Checking In On the Vancouver Business Scene

I've mentioned my morbid fascination with the underbelly of finance more than once and have singled out David Baines of the Vancouver Sun as one of the best reporters on this admittedly odd corner of capitalism.
Here's the latest, a quick search of Mr. Baines' byline for the last two months:
February 1, 2013  
 David Baines: Vancouver promoter implicated in international bribery scandal 
January 29, 2013

David Baines: Readers decry RCMP’s refusal to investigate $5.7-million securities scheme

January 25, 2013 

Blockbuster donation of 'Michelangelo' sculptures turns into multi-million-dollar bust

VANCOUVER – In 1998 and 2006, two groups of investors quietly acquired and donated to the Museum of Vancouver 18 sculptures that some authorities believed were created by Michelangelo.The sculptures – details of legs, arms, shoulders and torsos - are made of clay and stand only 10 to 27 centimetres...

January 24, 2013

David Baines: Mutual fund dealer fined for failing to supervise leveraged accounts

January 22, 2013 

David Baines: Leveraging strategy devastates Bowen Island couple

January 21, 2013

David Baines: BCSC alleges former Mission woman defrauded B.C. investors in Ponzi scheme

January 18, 2013 
David Baines: Former geologist sentenced to six years in prison for assay fraud
January 15, 2013 
David Baines: BCSC accuses trio of defrauding investors in Comox Valley development scheme
January 9, 2013

David Baines: Filipino community ravaged by investment scheme

Dec. 28, 2012 
Baines: Four stock offenders caught in BCSC offshore sweep were all from West Vancouver
Dec. 25, 2012 
David Baines: West Vancouver “portfolio manager” raised $10 million from investors, then left the country
December 21, 2012
David Baines: Bucolic burb is home to host of misbehaving stock promoters and brokers
Dec. 18, 2012
David Baines: IR specialist ends up in the lion’s den

Disclosure may be the cornerstone of the public markets, but it comes in many shades.There’s the official disclosure record, which is what you read in securities filings, and the unofficial record, which is what the smile-and-dial guys tell you on the phone.Aaron Ross is one of those phone guys...

Dec. 17, 2012

David Baines: West Van promoter permanently banned from market

Dec. 14, 2012

David Baines: Alleged Ponzi schemer declares bankruptcy as investors face huge losses

Dec. 13, 2012

David Baines: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy pervaded penny stock promotion dealings

Dec. 5, 2012 

Investing in Secure Smart Technologies not likely secure or smart

That's it Dec. 5 to Feb. 4.

But, if one were to look at the November 2012 stories, you have the head of criminal investigations for the British Columbia Securities Commission getting fired, the former mutual fund salesman now selling bongs, the defrocked fund manager who, when ask about a Baines story on him responded:

...David's credibility has dropped significantly within the investment community, so I just write it off....

And many, many more

*See:
(Why We Love the Vancouver Business Scene [Frauds, Scams and Flim-flams])

We also took a special interest in the whole Planktos saga with the U.N., the mad scientist, the Vatican and a pink sheet stock. And then there was...