.

A plan to promote “grasscycling” — leaving grass clippings to decompose on lawns after mowing — was supposed to help the city make enough room in its composting plant to continue accepting organic waste from other cities. Currently, the city makes $940,000 each year selling compost space to Halton Region and Simcoe. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Saturday April 25, 2009

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday April 25, 2009 Priests of pot lose their church Michael Baldasaro and Walter Tucker are closing up the Church of the Universe. The organ has to go. Baldasaro's bed has to go. The books in the library have to go. This weekend, Baldasaro, 59, and Tucker, 75, will close the book on their "church" on Barton Street East that was seized byÊthe Crown last year and sold as a forfeited asset. "We lost our church and university all over $70 worth of pot," Baldasaro said yesterday. "The building is already sold, but the judge said ... we could go in April 25 to 29 and clean out all our stuff. But we haveÊnowhere to put everything." Baldasaro and Tucker are "archbishops" in the Church of The Universe, where they worship the Tree of Life, straight from theÊGarden of Eden. And the tree is good, especially because their "sacrament" gets them high. To some, they are unrepentant lawbreakers. Others call them the happy hemp brothers of Hamilton. The convicted pot priests are supposed to be headed behind bars, but are out on bail awaiting the outcome of various appeals. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)Ê Hamilton, Church of the Universe, Michael Baldasaro, Walter Tucker, church, Barton, closure, move, hemp, marijuana, pot

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 25, 2009

Priests of pot lose their church

Michael Baldasaro and Walter Tucker are closing up the Church of the Universe.

The organ has to go. Baldasaro’s bed has to go. The books in the library have to go.

This weekend, Baldasaro, 59, and Tucker, 75, will close the book on their “church” on Barton Street East that was seized by the Crown last year and sold as a forfeited asset.

“We lost our church and university all over $70 worth of pot,” Baldasaro said yesterday.

“The building is already sold, but the judge said … we could go in April 25 to 29 and clean out all our stuff. But we have nowhere to put everything.”

Baldasaro and Tucker are “archbishops” in the Church of The Universe, where they worship the Tree of Life, straight from the Garden of Eden.

And the tree is good, especially because their “sacrament” gets them high.

To some, they are unrepentant lawbreakers. Others call them the happy hemp brothers of Hamilton.

The convicted pot priests are supposed to be headed behind bars, but are out on bail awaiting the outcome of various appeals. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Monday July 24, 2006

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Monday July 24, 2006 The Creation of Chris (Goodwin) - Pot cafe owner's trial adjourned Chris Goodwin will have to wait another month to fight a charge of possession of cannabis resin after his trial was adjourned yesterday.Goodwin, a fierce advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana and owner of downtown's Up in Smoke pot cafe, had been charged in connection with a June 24 incident in which police entered his cafe and found filters in an ashtray with traces of cannabis resin. While Goodwin, 26, says the ashtray was his, he maintains the contents were left behind by medicinal marijuana users who frequented his cafe. Yesterday, Goodwin's lawyer, Peter Boushy, asked the Crown to adjourn the case until Aug. 29 after he learned the trial judge slated to hear the case had presided over pretrial proceedings. "Normally when you appear before a judge for a pretrial, you can't appear before him for the actual trial," Boushy explained. Goodwin also faces a number of other marijuana-related charges. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Hamilton, Michael Baldasaro, marijuana, pot, Walter Tucker, Chris Goodwin, Cration of Adam, parody, Up in Smoke

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday July 24, 2006

The Creation of Chris (Goodwin) – Pot cafe owner’s trial adjourned

Chris Goodwin will have to wait another month to fight a charge of possession of cannabis resin after his trial was adjourned yesterday.Goodwin, a fierce advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana and owner of downtown’s Up in Smoke pot cafe, had been charged in connection with a June 24 incident in which police entered his cafe and found filters in an ashtray with traces of cannabis resin.

While Goodwin, 26, says the ashtray was his, he maintains the contents were left behind by medicinal marijuana users who frequented his cafe.

Yesterday, Goodwin’s lawyer, Peter Boushy, asked the Crown to adjourn the case until Aug. 29 after he learned the trial judge slated to hear the case had presided over pretrial proceedings.

“Normally when you appear before a judge for a pretrial, you can’t appear before him for the actual trial,” Boushy explained.

Goodwin also faces a number of other marijuana-related charges. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

July 23, 2006

A visit to the Church of the Universe

To put some context to the latest local cartoon I feel compelled to explain who I placed in the position of God in my parody of Michelangelo’s famous painting “The Creation of Adam”. It’s Michael Baldasaro, and most Hamiltonians know who he is. For the record, here’s a photo essay I created after I was invited for a visit in February 2004.

An update on onetime federal PC leadership candidate, and mayoral candidate, the Rev. Michael Baldesaro, and his campaign manager, Brother Walter Tucker.

[image]

When you put the words “politics” and “Hamilton” together, the first name that springs to mind is Sheila Copps. But did you know that along with left leaning Coppsian politics, steeltown is also known for the political movement to legalize cannabis? The crusade has been led for years by the two founders from the Hamilton based Church of the Universe. On February 9, I was invited to their temple. Here is my photo essay:

[image]

The first thing one notices upon entering the temple is the high security system. Before being allowed in, I was observed from a closed circuit surveillance monitor. Following admittance, the door was secured behind me. Brother Michael tells me the building has been prey to trouble makers desiring free access to the church’s leafy sacrament.

[image]

That’s a George Foreman grill to the left of the door.

[image]
Once comfortably seated in the temple kitchen, Brother Walter spoke about previous busts, jail sentences, and court challenges, as Brother Michael rolled a joint.

[image]

And they worshipped the sacrament…

We talked about some of the cartoons I had drawn of them, and they presented me with a framed drawing I had done in May, 1999.

[image]

The brothers, also known for advocating naturism, lobbied the city to consider creating a nude beach at the edge of Hamilton Harbour. Brother Walter, pictured in the cartoon on the right, confided that the cartoon motivated him to lose weight.

I had them pose together with the cartoon:

[image]

After an hour and a half visit it was time to get back to the office. Brother Michael offered me a brownie cooked by members of the church’s ladies auxillary. Unfortunately, I had to decline consuming the brownie owing to the fact that I’ve been limiting my carbohydrate intake recently. He suggested I offer it to a colleague, and I obliged by handing it over to my office neighbour, The Spectator’s City columnist upon my return to the office. Then I got busted by my boss, the Editorial Pages Editor, a former RCMP officer, who interrogated me and my colleague before confiscating the baked good for disposal.

For more information, visit the Church of the Universe website at:
http://www.iamm.com