Editor: I am glad that council withheld the business license for the bong shop on 224 Street. Although selling paraphernalia is not illegal...promoting the use of drugs is simply immoral. This community is trying hard to eliminate the drug problem and this man is looking for loopholes and uses racism as an excuse to gain his profit. Maple Ridge welcomes those who help build our community, not destroy it. Mr. Singh, please don't sell your products to our children so they can get hooked on drugs. Maple Ridge [end]
Editor: Re: 224 bong store is not doing anything wrong, TIMES Mailbag, Sept. 23 Wow, I bet it took forever to look up all that information in the criminal code. However, since marijuana is not yet legal, and is not a "prescription medication" in the regular sense, it just does not apply. I know people use pot for medicinal purposes -- I have no problem with them. What I as a resident of this town have a problem with is a storefront blatantly selling drug paraphernalia. [continues 199 words]
Editor: Re: District dismisses bong storeowner's charge of discrimination, TIMES, Sept. 19 While the city may not be discriminating against Dave Singh based on race, they are discriminating against the products that he wishes to sell. They are only citing the parts of the Criminal Code that they wish to read - those that make it sound like the Hemporium is breaking some sort of law. Obviously I can't say for sure if this is due to incompetence or convenience. [continues 462 words]
Whether or not you support the rejection of the Hemporium store, you have to shake your head at claims made by owner Dave Singh. The Hemporium store was open for only three days before the District of Maple Ridge closed it because he didn't have a business licence. After the store was closed the district then rejected his business licence application. Brock McDonald, director of business licencing, permits and bylaws, said the business licence was rejected because of what the business was selling. [continues 372 words]
Dave Singh, owner of Hemporium, is vowing to go to court if necessary in order to sell bongs, pipes, rolling papers and other items Mayor Gord Robson has described as "drug paraphernalia" in Maple Ridge. Singh's store was open for only three days before the District of Maple Ridge closed it because he didn't have a business licence. After the store was closed the district then rejected his business licence application. Brock McDonald, director of business licencing, permits and bylaws, said the business licence was rejected because of what the business was selling. [continues 410 words]
The District of Maple Ridge has ordered a store that was selling multi-coloured bongs, pipes, rolling papers and other items Mayor Gord Robson has described as "drug paraphernalia" to shut it doors because it didn't have a business licence. Brock McDonald, director of business licencing, permits and bylaws with the district, said Hemporium had applied for a business licence but it hadn't been approved when the store opened its doors Friday. During its brief existence the store had posters with marijuana leaves on its front windows. Key chains that said "legalize" on top of marijuana leaves were on sale. [continues 414 words]
The Conservative government announced last weekw that it will increase prison security in an effort to restrict the flow of illicit drugs.The initiative includes more drug-sniffing dogs, security staff, scanners, and new search rules to detect smugglers visiting the institutions. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day publicize his plans at a news conference at Kent Institution in Agassiz, carrying out recommendations contained in a report last year from a panel that conducted a sweeping review of the prison system. The report, released last December, noted that about 80 per cent of offenders arrive at prison with a serious substance abuse problem, creating an increasingly dangerous environment for staff and offenders. [continues 215 words]
Metro Vancouver is one of three Canadian hubs for organized crime, crime that is becoming more sophisticated and high-tech, according to a report by Canada's spy agency. Criminal Intelligence Service Canada's 2008 report identified 900 gangs across Canada and found the drug trade remains the largest criminal activity. In B.C. alone, marijuana and grow operations generate $6 billion in revenue every year, said RCMP B.C. spokesman Sgt. Tim Shields. He said gangs are also involved in crystal meth, cocaine and heroin trafficking, identity theft, credit-card fraud, prostitution, gun smuggling, human trafficking and money laundering. [continues 384 words]
Ridge Meadows RCMP's Marijuana Enforcement Team, who were assisted by members of the Crime Reduction Team, executed two more residential search warrants on Thursday. In total, police seized 804 plants in various stages of growth, along with 723 grams of dried marijuana. The first search warrant was executed around 8 a.m. at a residence in the 23100 block of Dewdney Trunk Road. After clearing that home, the team attended to a house in the 13300 block of 235 Street, entering this house just after 1:30 p.m. No arrests have been made in either case, and both are still under investigation. [continues 102 words]
While the new Carbon Tax may have gotten a lot of attention in the media, there was another change in regulations affecting driving made on July 1 of this year -- police officers can now test drivers for drug impairment in the same way that they test for alcohol thanks to the implementation of Bill C-16. Of course, the mechanisms for testing are different. There's no breathalyser for drugs, so it must be done in other ways. When an officer pulls a suspect over, he or she will have to prove to the officer that they are fit to drive by performing sobriety tests. And if an officer flunks you on your roadside sobriety test, that means you get to pee in a cup down at the station. [continues 543 words]
The smell of fireworks smoke mixed with the scent of change on Canada Day this year, as several new laws came into force. A provincial law aimed at protecting children expands the use of child safety seats in cars. All children must now be seated in a booster seat until they are nine years old or are 4'9" tall. Adults are responsible for ensuring that children in any car they drive have booster and car seats appropriate for their age and weight. [continues 224 words]
Editor: Re: Grow-op impact, TIMES Mailbag, June 13 Mayor Don MacLean seems to endorse the idea that doing something about grow ops, even if the approach isn't very successful, is better than doing nothing at all. While I sympathize with the mayor in his frustration over grow ops, if he genuinely wants to find a solution that will get rid of the large grow ops in residential homes, he need look no further than the 2002 report by the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs (www.SenateReport.ca). [continues 151 words]
Editor: Re: Hyperbole not needed with crime, TIMES, June 10 I was sincerely disappointed to read your editorial regarding marijuana grow ops in our communities. Unfortunately your writer focused solely on the effect the Crime Reduction Unit was having in reducing the number of these operations and not on the effect the grow ops have on our communities. Based on your assumptions and conclusions do you not also wonder why we waste our time and effort taking drunk drivers off the road? [continues 348 words]
Last week, Ridge Meadows RCMP's Marijuana Enforcement Team, which is directly connected to the Crime Reduction Unit, busted a pair of residential marijuana growing operations. One involved police seizing a total of 833 marijuana plants, and the other found 2,452 marijuana plants, in various stages of growth, along with 32 pounds of dried marijuana. According to a police press release, this team, in its first month, has obtained eight search warrants. These busts go along with the arrest of more than a dozen people last week in connection with drugs. [continues 271 words]
A number of things in the news over the past little while have struck me as oddly related: sharks, drug-sniffing dogs, federal politicians, and the Langley Walk. Sharks are, like human beings, deadly predators that are capable of killing indiscriminately and without compassion or remorse. Maybe that sounds like a bit of a harsh indictment. After all, sharks at least stay within their element to do their killing -- we humans kill on land, in the air, and in and on the sea. [continues 541 words]
Evening Seminar Focuses On Prevention Youth gangs don't exist in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, but they do in the nearby municipalities of Surrey and Vancouver and they traverse the community, according to Derrick Keist, who coordinates crime prevention programs and volunteers for Ridge Meadows. Keist is helping to put on a public education evening on gangs and drugs on April 16 at Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall, which is also an initiative of the Pitt Meadows Community Policing Committeee. Parents, caregivers and teens as well as concerned community members are encouraged to come listen to two RCMP officers who have long careers observing the social and economic cost of drugs and gangs. [continues 235 words]
It's not about the drugs -- it's about a lack of hugs. With a house constantly full of 60 male hardcore addicts, Mark Goheen, clinical addictions specialist with the Maple Ridge Treatment Centre, said a lack of emotional connection with other people, as well as a lack of meaning, belonging and purpose in the world are what usually drive people to drug and alcohol abuse. "The drugs aren't necessarily...the main issue -- it's a way of coping with issues," said MRTC alumnus Jeff, who didn't want to give his surname. [continues 1225 words]
Patricia Wigham wants an investigation into how drugs get into jails. When Patricia Wigham heard that her 20-year-old son had been found dead in his cell at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre of a suspected drug overdose on March 14, her worst fears were realized. "My body, I felt like a quadriplegic. I had no feeling from the neck down. I was numb," she said. Her son, Kyle Wigham, ended up at FRCC after being sentenced to nine months jail time on Feb. 12 for robbing a 7/11 in Chilliwack with a crack pipe. He got away with approximately $150. It was his first criminal offence. [continues 707 words]
The B.C. Coroner's Service and the RCMP are investigating the death of a 20-year-old inmate who was found dead in his cell at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre on March 14. "It's likely it was a drug overdose based on the information I've received," said Dean Purdy, chair of the corrections and sheriffs branch of the B.C. Government Employee's Union. Vince Stancato, regional coroner, said the investigation is in its preliminary stages. He expected an autopsy would be completed early this week, but said the toxicological report could take weeks. The coroner's service hasn't released the name of the deceased inmate yet. [continues 297 words]
The RCMP and the coroners' service are investigating the death of a 20-year-old inmate at the maximum security Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge. Prison officials believe the inmate, found dead Friday, died of an overdose of street drugs. Are we missing something? We thought this was prison, a place where drugs are not allowed. After all, there are armed guards and tall walls and razor wire and inmates who are locked in cells. How do drugs get into a prison? [continues 55 words]
Alouette Addictions staff members are alleging that a Maple Ridge convenience store is profiting off drug addiction by selling products specifically geared toward crack cocaine and pot usage. On Friday Alouette Addictions staff had set up a table at the office with a wide array of products that a staff member had purchased at the convenience store. The table included a wide array of plastic baggies and glass vials, glass tubes with a decorative rose inside, small chunks of Brillo pads and a variety of glass pipes and bongs, colourful rolling papers and flavoured bong water. [continues 359 words]
I had the good fortune this past week to be invited on a panel, alongside Chief Justice Hugh Stansfield, to discuss issues around the sentencing of property offenders. The event was organized by the CBC and held at the Abbotsford campus of the University College of the Fraser Valley. As is often the case in these types of events, it was the audience, not the panelists, who provided the real insight. People told stories of having their houses and cars broken into time and time again. They sensed the justice system really had no intention of taking their victimization seriously. And in those cases where the perpetrator was caught, the courts sent him back to the streets in a heartbeat to continue racking up victims. [continues 524 words]
Suspensions from school are down considerably from six years ago when almost a thousand students in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district were given an at-home "time-out" for bad behaviour. A mid-year report shows that only 237 students in SD42 have been suspended this year, with 52 of those for drug-related issues. "Our whole initiative of keeping kids in school means we have to change our approach to suspension," said district superintendent John Simpson. He added that research and statistics show that suspending students from schools doesn't change their behaviour for the better. [continues 152 words]
Crime analysis shows marijuana grow operations are moving to bigger houses, hiding behind more bushes and growing more dope than ever. The grow-ops' changing profile has emerged in response to authorities' crackdowns, says RCMP crime analyst Parvir Girn. "Grow-ops tend to be located on properties five times the average lot size," she said. "This was [likely] the result of efforts to avoid detection." Girn, 31, a civilian member of Surrey's force, spent eight months crunching numbers from 1,087 Surrey grow-ops busted during 2004-06. The result was a master's thesis for the University College of the Fraser Valley and a report to Surrey council on Monday. [continues 246 words]
Right now in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows adults who need to go to a detox centre have to go to Surrey, Vancouver or Chilliwack for help. But they don't always get in because those detox beds are often full. That's not good enough for NDP MLA Michael Sather and Kathie Chiu, executive director of the Salvation Army and others who work with people suffering from addictions. Sather said forcing people from Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to go to Surrey, Vancouver or Chilliwack is "totally inadequate." [continues 623 words]
BC Hydro is partnering with the British Columbia Crime Stoppers Association to encourage people to report suspected marijuana grow operations, BC Hydro and the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General announced Friday. BC Hydro's energy diversion investigators will now be able to receive addresses of suspected grow-ops reported to the Crime Stoppers' Tip Line. This new information will assist the investigators in confirming energy thefts and recovering funds. Where evidence of thefts is found, BC Hydro lays complaints with law enforcement agencies, which in turn obtain search warrants and recommend charging suspects. [continues 171 words]
Just as crystal-meth addiction affects an entire community, the solution also lies in a community-based approach, according to a study commissioned by the City of Chilliwack. The recently-completed study by a group of researchers at the University College of the Fraser Valley found the best approach to the meth problem is focused on community, not just criminal issues. "That means that the education, health, social services, fire, emergency response, retail and safety sectors all have a role to play in combatting the problem," said criminology professor Darryl Plecas. [continues 76 words]
Re: Time to look at legalizing drugs by Keith Baldrey, TIMES Opinion, Nov. 13 Today, two events occurred that prompted me to write this letter. The first event was attending the funeral of a twenty-one-year-old local man who ended his own life due to drugs. The second was reading this article, which appalled me not only for its content, but also by the timing of its appearance. The funeral was attended by at least a thousand people, which speaks volumes as to this young man's worth and value to society. He had an entire life to look forward to and yet drugs snatched away a son, a brother, and his future. Drugs are stealing our children, stealing their futures and robbing the joy from families. How can anyone advocate that we legalize this menace to our future and the future of our children? [continues 534 words]
It's not often that gang warfare makes its way into the legislature as the main topic of debate, but that's exactly what happened this month as the Lower Mainland seemed to morph into something out of The Untouchables. Gangland shootings - almost a dozen deaths in recent weeks - have dominated the headlines. There was a lot of talk about amalgamating police forces in the Lower Mainland into a cohesive regional force, the need for tougher sentences for gang members and frustration about immigration polices that allow some convicted gang leaders to avoid deportation. [continues 560 words]
Addicts Likely to Relapse, Says Head of Addictions Program, Because They Have to Take a Bus -- or Worse Hitchhike -- to Get Access to Methadone. Heroin addicts in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows who want to get clean and onto a methadone program usually travel to Mission, New Westminster or Vancouver to get their prescription, putting them at serious risk of relapsing, because there are no local "methadone maintenance" clinics. Ron Lawrence, executive director of Alouette Addictions in Maple Ridge, estimated his centre has about 45 to 50 clients who need to commute to clinics outside Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to pick up their methadone prescription. [continues 473 words]
Grow ops beware. The City of Pitt Meadows has decided to continue its Public Safety Inspection Program, which ferrets out hidden marijuana grow operations in neighbourhood homes. City council voted this week to extend the program for another six months. It initially began in February as a pilot project and continued until May. Lesley Elchuk, the city's bylaw enforcement officer, said the program has been very successful so far. As far as public safety goes it's very valuable," she said. [continues 281 words]
Frustration over an alleged drug house in Maple Ridge has driven one woman to clip yellow and orange warning signs to the front of the property identifying the residence as a crack house. One sign read: "Crack house, we sell crack, heroin and [ecstasy]. Please report any and all activity to local police. We ruin lifes (sic)." On Wednesday morning people slowed their cars to read the signs, which remained up for at least an hour. The house is partially surrounded by hedges, and there appears to be a security camera at the front door. [continues 447 words]
A Program Aimed At Providing Day Treatment For School Aged Youth Faced With Drug Related Suspensions Is Doing Better Than Anticipated. Ron Lawrance, executive director of Alouette Addictions, says the program has drawn in 88 youth in its first three months. The program, called T2 which stands for Think Together, is free to participants and requires youths to participate in day treatment for the entire three days of their suspension from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This program combined with other recently instituted programs offered by Alouette Addictions including the first response group, the trauma group and the spirituality, grief and loss groups are putting Maple Ridge in the best place its ever been for treating additions issues. [continues 226 words]
Drug Use Is the Least of Their Problems. For the youth who find their way through the doors of Maple Ridge's Matrix Project, drug use is often more of a symptom, a way of coping with one crisis after another said project co-ordinator Corrine Arthur. Since the one-year pilot project began in June, more than 90 youth have received some form of service, of which 51 youths between the ages of 16 and 24 have been served through wrap-around intervention, which included a combination of detox, post acute withdrawal, practical support and after care services. [continues 430 words]
A local resident drew the ire of Pitt Meadows mayor and council Tuesday evening after he suggested that city officials have received preferential treatment from the RCMP when grow ops were found in their neighbourhoods. The resident, who requested The TIMES not use his name, spoke to council Tuesday about his and his neighbours' frustrations that RCMP officers did not respond Monday afternoon when marijuana plants were allegedly removed from a Pitt Meadows residence (see the story on Pages 1 and 3). [continues 468 words]
Neighbours are angry and the RCMP are apologetic, but it was a series of unfortunate happenstances that allowed the purveyors of a Pitt Meadows pot house to get off with a moving truck full of bud. Residents of Cedar Lane had known there was something fishy going on inside the house for months. Since the summer, many had been taking note of the various cars that would arrive - they'd jot down licence plate numbers and call them in to local police. [continues 714 words]
Editor: Re: Pot activists being dishonest, TIMES, Dec. 29 John Martin's opinion on marijuana states "new evidence (on marijuana use) is damning for legalization and decriminalization advocates who have long argued that marijuana is essentially harmless." I don't believe users of marijuana are advocating that marijuana is "harmless." What they are advocating is that it is a "harmless vice." The evidence has been in for a long time that marijuana is not good for your body. Nobody in their right mind (pardon the pun) can deny this. [continues 174 words]
Mary Robson and Cheryl Ashlie Had an Amicable Discussion About Crystal Meth When They Sat Across a Table Wednesday Night. Robson, chair of the local crystal meth task force, and Ashlie, chair of School District 42's, have disagreed about how best to teach kids about crystal meth and its dangers. Robson, who made a presentation to the school board Wednesday, questioned Ashlie's credibility to talk about crystal meth on a CKNW radio show last week. Ashlie responded that her information comes from professionals working with crystal meth users. [continues 390 words]
The local discussion on crystal meth made it onto the airwaves Friday morning. Mary Robson, the chair of the local Meth Task Force, and school board chair Cheryl Ashlie squared off on the Bill Good Show on CKNW on Friday. Robson, with whom Good opened the segment, argued that the $3 million from the province is a "wonderful thing." The money is for a crystal meth public awareness campaign. Crystal meth, not alcohol, can do "the most harm" with just the smallest amount of use, said Robson. [continues 224 words]
A $2-Million Commercial Tastefully Encouraging Parents to Talk to Their Kids About Crystal Meth Is "Pablum" According to Gord Robson. The Maple Ridge mayor was quoted as saying such on Global news Wednesday night. By Thursday afternoon, after having an evening to digest the pablum, Robson conceded that any publicity surrounding the ills of methamphetamines is worthwhile, but the provincially funded ads, he said, don't go far enough. "Sadly, in our society a lot of the kids don't have that kind of parent, and they're the ones that are usually at risk." [continues 298 words]
As we approach the third-year anniversary of the police raid on the legislature, it's time to step back and ask an important question: What in the heck is happening with this case anyways? Shortly after the raid occurred in late 2003, the RCMP held a news conference and grandly talked about organized crime somehow coming perilously close to the legislature. There was also talk of money laundering and drug trafficking. But almost three years later, the case has dwindled into an alleged affair of tawdry low-level lobbying. [continues 652 words]
While the head of the local Crystal Meth Task Force lauds the province's $3-million crystal meth education task force, the school board chair condemns it. The $3 million, says Cheryl Ashlie, could have been put to better use had the province given it directly to school boards rather than targeting it to such a narrow focus. The biggest substance abuse problem in local schools, she maintains, is not crystal meth, but alcohol, and focusing the funds on one drug, she said, isn't effective. [continues 293 words]
Drug treatment beds and mental health services - two things homeless people need before affordable housing according to Maple Ridge Mayor Gord Robson. He made the remarks following the release of the Report on the Homeless in Tri-Cities on Thursday. The report, conducted by the Hope for Freedom Society (HFFS) and funded by the Ministry for Employment and Income Assistance, surveyed the homeless population in Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody from April to September 2006. Of the 122 homeless people involved in the survey, it was found that 39 per cent suffer from some form of mental illness, while 86 per cent experience addictions issues. [continues 640 words]
Editor: Our program at Maple Ridge Treatment Centre is designed to address the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual needs of each person who enters treatment; people can best adopt new values and change entrenched behavioural patterns in an environment that provides support, empowers individuals and fosters trust. For your readers who may have missed them, I'd like to share some comments sent to local papers this September, copied to us, by past clients and their families describing their positive experiences with MRTC. [continues 231 words]
One camcorder, six months of filming, and a group of candid youth is what makes up Rewind - a movie filmed and produced by Alouette Addiction Services that takes an in-depth look at teens' views on substance abuse. "Rewind is about stopping for a moment and listening," said Ron Lawrance, executive director for Alouette Addictions. "The film will offer a real life perspective on what youth are dealing with." The 25-minute documentary is to premiere at the ACT on Oct. 21 and about half of the tickets for the showing have already been sold. [continues 295 words]
Editor: On Saturday, over 100 people gathered at the Greg Moore Youth Centre to partake in a forum on crystal meth and more than 60 per cent were youth. The free t-shirts and food may have been a drawing card, but for the youth who gave up their Saturday night to partake in a forum to learn more about crystal meth are to be commended. It was very rewarding for the organizers of the event. The main presenters were Mark McLaughlin and Marilyn Erickson of the Victoria Crystal Meth Society. The program they delivered was the same one they have shown to over 10,000 students in Victoria and other island communities. What was most impressive was the caliber of questions the youth asked. It showed the level of attention they paid to the information provided and there is no doubt that they will share what they learned about meth with their peers and family. That alone made the event worthwhile and can be considered a success. [continues 132 words]
Editor: Re: Drug Message Being Lost, Times, Sept. 26 The column does correctly identify the drug problem at schools. You rightly identify the cause of the problem being primarily from poor parental guidance. (But) it is more complex than just blaming the parents. It is the parent's lack of skills at parenting. Parents usually only start to address the problem when it is too late. Parents in this complex world need to be experts on child psychology. Distractions are so much more than in the past.For instance in pre-school parents who fail to direct children to watch something like Sesame Street over violent cartoons need to know how this will affect future behaviour. Parents need to be educated and if they are not willing to put an effort to be an expert should get a cute puppy instead. [continues 107 words]
Prove Him Wrong. If students in local schools aren't using crystal meth, Gord Robson wants School District 42 to prove it. And in the meantime, the Maple Ridge mayor says, stop pointing fingers at one another. Stop getting away from the real issue. "It's disappointing that the subject isn't how many treatment beds we have and what we're going to do about people in need," he told The TIMES on Thursday. Robson was speaking in response to a slew of letters sent to the editor from readers suggesting he had overreacted and was fear mongering. In a previous TIMES story, Robson had implied there were hundreds of local youths being suspended from school each year thanks to meth. [continues 290 words]
The Local Meth Task Force Wants To Educate The District's Students On The Dangers Of The Drug. But so far it's been shut out of local schools. In order to get into the district's schools and have access to the students, members of the task force must first sit down with the school board and explain what they want to do and why. And once that is done, School District 42 chair Cheryl Ashlie says, it's up to the board and the staff to figure out if the goals of the task force are the same as the goals of the school district. [continues 326 words]
Editor: Cheryl Ashlie and the Board of School Trustees demonstrated a refreshing brand of leadership in unveiling a partnership with Ron Lawrance, Alouette Addictions' executive director, to improve learning conditions for students. Instead of going on the traditional war path of words with respect to the size of the crystal meth problem in Maple Ridge, or the typical lack of funding defence, the school district has taken a little bit of a worthwhile risk on behalf of the community in identifying substance use related disciplinary action and supporting young people in taking an important step in realizing how the dangerous experimentation with substance use can lead them into a very devastating life. [continues 133 words]
