Marguerite Jean "Jean" Becker

Other Events:

• Name: Jean Becker
• Name: Marguerite Jean "Jean" Shantz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-372810

Notes:

Shantz, Mrs. Jean (Abram M.) - At St. Mary's Hospital, on Monday, April 1, 1985, following a brief illness, Marguerite Jean Becker, aged 53 years, of 164 Carwood Ave., Kitchener. Mrs. Shantz was an active member of Stanley Park United Brethren Church and was employed with Sears Canada Inc. for 15 years. Beloved wife of Abram M. Shantz; dear mother of Barry of Vancouver, BC, Robert of Ottawa and Marilyn of Toronto; loving daughter of Mrs. Effie Becker of Kitchener; sister of Charlotte (Mrs. Jack Schiedel) of Kitchener. Predeceased by her father, Howard. Friends may call at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home, 621 King St. W., Kitchener after 7 pm today, until noon Thursday, when removal will be made to the Stanley Park Untied Brethren Church for funeral and committal service at 2: 30 pm, Rev. Keith Nicholson officiating. Interment Woodland Cemetery.

Unidentified Newspaper Obituary

Marguerite — Abram M. Shantz. (son of Abram B. Shantz and Lovina Martin) [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Barry Shantz
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-372812

Notes:

Heidelberg woman asks why her brother was shot dead by RCMP officers responding to mental-health call


"Somebody needs to stand up for Barry and what's right," the Heidelberg woman said.

Kitchener-born Shantz died on Jan. 13 in Lytton, B.C. when a six-hour standoff with the RCMP ended with him being shot and killed on his front porch. He was 63.

Shantz was the oldest of three children born to Jean and Abram Shantz, their father raised Old Order Mennonite but having left the community.

Growing up in Kitchener, Shantz was rebellious and always seemed to find trouble. He left home at 17 and went out to British Columbia where an uncle lived and got him a job in a mine.

"He was spreading his wings at a very young age," Farquhar said.

Shantz's passion for advocacy emerged in an unusual place - prison. His penchant for trouble led to criminal activity and he was sentenced in 1994 to 15 years for money laundering and drug possession in the United States.

During the 13 years he served, Shantz kept busy reading law books to help other inmates with legal issues, filing grievances and Freedom of Information requests. He organized a work strike among prisoners, leading to six months in solitary confinement.

Farquhar kept in close contact with her brother, visiting him with her family when he was in various prisons in New York state. The day he was released and deported back to Canada, she was overjoyed to pick him up and bring him back to her family's home to give him some time to acclimate after so long behind bars.

Farquhar saw the experience of being in prison changed her brother, and the trauma lingered throughout the rest of his life. "He was definitely a different person when he got out."

Once back in B.C., Shantz was hired by his lawyer to help out around the firm's Abbotsford office. Shantz started out with maintenance-related tasks and didn't hesitate to roll up his sleeves to get a job done \emdash a trait that had impressed his lawyer while Shantz was in prison.

Then Shantz was asked to clean up the street outside the office, located in an area with rampant homelessness and drug use.

"That's what sent Barry on his ultimate mission," Farquhar said.

Rather than shuffling the people along so they would be out of sight, Shantz became an outspoken advocate for the homeless, drug users, sex workers and mentally ill. Farquhar said that mission became all-consuming for her brother.

"I knew he was making amends for the wrongs he did in his life," she said. "He saw that he could make a difference there."

Shantz threw himself into lobbying, not hesitating to create a disturbance or ruffle feathers \emdash especially among city officials when he thought they weren't doing all they could to help the city's less fortunate. He fought bylaws banning harm-reduction programs and sleeping in public parks. He co-founded the advocacy group Drug War Survivors, which was part of a court battle with the city that resulted in a 2015 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that set precedents for the rights of the homeless.

"He had a passion for helping people and he did whatever it took," Farquhar said. "He showed so much empathy to people who couldn't help themselves."

But, at the same time, Shantz himself was struggling with mental-health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder from his prison time.

Three years ago while Farquhar was visiting him, Shantz broke down in tears, saying he didn't know how to cope and that he wasn't getting the help he needed.

"That's when it sunk in with me he's really struggling," Farquhar said.

But he didn't share more about what he was experiencing, and the moment of candour passed just as suddenly as it appeared. Then, this past September, Shantz came back to Waterloo Region to visit their gravely ill father.

"In retrospect, I think he came to say goodbye," Farquhar said. "He knew the end was close. I knew that."

On Jan. 13, the woman Shantz was living with called for help because he seemed suicidal and had a gun.

Farquhar pieced together details of that day from news stories because officials won't release information about the police response while an investigation is underway by the Independent Investigations Office. That civilian oversight agency in British Columbia is similar to the Special Investigations Unit in Ontario, which is responsible for looking into incidents involving police officers.

Shantz's son found out two days later about his father's death because people were talking about the incident, then he called Farquhar to tell her the grave news.

Reportedly, the RCMP response included about 30 officers, a helicopter, and canine unit. Two other people in the home, the woman and her daughter, got out safely before the incident.

Shantz reportedly called police during the standoff, saying he was coming out and wanted to be shot \emdash which is just what happened when he stepped out onto the porch.

"They knew he wasn't well," Farquhar said.

Since then, she has been in touch with the coroner, RCMP and investigating body to find out more about her brother's death and make sure they know the terrible impact his loss has had on the family.

She travelled to B.C. in February for a memorial service, and earlier this month to talk with family about the victim impact statement she wrote.

Shantz's absence is being felt by more than just his family.

During her February visit, Farquhar went to a homeless camp to give out food and beverages and as soon as she said her brother's name people began giving her heartfelt condolences.

"It was just overwhelming," Farquhar said.

They started sharing stories about all he had done for them, and not just his advocacy but also personally lending a hand to people in need. One person he drove to hospital, another he took into his home while she waited for a spot at a rehabilitation centre.

"He didn't just try to help. It was a friendship there."

Farquhar is left with a burning anger and many questions about her brother's violent death.

Why was the response apparently so heavy-handed for someone who was armed but only a danger to himself, and who had no history of violence?

Was a mental-health professional called to provide advice, and were other options considered besides deadly force? Did the fact the incident took place on an Aboriginal reservation have an influence on how it was handled, or was Shantz's notoriety as an activist a factor?

Finally, was the police response proportional to the threat? Farquhar would answer that question with an unequivocal no, adding that RCMP put her unstable brother into what appeared an inescapable position.

"It was a terrible response from the police."

Farquhar filed a complaint with the Independent Investigations Office and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission about the use of lethal force on a person who was suicidal. She's also getting help for free from a lawyer specializing in police brutality, who was a friend of her brother's after working at the same firm. The investigation is set to conclude in early August.

"I think I'm probably dreaming that there will be charges," Farquhar said. "I don't have huge expectations for that."

She is determined to fight for her brother who deserved better, just like he would have done for the vulnerable he advocated for tirelessly. She wants to "create a noise, just like Barry does.

"My voice is one more voice to add to examples of what we're doing wrong."

Johanna Weidner

Johanna Weidner is a Waterloo Region-based general assignment reporter for The Record. Reach her via email: jweidner@therecord.com


Heidelberg woman asks why her brother was shot dead by RCMP officers responding to mental-health call. (2020). Retrieved 26 July 2020, from https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/07/26/heidelberg-woman-asks-why-her-brother-was-shot-dead-by-rcmp-officers-responding-to-mental-health-call.html