Learn to live with neighbours
Dear Editor:
Re: “Neighbour dispute gets even more nasty,” (March 9).
I was interested to read the recent article by Dan Walton who reported how a long-standing dispute between Thor Clausen and Brad Besler has once again resulted in a lawsuit being filed by Besler against Clausen. The current claim is in Civil Court and Brad Besler and his brother Darren are each claiming $800,000 plus costs, from Clausen.
I don’t know any of the parties in this matter, but was in attendance at the 2022 all-candidates meeting when Brad Besler was a candidate for Council. Of the numerous people seeking a Council seat, he was probably the least effective in his presentation, and did not even mention that he had an ongoing legal challenge against the existing Council and the Summerland RCMP, something which I subsequently learned through the media, and which I believe would have prevented him being elected due to ongoing the conflict of interest. The results of the election demonstrate how little the voters thought of him, when he was very close to being last in the contest, and received only 4.19% of the total votes cast.
I have regularly driven along Garnet Valley Road and over the past nine months or so have seen a huge billboard on the property owned by Besler’s mother denouncing Thor Clausen and illegal activities on the mushroom farm property. If this is not a case of defamation, I can’t think what might be, and I think that Clausen would have every right to sue Besler and his brother, Darren, who, according to Walton’s article, have filed suit against Clausen, each claiming $800,000 plus costs.
Reading the comments of numerous people associated with the mushroom farm indicates that many of the employees are frightened at the threats which Brad Besler apparently made against them, some of which resulted in complaints to the RCMP, and in mid-2019 he was ordered to have no contact with the mushroom people.
However, subsequently, one employee made a further complaint to the RCMP Besler had ignored the earlier RCMP order, and that complainant indicated that she was frightened for her life, and that of her husband, and her newborn baby. It was noted in the article that an arborist who knew both Clausen and Besler posted on Instagram that he was a psychopath and needed help.
May I suggest to the Beslers that, if they cannot live at peace with their neighbours, they leave Summerland, which is such a peaceful community, with mostly peace-loving people. Maybe their mother, who owns the property, would not be so concerned about the activities of Thor Clausen and his associates at the mushroom farm business.
Robert Mason Summerland