Turns out they are going to shut it down, they say the problem only became worst in spite of the attempts I made to ban those IPs. The guess is they simply switched to other IPs and continued the spam. So now the host wants me to shift to a 500$ dedicated hosting plan which will not happen so I guess this means the site is going to end up shuttered pretty soon. I'll find another host basically. Gotta copy the whole folders down this evening when I get home so that eventually we can resume this.
I'm thinking of starting from scratch using the new google sites, it works with an easy embed of google groups and that could serve as basis for going forward. The death of Annexation.ca, I'm thinking of probably using a new domain name instead, and the focus and mission will be different but act as an evolution out of the experiences had here! With an eye on keeping the new form a pleasant hangout spot for those who like to linger on the lesser threaded paths of internet interactivity! It's been a nice ride and this is a memorable way to go down in flames, no regrets!