Now Students Who Are Suspended From School For Drug Use Have Somewhere To Go. Alouette Addictions has partnered with School District 42 to provide day treatment to those youths. Counsellors have been working to develop the program all summer long, said executive director Ron Lawrance. Students will participate in the day treatment program for the entire three days of their suspension and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. "There will be a self-assessment component to the program, a wellness component and some educational components as well as a therapeutic component," he said. [continues 324 words]
Hundreds of Maple Ridge students are not being suspended because of crystal meth use, School District 42 trustees vehemently said Wednesday. Maple Ridge Mayor Gord Robson suggested a couple of hundred students in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows schools have been suspended because of crystal meth use. That's not even close to the truth, trustees said at Wednesday's school board meeting. Of 507 total suspensions for secondary students during the last school year, 116 were drug-related. Of those, 93 had to do with marijuana use. The other 23 were not identified, but none of them were earmarked as dealing with crystal meth use. [continues 304 words]
Ed Andal found a way out of the cycle of drug and alcohol abuse in Maple Ridge. Thanks to the One Way Club Society, a non-profit organization that acts as a resource for people looking to overcome drug and alcohol dependencies, he was able to get his life on track. "What I am today is direct result of the One Way Club," said Andal, the club's president. The One Way Club, 22270 North Avenue in Maple Ridge, is a safe place, a place to meet people and a place to eat (the club offers meals at reasonable prices), said Andal. The membership helped him get through some tough times, he said. [continues 257 words]
When the Vancouver Sun wanted to talk about unlicenced addiction facilities, they talked to Sherry Mumford. Why not? After all, she is the Fraser Health addictions program manager. But when we called to speak with her on the exact same topic, suddenly the PR flaks at FH said we couldn't speak with her. She would no longer be commenting on the issue with the media. Could it be because she was honest with her comments? That she told the truth about violence and intimidation in the facilities? Now it appears Mumford is being muzzled. Instead, the media are forced to talk to a person who is not trained in addictions programs, but rather the art of avoidance. [end]
Gord Robson Vows To Resurrect Plan For Unlicenced Drug Recover House Unlicenced drug and alcohol treatment programs exist in Maple Ridge because the Fraser Health Authority has failed, charges Mayor Gord Robson. His comments come in response to those made in the Vancouver Sun by Fraser Health addictions program manager Sherry Mumford. In an article that appeared on the newspaper's front page Thursday, Mumford suggested that at some unlicenced facilities, drug dealing is rampant, there is overcrowding and often times no food. [continues 576 words]
Editor: Just when it seems like no one really cares about the destructive effects of substances on a community, family or individual, some very special individuals step up to the plate and knock one right out of the park. It is time to take a moment to acknowledge the home-run hitters who are continually working behind the scenes to make this the best place to live in the country. Randy Miller, Inspector James Wakley, Mayor Gord Robson, Councillors Judy Dueck and Ernie Daykin, Fire Chief Dane Spence and Constable Alice Fox all gave their personal time to make the Fun Day in the Park a huge success. Lordco Enterprises, M&M Meats, Party Perfect, Sterling Sales & Promotion and Garage Front Band also gave their time, talent, and financial commitment, to see our community come together and have some fun. [continues 65 words]
Heather Steele spent more than five years as a health care worker in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. These days, she's Maple Ridge's newest outreach worker trying to combat homelessness on a contract with the Simon Fraser Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. While only in the community twice each week, and having only been here a couple of weeks, Steele said a few things have already become apparent. For one, she said, crystal meth use hasn't been exaggerated. [continues 251 words]
A meth lab inside a Lougheed Highway home end up costing the property owner thousands. Head of the Ridge Meadows RCMP drug section Cpl. John MacDougall said cost of the HAZMAT crew alone could cost the property owner upwards of $20,000. Because of the home's proximity to the highway, three chemists were brought in. MacDougall said one chemist would have been sufficient if the property were secluded and traffic wouldn't be impeded by a lengthy search. But these costs don't include the potential cost of the environmental impacts on the property, which sits dangerously close to Kanaka Creek. [continues 328 words]
Ridge Meadows RCMP hauled pounds of pot out of a storage complex in the 20100 block of Stewart Crescent on Thursday. All that bud had a street value of nearly $1 million, said RCMP spokesman Const. Dan Herbranson. "It's not that often that something around this type, this scale, comes around," he said. "It is a substantial seizure." RCMP were tipped off when water was reportedly leaking from one of the units into another. When they arrived on the scene, police executed warrants on five different units in the complex, finding pot in all. [continues 308 words]
Maple Ridge is ahead of the game when it comes to addiction services, but according to Mayor Gord Robson, it's still not enough. Andy Libbiter, Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services for Maple Ridge and Langley, informed council on Monday morning that "other communities are already looking here with some envy" when it comes to addictions treatment. "Compared to other communities, a lot of money is coming into this community," Libbiter said. "Many communities would kill to have the Matrix Program." [continues 522 words]
Pitt Meadows could soon begin an alternative approach to deter residential marijuana grow-ops. Council in committee will discuss today an alternative that would put public safety above criminal prosecution. Under a proposal, district staff would begin a three-month pilot public safety inspection program. Under the program, RCMP would forward suspected grow-ops to a team comprised of a bylaw officer, fire inspector, building official and electrical inspector. RCMP would also be on hand during inspections to keep the peace. [continues 618 words]
Imagine, you're a teenager, you have problems with drugs or alcohol, or both. But in order to get the help you need, you must first walk through the very visible doors of a very visible treatment or counselling centre. This embarrassment, said Marika Sandrelli, is what keeps people from seeking help. And this is just one way the Matrix program is set to redefine the way youth are treated for drug and alcohol addiction in this area, she said. The Matrix Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centre officially opens its doors on June 26. It will be housed in an office in the Greg Moore Youth Centre, but youth will not be forced to walk through those doors to ask for help. [continues 468 words]
Neighbours cheered as police officers busted into a tiny home on 123 Avenue, and they continued cheering every time a marked car would drive by, carting off more and more suspects to the local jail. But none of the residents expect the drug house they've been living beside for the last decade will be demolished. Most anticipate that later this week they'll be back to watching out their front windows, jotting down licence plate numbers and keeping a close eye on all their possessions. [continues 463 words]
Nurses are scared. The number of people presenting in hospital emergency rooms with violent drug-induced psychosis is on the upswing says Linda Pipe. And it's only a matter of time before tragedy results. Crystal meth, said the Fraser Valley representative of the B.C. Nurses Union, is unlike any drug emergency room nurses have had to cope with. And emergency rooms, she said, aren't equipped to deal with these violent addicts. "Nurses are very frustrated, and it's very concerning to them because of the violence associated with these types of patients," she said on Thursday. [continues 485 words]
ridge meadows hospital can't contain its meth addicts Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Randy Hawes said he's been in touch with Solicitor General John Les about it, and is hoping a solution can be found ASAP. Hawes said he has spoken to Les regarding the need for a "holding place for people that are in drug psychosis and considered dangerous." Crystal methamphetamine users in the area, he said, are presenting at the local emergency department and putting staff at risk. [continues 163 words]
Without neighbours keeping tabs on one another Ridge Meadows RCMP would have a tough time getting started on marijuana grow op investigations. "It's very rare that we actually find one of these grow ops on our own because we're so busy," said Const. Yannick Lesarbeau of the Ridge Meadows drug section. "It does happen once in awhile that a police officer comes upon it," he said, but neighbour tips, he said, "are very, very useful." These comments were made after the local detachment busted five grow ops and seized approximately 4,300 plans in a single day last week. The first home was in the 12400 block of 227 Street and the second was in the 13200 block of 237A Street. More than 1,600 plants were found at these homes, and three people were taken into custody. [continues 268 words]
Dentist Offers Special Perspective On Damage Done By Crystal Meth. Dr. Doug Bing is seeing a disturbing change in his practice. Teeth are falling apart, but the trend has nothing to do with sugary snacks or a failure to floss. It's crystal meth. The long-time Pitt Meadows dentist felt compelled to share a set of X-rays with the TIMES to show the kind of destruction the drug is doing to the bodies of users. If this is what the drug is doing to people's teeth, he says, imagine what it is doing to the rest of the body. [continues 484 words]
Concerns about drugs were at the top of the agenda when people had the chance to ask questions of three of Maple Ridge's politicians on Thursday. Mayor Gord Robson, MLA Randy Hawes and MP Randy Kamp took questions on a range of topics including homelessness, garbage, gravel, apprenticeship programs and finances. About 60 people attended the meeting, which was held at Planet Ice. But during the two-hour meeting, drugs and drug houses generated the most discussion. Mayor Robson was asked what could be done about marijuana grow operations in a resident's neighbourhood. [continues 253 words]
The chairwoman of the Maple Ridge Crystal Meth Task Force says the decision to remove many cold remedies from corner store and gas station shelves may make a small but important dent in the production of methamphetamine. "This won't have a big effect," Mary Robson explained. "But it is a step in the right direction." Because many meth manufacturers buy the products needed to manufacture the drug in bulk from on-line retailers, many critics believe pulling the medicines from non- pharmacy stores won't make that much of a difference. [continues 421 words]
Film crews are a common sight in Maple Ridge, but it's not often those film crews are documenting local issues. Until now. Alouette Addictions executive director Ron Lawrance has announced that Maple Ridge will provide the backdrop for a new documentary to focus on the problems youth face when it comes to drug addiction. Vancouver-based film maker Mike Neitzel, known for documentaries including Wrath of the Dragon and Death By Jib, will be behind the lens. "The focus will be a realistic look at what our youth are up against on a daily basis in relation to substance abuse," Lawrance said. [continues 174 words]
Randy Miller's hair stood out in wiry spikes. On the filthy sidewalks of East Vancouver he would sit, shout, writhe in apparent agony. He spent more than a decade on those streets, living for his next high. Sometimes that high came in the form of cocaine, sometimes heroin. That was seven years ago when he gained notoriety as one of the subjects of the documentary Through a Blue Lens - a film shot by a group of Downtown Eastside cops. Today, Miller barely resembles the man that he was. [continues 652 words]
Crystal meth-addicted youth in Maple Ridge will soon have one more avenue opened to them. The Fraser Health Authority announced it would launch the matrix model of treatment through the Maple Ridge Treatment Centre. The matrix model was developed by methamphetamine experts out of Los Angeles, and will run along with the youth home detox pilot program that was announced in December. The youth home detox program is just that. Youth will go through detox at home, rather than in a traditional residential facility. For those without a safe, supportive home environment, a safe house will be found. [continues 296 words]
Editor: Re: Councillor says teens picked on in meth debate, TIMES, March 3, 2006 "Meth addicts aren't roaming schoolyards or feeding their habits between classes," said Tolchard. "Those numbers do not bear out." I am very concerned and disappointed that this statement has seen print; you have taken comments that are at best anecdotal and applied them to a serious problem with out any verification of fact. Tolchard's message is counter to the facts. The message is irresponsible. I blame The TIMES for deflating what has the makings for a social epidemic while not pressing for more sources on the subject. [continues 224 words]
A 20-year-old Maple Ridge woman spent Saturday night in hospital after allegedly inadvertently ingesting drugs while out partying with friends. The woman's mother, who didn't want to be named, contacted the TIMES in effort to warn other women about the dangers facing them in local nightclubs. In this situation, the 20-year-old allegedly had something slipped into her drink after leaving it unguarded for "just a brief moment," her mother said. Thankfully, said her mom, her friends and her boyfriend noticed something was amiss and got the girl home. [continues 456 words]
According to Andrew Tolchard, crystal meth addicts aren't roaming schoolyards, they're not feeding their habits between classes. The Pitt Meadows councillor figures there is too much focus on school aged youth using drugs like crystal meth, when in reality, he said, those numbers don't bear out. Tolchard, a retired RCMP officer, spent eight years working as a school liaison officer in the district, and just about his entire RCMP career focussing on keeping youth clean and productive. Most of his charges, he said, are upstanding citizens. Very few, he maintained, are experimenting with crystal methamphetamines. [continues 524 words]
The ex-Parents Advisory Council chair is expressing concerns this week that abuse of drugs at area high schools is being swept under the carpet after finding what he described as a "drug nest" on a trail in Albion Park, near Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary. "The issue was a major contributing factor in my resignation as PAC chair," he wrote in an e-mail sent to the school's PAC members as well as the TIMES, adding he didn't want to be identified. "While I believe drugs are a cancer that needs to be cut out from our society, staff members believe a zero drug policy would end up hurting the chances of some students." [continues 259 words]
When the crystal meth task force was launched two years ago, there were hundreds of people living on local streets. Today, boasts Maple Ridge Mayor Gord Robson, there are far less who call the streets, the sidewalks, the alleyways their home. "When we started we had between 400 and 500 people on the street," he said. "Today, we have about 62 people." That success in getting people off the streets is a direct result of different groups coming together with a single purpose - to get addicts the help they need, when they need it. [continues 394 words]
Editor: Re: ICBC makes victims feel even worse, TIMES, Jan. 17, 2006 In my opinion, Shawn Alain insulted a young man who had enough courage to reveal his past to everyone in the community. So to Shawn Alain I ask you now to sit upon your high horse and listen while I speak with Darren. To you, Darren, I would like to tell you how brave I think you are for coming forward and revealing your past to us. We can all learn from each other and I do not harbour any grudges against you. If I saw you on the street I would not look upon you as somebody who must pay society back, but as someone who is now coping with reality in a healthier way. Thank you Darren and the best of luck in the future. Ken Ketola Maple Ridge [end]
Editor: Re: Soft on crime, TIMES Mailbag, Jan. 13, 2006 I don't know why your paper would bother to publish it, since it is so clearly a silly and intentional distortion and nothing more. Crime and drugs are serious issues. Making them into silly political footballs like Aaron Vaughan does just adds one more small piece to the great load of cynicism about our democratic system of government. When people see that it's just a fool's game of misquotation and deception, rather like the latest wave of Liberal party TV attack ads, they begin to think the whole thing is a joke and voter turnout heads downwards. [continues 121 words]
The Lifeline Society is on its last legs. Kick started last summer by Maple Ridge Mayor Gord Robson and his wife Mary, the goal of the society was to provide treatment options for youth recovering from crystal meth addiction. The Robson's spent $50,000 of their own money to refurbish a home and hire staff. They were set to open the treatment facility in December, but because of strict licencing requirements, were forced to abandon the project. Now, said Mary, "we're probably killing the society. [continues 236 words]
Ten years ago Alouette Addictions Services had more money to play with and more staff. Today, after the community it serves has grown from 35,000 to 90,000, they have fewer resources than ever. But thanks to a private donation, executive director Ron Lawrance has been able to hire a director of clinical care. Starting next week, he added, Alouette will also have a quick-response counsellor on hand to deal with people who require help and can't wait for it. [continues 354 words]
Editor: Re: Legalize it, tax it, Times, Jan. 3, 2006 It's disturbing that people seriously consider the legalization of a dangerous and highly addictive drug to be any type of a solution. Do people really believe that legalization of pot or crystal meth will stop dealers from pushing drugs on kids and youth? The ingredients and supplies will still be readily available, and the dealers would still have a market. The only change I can see happening is that adults who would otherwise never consider trying drugs would now think of it as no big deal. [continues 123 words]
A crystal meth addict who fed his habit by stealing cars, breaking into apartment storage lockers and engaging in mail fraud vowed to turn from his wicked ways only after receiving a relatively long jail sentence. "I've been going in and out of remand - it's just been retarded," said the 23-year-old man, who police only identified as "Darren." "I've been arrested so many times, so many occasions, and I've just been released a couple hours later and it did nothing for me," Darren told police, in a video prepared by Cpl. Tim Shields of the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT). [continues 624 words]
Editor: Re: Federal candidates agree on one thing, TIMES, Dec. 27, 2005 I was shocked that Dan Banov could suggest legalization of such a dangerous drug as crystal meth. Then I started thinking. The first priority is to protect children and young people. Prohibition didn't work, it gave control of alcohol to the criminal elements. Ideally, we would have a society with no drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Since two of these substances are under modest control, and are less accessible to children, perhaps we need to consider some form of legalized control of sales and take drugs out of the hands of criminals. Taxed substances could support education and rehab programs instead of pushers selling to youths. It is far from ideal, but we must find a more effective solution than just increasing jails. A.H. Geluk Maple Ridge [end]
What exactly is addiction service-on-demand? Maple Ridge Mayor Gordon Robson promised on-demand drug treatment programs within a month of being elected into office. On Monday, he said, those programs will be in place. But what will they look like? Alouette Addictions Services executive director Ron Lawrence said on-demand treatment is better termed on-demand-information. Anyone suffering an addiction can pick up the phone and call his office. At once, he said, they'll find help. "There is going to be a centralized location for information. [continues 551 words]
Ridge Meadows RCMP are having a green Christmas so far. In the last week local RCMP have investigated six separate marijuana grow operations, seizing 3,158 plants and 21 pounds of pot. By Thursday afternoon, six adults had been charged with 18 offenses relating to both drugs and weapons. Sadly, said Cpl. Dave Walsh, children's toys were found in two of the homes raided this week. "That's not to say they were living there full-time," he said of the children, but it did indicate kids had been in the home. [continues 277 words]
A Marijuana Party candidate has entered the local federal race - but he has never smoked marijuana. Dan Banov, a 30-year Maple Ridge resident, said he wants to represent the Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission riding in Ottawa because he's tired of crime and thinks he can do something to curb it. Just this week Banov was a victim of crime. The 58-year-old husband and father, who owns a business in Hope, said he has to spend $1,000 to replace a window "because somebody smashed it in to steal a couple of bottles of booze." [continues 212 words]
Drug addicts in Maple Ridge will have access to on-demand drug treatment programs within a week of Gord Robson's swearing in as mayor, he promised Saturday night. Robson, well known for his campaigning with the Crystal Meth Task Force, said he will use the resources of the district to fight the problem. "We have huge resources here that are underutilized," Robson said. "I consider these people on the streets victims, and I want to treat them like they're bleeding from the ear," he said. [continues 316 words]
Editor: Re: Life or meth, TIMES, Nov. 11, 2005 I am one of those people that kicked Russell Meredith out of the malls all the time, as I am the security supervisor at ValleyFair Mall. I have known Russell for about three years now; I have seen him through good times, I have seen him through bad times. In my position you get to know all the 'bad apples' if you will, and it is very refreshing to know and to hear about those few cases that have succeeded in getting out of that lifestyle. And I sometimes do get a bit jaded in my dealings with my job, but I do wish Russell all the best. My thoughts are with him, and I wish to see him pull through this onto the other side of what he has gotten to know. And the next time he is at the mall, (he should) look me up, as I wish to buy him a lunch and give him my congratulations. John Roberts Maple Ridge [end]
The TIMES Talks To One Man Who Is Choosing Life Russell Meredith likes to move when he talks. He paces back and forth, laughs and often gestures to get across his points. Especially when he talks about what crystal meth did to his life. "It's like someone getting possessed by the devil," Meredith said. The Maple Ridge man has been living in a rehab facility in Abbotsford for the last month, and has spent more than 30 days clean and free of the drug that was slowly killing him. [continues 1032 words]
Landlords harbouring marijuana grow operations have coughed up $142,000 to the Maple Ridge since a new anti-pot bylaw was passed 10 months ago, district staff say. The first of 39 grow ops was raided under the new bylaw in January, said municipal bylaws officer Brock McDonald. Under the bylaw, the owner of the raided property is responsible for the costs incurred by the RCMP and district staff, and the home has to be completely repaired and inspected before it can be rented out or occupied in any way again. [continues 341 words]
A community's dedication to the fight against crystal meth has been recognized through a Community Safety and Crime Prevention Award presented to the Maple Ridge Crystal Meth Task Force. The awards, handed out by Solicitor General John Les last Friday, recognized groups from around the province. The Crystal Meth Task Force was singled out for increasing awareness, educating retailers on the common ingredients in meth, changing local bylaws and providing treatment and housing for addicts. RCMP Inspector Janice Armstrong, TIMES publisher Fred Armstrong and other members of the task force accepted the award. [continues 269 words]
District of Maple Ridge staff are planning a bylaw change that could penalize people who carry drug paraphernalia into public parks. The change to parks regulations, which is aimed at a variety of antisocial behaviour, will likely be presented to council in the next few weeks, according to Brock McDonald, the director of business licensing, permits and bylaws. The new regulations will be similar to rules in other towns and cities, and will be a means of combatting drug use, according to McDonald. [continues 393 words]
When it comes to tackling health and social problems, there is one area where all governments come up short. That area is the preventative side. A dollar spent on prevention can easily save many more dollars down the road, but politicians are fixated on getting the most immediate bang for today's buck. But preventative policies do work. One notable example is smoking. The smoking rate among young people in B.C. has dropped significantly over the past decade, thanks in no small part to the aggressive and graphic anti-smoking campaign in schools that was started by the previous NDP government. [continues 583 words]
Getting caught growing pot, owning a dangerous dog or building a pool without a permit will soon be more expensive in Maple Ridge. The district council has approved the first three readings of a new bylaw adding new ticketing offenses and increasing the fines for several old ones. The bylaw is expected to pass final reading and come into force in mid-September. The changes are the result of a recent switch in provincial government policy. Until this year, every time a municipality wanted to create a ticketing bylaw, they had to have the bylaw approved by the chief judge of the Provincial Court of British Columbia, even for fines as little as $5. [continues 158 words]
Editor: While watching the news I was stunned to hear the media advising those who use heroin to only buy your drugs from the dealers you know and trust and to go to the safe injection site in order to shoot up. This following a warning concerning a bad batch. And cannibis is still illegal? Do you realize that it is not only the "dregs of society," as many people think, that use cannibis? It is used by a wide variety of people, including lawyers, doctors, professional people...as is cocaine. Drugs are not used by certain "types" of people. Wake up and "smell the coffee." Claire Rollins Maple Ridge [end]
The lawn needs to be mowed more often, and some of the plants in the flower beds around the house on 245B Street are overgrown, but otherwise it looks just like any other house on the block. It's in a good neighbourhood, just west of Thornhill and backing onto the almost-completed Samuel Robertson Secondary. But like many other Maple Ridge Homes, the house concealed a marijuana grow operation, one raided by police Tuesday morning. Ridge Meadows RCMP investigators allowed members of the media a glimpse inside the grow op. It was the latest in a recent string of raids made against local marijuana growers. [continues 649 words]
A tougher stance on crystal meth by the federal government is being welcomed by local politicians and those who work on the front lines against the drug. Ottawa announced several changes to policy on crystal methamphetamine Thursday, increasing maximum sentences for production from 10 years to life behind bars. Major producers will be targeted by the feds, said Attorney General Irwin Cottler. "The most serious cases will be dealt with by a team of designated federal prosecutors, who will have specially developed tools to assist them in conveying to the courts the full impact of the production and distribution of this harmful substance," Cottler said. [continues 503 words]
A man busted for openly selling marijuana from a Maple Ridge adult entertainment store says the arrest has prompted him to run for political office. "You guys are going to see me run for f - - king mayor in this town," said William Perry, owner of Guilty Pleasures on 207 Street. He vowed to fight the charges and campaign for the legalization of marijuana in Canada. Perry's store was raided by the Ridge Meadows RCMP July 6 at about 6 p.m. [continues 502 words]
A bait-car video released last week is indeed chilling. It shows a truck thief speeding down residential streets in Langley and Abbotsford - going as fast as 140 km/h, smashing into three vehicles and narrowly missing a head-on collision with a police car. During the rampage, the man pulls out a handgun and tries 14 times to fire it out the passenger-side window. Fortunately, it doesn't go off. Cpl. Tim Shields, spokesperson for the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Task Force, said the footage is "the most chilling bait-car video that auto theft investigators from around the world have ever seen." He also said the thief is a meth addict. [continues 248 words]
