Ray Joseph Cormier

Infobox Person
name = Raymond Joseph Cormier


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birth_date = birth date and age|1944|05|21
birth_place = Verdun, Quebec
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residence = Hull, Quebec
nationality = Canadian
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education = Concordia University
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Raymond Joseph Cormier (born May 21, 1944 in Verdun, Quebec) is a self-proclaimed "courier and modern day Prophet" in the National Capital District of Canada. At age 16 he attended Sir George Williams University, now known as Concordia University.Fact|date=July 2008 As of 2008 he lives in the Hull sector of Gatineau, Quebec.

He has twice run for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as an independent, and once ran for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Cormier claims to have played a "major minor role" in the formation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it applies to the recognition in Law of the Supremacy of God.Fact|date=June 2008

Arrests

He was arrested on a number of occasions in the late 1970s for making religious/political speeches to crowds in Downtown Ottawa and charged with shouting, causing a disturbance. He was convicted and handed a one day suspended sentence with one condition of probation for one year "not to attend on the Sparks Street Mall, or any other Street in the City of Ottawa, for the purpose of speaking or shouting". After that judgment, he continued to exercise what he saw as his democratic right to freedom of speech, he breached the probation and was sent to jail. [ "Preacher Arrested on Mall" "Ottawa Citizen" 3 September 1977] [Dave Rogers, "Second police warning for God's emissary", "Ottawa Citizen", 10 September 1977, A2.] ["Emissary from God undaunted", "Ottawa Citizen", 22 October 1977, pg 2.] ["The self-styled prophet hauled off Mall again", "Ottawa Citizen", 3 November 1977, pg5.] ["Mall 'prophet' jailed again", "Ottawa Citizen", 5 November 1977, pg 5.]

On the first day of televised debate in the House of Commons, Cormier sat in the first row of the visitors' gallery wearing a gag over his mouth with the words "Fear of The Truth" written on it. He clung to the brass railing as several sound. The video was not shown on national television, but was witnessed by the security guards attempted to remove him and eventually let go without making a full visitors' gallery. ["Prophet hauled out of Commons gallery", "Ottawa Citizen", 18 October 1977, pg 3.] ["Gagged protester gets heave-ho", "Ottawa Today", 18 October 1977.] ["Masked protester returns", "The Ottawa Citizen", July 15 1978 ]

In 1985, in the presence of government leaders and a large crowd celebrating Remembrance Day, Cormier climbed onto a bus shelter and shouted a religiously-themed anti-war speech through a megaphone until he was arrested and fined $250 for causing a disturbance. He appealed without a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Canada, but the Court would not hear the case. [Jane Taber "'Prophet' fined for shouting at Nov. 11 service", "Ottawa Citizen", 3 January 1986] ["Anti-war speech costs man $250", "Globe and Mail", 3 January 1986] ["Cormier condamné", "Le Droit", 3 January 1986]

Pilgrimages

In 1981, Cormier hitchhiked from Ottawa to Whitehorse, Yukon to symbolize the White Horse in Revelation 19:11 [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=5379618] . Newspapers across the country chronicled his journey. [Steve St. Laurent. "Visiting 'prophet' no average preacher", "Calgary Herald", 18 July 1981, A11.] [Cathy Lord "Visions compelled search for God", "Edmonton Journal", 25 July1981,G13.] [Leslie Cole "Self-proclaimed prophet: Showmanship not his style", "Whitehorse Star", 26 August 1981, pg 3] [ Nicholas Read "'Divine gifts' inspire ex-executive to tramp the land with a message", "Vancouver Sun", 3 October 1981] ["Maclean's Magazine", pg 40 31 August 1981, People Section.]

In 1986, to complete his Canada-wide mission, he hitchhiked East to Quebec and the Maritimes. [Richard Caron "Raymond Cormier sillonne le pays pour precher Dieu", "Le Soliel", 28 July 1986] [Elizabeth Hanton "Prophet sees Canada as the new Israel", "The Halifax Daily News", 11 August 1986] [Sylvia Reddom "Shares Faith With Canadians - Religion More Than Going To Church Says Travelling Born Again Christian", "The Charlottetown Guardian", 20 August 1986] [Emily Dyckson "Wandering prophet shares his faith", "The Weekend (St. John's)", 30 August 1986]

Politics

Cormier ran in the 1984 federal election under the slogan of "God, country, peace, love, freedom and the legalization of marijuana". He received 71 votes as an independent in Ottawa Centre [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=9332 History of Federal Ridings since 1867 ] ] . That same year, he ran as an independent in a by-election in Ottawa Centre where he received 94 votes. He ran again in Ottawa Centre as an independent in the 1997 federal election to fight government corruption, and campaigned for minority government and the need for change. He received 91 votes. [ Kernaghan R. Webb "Focus Magazine" September1984 'RJC: Cormier makes people nervous. Especially authorities.'] [ [http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=gen&document=res_table1206&dir=rep/dec3097&lang=e&textonly=false Elections Canada On-Line | General Information ] ] [Kathleen Patterson "Prophet Chooses Park for Vigil" "The Kansas City Times" pg. 3A 13 September 1976] [Robert W. Butler "Prophet Plans Appeal of Conviction" "The Kansas City Times" 2 November 1976

References