VICTORIA - B.C.'s largest First Nation is accusing the provincial government of stalling its application for a retail cannabis licence while it races to open its own public store in the community's prime retail location. The Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island are in the sixth month of trying to get approval for two retail store licences from the provincial government. As the Cowichan wrestle with a wall of red tape, and are repeatedly rejected for nation-to-nation talks with the province, the B.C. government is competing against the First Nation for the municipal rights to open a store in the community's largest shopping centre. [continues 715 words]
Provinces still looking for more direction from federal government B.C.'s top cop says the province remains undecided on how it will tax, distribute and regulate the use of marijuana once the federal government legalizes it next summer. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he hopes to hear more ideas from his provincial and federal counterparts Friday as they continue a meeting in Vancouver. Ottawa intends to legalize pot within 10 months, forcing the provinces to develop their own rules. "It's certainly a challenging deadline, not just for British Columbia but all provinces, and I think both ministers and premiers have been saying that to the federal government," Farnworth said Thursday. "We know it is a challenge in B.C., but one we're working toward." [continues 567 words]
After decrying Ottawa's "divide and conquer" approach to health-care agreements, British Columbia signed its own side deal on Friday - to get extra cash for the drug-overdose crisis. B.C. had been one of the most vocal critics of Ottawa's strategy to pick off provinces one by one with special agreements, rather than negotiate across-the-board health transfers with all the provinces. But B.C. officials said Friday they eventually decided to settle the feud because they wanted to present a united Canadian front in the softwood lumber trade dispute with the U.S. [continues 189 words]
It Is Very Unlikely That the RCMP Would Invade Vancouver Police Turf, Criminologist Says Vancouver will push ahead with its plan to license some marijuana dispensaries and force others to close, despite a threat from Health Canada to have the RCMP raid 13 dispensaries it has singled out for attention. Health Canada's threats, which come in the middle of an election in which the Harper Conservatives are pitted against Liberal promises to decriminalize marijuana, sets up another showdown between Ottawa and Vancouver over health issues versus enforcement. [continues 942 words]
VICTORIA - B.C. has finalized rules to allow federally licensed medical marijuana grow operations on protected agricultural farmland. The changes forbid municipalities from passing bylaws that would prohibit licensed grow ops on the Agricultural Land Reserve. The Township of Langley had proposed such a bylaw in 2014, but the province shot it down. Health Canada approves and regulates medical marijuana growers. The government said Thursday the amendments respect the federal government's policy on medical marijuana production, and also provide consistent rules and bylaw standards for all B.C. municipalities. Medical marijuana farms will have to be set back at least 150 metres from any school or park property line and 30 metres from any watercourse. They will also have to meet other size and setback rules. [end]
Frustrated neighbours of crack shacks, drug dens and other troublesome properties will soon be able to make confidential complaints to a government office that can shut down the sites. Justice Minister Shirley Bond said the new office, introduced in the legislature on Thursday, would investigate troublesome properties, and get owners to clean up their act and deal with neighbourhood complaints. "Imagine for a moment that there is a crack shack on the street where you live," Bond said. "The problem started with vehicles coming and going all hours of the day and night, people yelling on the sidewalks late at night, maybe you witnessed used syringes or drug paraphernalia on the lawn =C2=85 You, of course, called the police, who kept showing up [continues 409 words]
Four B.C. attorneys general are calling for marijuana to be legalized, regulated and taxed. Colin Gablemann, Ujjal Dosanjh, Graeme Bowbrick and Geoff Plant released a joint letter calling on Premier Christy Clark and Opposition NDP leader Adrian Dix to endorse the idea, saying it would help stop gang violence, raise money and ease the strain on the justice system. In their letter, the attorneys general write: "The case demonstrating the failure and harms of marijuana prohibition is airtight ... "Massive profits for organized crime, widespread gang violence, easy access to illegal cannabis for our youth, reduced community safety and significant-and escalating-costs to taxpayers." [continues 130 words]
New Law Allows Province to Bypass Courts in Forfeiture Cases of Less Than $75,000 B.C.'s proposed new civil forfeiture rules, which will allow the government to seize small amounts of cash and property without going to court, are troubling infringements on people's civil rights, critics say. The government bill amends B.C.'s existing civil forfeiture law by adding an administrative process for cases involving less than $75,000 worth of cash, jewelry, cars and other items alleged to be profits of crime. [continues 595 words]
Courthouses Throw Up Roadblocks To Prevent Scrutiny Of Documents B.C. courthouses are routinely breaking rules designed to let the public keep a watchful eye on searches and seizures done by their local police departments, the Times Colonist has found. Six of 10 courthouses on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland investigated by the Times Colonist do not provide a binder of recent unsealed search warrants for the public to view -- even though it is provincial policy to do so. A seventh courthouse offered a binder three months out of date. [continues 1468 words]
Canada's police chiefs lined up to support B.C.'s fight against gang violence yesterday and urged Ottawa to make much-needed legal changes. Steven Chabot, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, said the province's promise of more officers and Crown prosecutors will help fight a wave of gang and gun violence on the streets. But what's really needed are new federal laws to help police conduct surveillance on digital devices, he said. "There is almost universal understanding this is a crucial area of law that needs updating," Chabot said at a meeting of B.C. police chiefs in Victoria. "What is required now is for the government of Canada to act." [continues 386 words]
Officers Can Still Respond To Criminal Behaviours, Infractions, Despite Ruling Victoria's police chief says his officers will still enforce existing laws and bylaws if the homeless community builds tent cities on public property in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling. "The toolbox is not empty," interim chief Bill Naughton said yesterday. "This is a very narrow judgment with very narrow impact, and it's important to try to not extract more from the judgment than what it says. [continues 421 words]
Victoria police say they have dismantled a chapter of the Vancouver-based Red Scorpions gang, which aggressively expanded into the capital city's drug trade by threatening other dealers and sometimes giving crack cocaine away for free. Police arrested seven people in their late teens and early 20s last week and raided a Saanich home they said was the base for a burgeoning "dial-a-dope" operation. Police seized $3,000 in cash, $1,000 in cocaine and a loaded sawed-off shotgun in the home, said Const. Colin Brown, a lead investigator. [continues 769 words]
Customers Lured With Crack Cocaine Giveaway, Police Say Victoria police say they've dismantled a chapter of the Vancouver-based Red Scorpions gang that aggressively expanded in the capital city's drug trade by threatening other dealers and sometimes giving crack cocaine away for free. Police arrested six people, in their late teens and early 20s, last week and raided a Saanich house -- on Borden Street, near McKenzie Avenue -- they called the base of operations for a burgeoning Greater Victoria "dial-a-dope" operation. [continues 609 words]
RCMP unsure if $27,000 in cocaine part of larger ring It's the kind of drug seizure you'd expect to see in Victoria or Nanaimo, but $27,000 worth of cocaine found in a single vehicle in the tiny island village of Alert Bay? RCMP made such a haul last Sunday, and say it's only the tip of the iceberg of drug and alcohol abuse problems in the community. Officers found the cocaine stash when they pulled over a 2007 GMC Envoy pickup truck outside a known hangout for drug dealers, said detachment commander Cpl. Ron Vlooswyk. A 35-year-old Alert Bay resident was arrested and is now facing possession and trafficking charges. He's set to appear in court Oct. 7. [continues 475 words]
The number of drug possession, drug-trafficking and break-and-enter charges in the West Shore has mostly decreased or stayed the same in the past two years, according to police. Statistics prepared by West Shore RCMP show some types of drug charges, break and enters and assaults were down in 2007 compared to 2006, while theft from vehicles, of vehicles, and marijuana grow operations rose slightly in the same period. The numbers only show charges laid by police, and don't capture the scope of unreported or unsolved crimes. [continues 231 words]
In Wake of Slaying, Colwood, Langford Leaders Are Eager to Work With Police Two West Shore mayors are calling on police to tackle drug problems in their communities, in the wake of a high-profile killing that has left a Highlands councillor and his two sons charged with murder. Colwood's mayor said yesterday he'll ask police to investigate the local drug scene, and Langford's mayor will suggest the RCMP form a dedicated West Shore drug squad. The issue of drug trafficking has been a hot topic in Colwood and Langford since Keith Taylor's body was dumped outside the West Shore RCMP station the night of May 30. [continues 457 words]
VICTORIA - A man who claims his marijuana-growing operation was damaged during a police raid is suing his local government, claiming he had a Health Canada certificate to grow his pot legally. Philippe Albert is suing the District of Saanich for $11,176, according to a notice of claim filed in B.C. small claims court. He is claiming $8,000 for police damage to his equipment and $3,000 for the value of his marijuana plants, which police say they destroyed. [continues 72 words]
The Saanich Police Department is being sued by a man who claims his marijuana grow operation was damaged during a police raid, even though he had a Health Canada certificate to legally grow the substance. Philippe Albert is suing the Corporation of the District of Saanich for $11,176, according to a notice of claim filed in B.C. small claims court Dec. 15, 2007. He is claiming $8,000 for police damage to his equipment and $3,000 for the value of his marijuana plants, which police say were later destroyed. [continues 314 words]
When Saanich police set up a roadblock just days before Christmas, they said they weren't surprised to see a man drive up with a joint hanging out of his mouth. He'd tried to finish it before he reached the officers, but apparently didn't make it in time. It's not just drunk drivers that Vancouver Island police say they've been catching this holiday season -- increasingly, people behind the wheel are high on some sort of drug, as well. [continues 571 words]
Forcing employees to take drug tests at work is a contentious issue, complicated by human-rights legislation, contradictory court rulings and U.S. pressure, say industry representatives and civil liberties experts. B.C. Ferries president David Hahn said yesterday Canada should follow the United States in workplace drug testing. Such testing has increased dramatically in North America over the past 20 years, chiefly in the U.S., where it's done by 95 per cent of top Fortune 500 companies. But in Canada, the situation remains legally and ethically unclear. [continues 510 words]
