B® NV driver a Complainant seeks return of ‘dignity’ Robert Galster News Reporter robert@usnews.com ROSES Mennie has expezvienced one unfor- tunate turn of events after another, An engineer, Mennie’s problems started several years aga when he had a bad reac- tion to dissolving sutures in his scalp. The result was a series of scars and an unsightly inflam- mation on his face and scalp. In addition to three blood transfusions, Mennic sutfered much physical and emotional pain. The physical pain has since subsided but the disfig- uration resulting from his condition continues to plague him. “You should try putting on 3 bandage and walking around with scars like mine,” said Mennic. “This is a rude awakening for me. Pll get over this eventually but there are people out there who won't.” On Halloween night 1996, Mennie was on his way home from the hospital after undergoing a blood transfu- sion. He was travelling cast- bound along 17th Strect and turned north on to Grand Boulevard. He said he was in a great deal of pain and was looking forward to getting home where he had a sugply of painkillers. : ' Shortly after he made the turn he was pulled over by a rolice cruiser driven by two orth Vancouver RCMP offi- cers. Unfortunately for Mennic, he didn’t have his driver's licence with him. He explained that he had a habit of dropping it and because he was afraid of losing it, he left it at home. The officer dealing with Mennic, Const. Caroline Raymond, found this to be curious, but she had pulled him over because she claimed Mennie had run a stop sign and a yellow light on Grand Boulevard. With Raymond in the cruiser was Annic Joyal, at the time a rookie RCMP con- stable. Only Mennie and the ovo officers know exactly what happened during the resul- tant exchange that night, bur there’s a marked difference in their stories. Mennic said he had to ask Raymond three times what ke was being pulled over for. When he finally got an answer, it wasn’t satisfactory. Raymond did not argue with him. She left Mennic in his car and went back to her police cruiser. To Mennie’s mind she was taking too tong, a feeling exacerbated by the pain he was in. More tire passed — Mennie claims 20 minutes; Consr. Raymond claims four minutes. Mennie decided he had had enough. He drove away, leaving the two constables in their vehi- cle. They pursued him and pulled him over again. This time they arrested him and took him back to the cells at the North Vancouver detach- ice weary + NORTH Vancouver resident Ross Mennie had his driver's licence taken away short- ly after a run-in with two members of the North Vancouver RCMP detachment. He has spent more than a year trying to get it back, but has thus far not had any luck. ment. He was charged with two other violations: failure to stop for police and obstruct- ing a police officer. He is upset with how he was treated by the constables. Although they were speaking French to each other, a lan- guage that Mennie doesn’t speak, he insists they were “You should try putting on a bandage and walking around with scars like mine.” — Ross Mannie making fun of him. Later in jail, officers removed his hat which covered a large lesion on his scalp. Mennie felt deeply humiliated by the action. He was subsequently released a few hours later. Raymond later sent a notice to the superintendent of moror vehicles expressing her concerns about Mennie’s driving. Raymond maintains she wasn’t acting on any discrimi- natory motives based on Mennie’s appearance. She said she wasn’t even aware of his disfiguration. “Since it was Hallowecn evening I thought he was dis- guised,” recalled Raymond, thinking Mennic was dressed up for the occasion, “At no time did I think he had a dis- ease.” Over the next few months, Mennic embarked on a cru- sade to clear his name and reclaim his dignity, which he claims has been taken away from him by the incident. He filed complaints with the North Vancouver RCMP detachment, the RCMP Public Complaints Commission and the office of the provincial ombudsman. Motor vehicle branch per- sonnel acted on Raymond’s letter. Mennic was issued a notice of re-examination from B.C.’s_ superintendent of motor vehicles telling him he had 30 days in which to retake his driving exain. He wrote back to the superinten- dent and said most of the infractions on which Raymond based her letter were under review — cither tefore the courts or an inter- nal RCMP investigation. Pending the result of the reviews, Mennie did not attend a re-examination. Eight months later, in an Aug. 7, 1997, letter, Mennic received another notice. This time it was from the acting superintendent of motor vehicles; it stated that Mennic was “prohibited from driving a motor vehicle for failing to submit to an (driving) exanti- nation.” Mennic hit the roof. The whole process was ini- tiated by the fetter from Raymond which was based on incidents that were under review based on the various complaints he had filed. An officer from = the ombudsman’s office investi- gated Mennie’s complaint and queried Claire Eraut, the acting superintendent of motor vehicles, about his actions. In his response to the investigator, Eraur said he was acting within the author- ity of the provincial Motor Vehicle Act when he prohibit- TRAY OK CHANGE: appointment necessary COOLING SYSTEM SERVICE J LUBE OIL & FILTER apy _- FACTORY FUTON Entrance in feat iane Hon.- Sat. 1l-Gpm Sanday 12-5 pm ed Mennic from driving. “Re-examinations may be initiated with or without cause,” stated Eraut in a Sept. 25, 1997, letter. “In other words, drivers can be ordered for re-examination on a ran- dom basis.” Eraut added thar Mennie’s driving record justified a re- examination. “Despite allegations abour Constable Raymond's veraci- ty, Lam not prepared to delay the re-examination of Mr. Mennic until his complaint against Constable Raymond has been heard. The police complaint process can rake many months to resolve. “In the interest of road safety, it is inappropriate to wait. Given thar Mr. Mennic’s driving record supports a need for ve-cxamination, the letter from Constable Raymond, although it was the triggering factor, becomes somewhat redundant,” stated Eraut. Mennie’s driving record forwarded from —ICBC’s licensing, operations office in Victoria shows four speeding See Complaints page 14 ey geet CC PODILEE & pen m ow 397 Hu > civtes said pine sofabed fran. ~, Wigle (eam cote (wien, scetch-qardes fates cwvzr, pions 20d pidlows coves. Welle gezstities last 267 €. Ist. ¥.¥an 964-4504 DENTIST ANNOUNCES NEW HOURS WE 83pm | Sm | 249m [amp * Every second Tuesday and every other Saturday is off ** Open 1 monday per month. New patients are welcome 3738 Mount Seymour Parkwa' (Ree) 929-7499 Wednesday, September 2, 1998 ~ North Shore News - & N. Shore to get new TV channels Robert Galster News Reporter robert@nsnews.com NORTH Shore channel surfers are about to get a Jonger ride. Starting at the end of September, loval residents will be ed six new channels, These include three so- called superstations currently available in Vancouver: KTLA Los Angeles, WSBK Boston and WPIX New York. Two new channels being launched this fall will also come on line for North Shore residents: CTV Sportsnet and MuchMoreMusic, 2 contem- porary edult music station aimed at an ol audience than its existing sister station, Talentvision, a Mandarin language station, will round out the additions. “North Shore viewers have been asking for them for a long time,” said Rogers vice-presi- dent and general manager Vera custom design Marine Dr., West Yan $22-3014 poock ane) Piccini, who is alsa a Deep Cove resident. “E live on the North Shore and I know what it’s like. I'd iike to sav I have the same service (25 Vancouver Piceini said the new chan- nels can now be offered to North Shore residents because the area's cable network upgrade is compicte. Rogers needed to make tite upgrade after it acquired the North Shore client base from Shaw Cablesystems in 1996 before aww additional channels could be offered. The new additions will result in several channel lineup changes that will be described to subscribers via mailouts. For more information call Rogers Cablesystems at 280-6240. Reverse Osmosis PURE Sterilized Also FREI sanitizing on your first refill © Water coolers © Shower Filters «© Purification Systems 1877 Marine Dr. b Von Customer Parking in the back 983-2010. | $10°° OFF DINNERENTREE | H Entrées from $11.95 GOURMET FOOD } AT BISTRO PRICES Open Tues.-Sat. for dinner i 5-10 pm Open: Mon.-Fri. for lunch reservations recommended J coupon per couple i ‘ ’ fon Bleu Cafe cn Announcing PFAFF's Great = North Van 987-0789 Varimatie 6085 FACTORY DIRECT REBATES Piatt 6085 Sale Price $549.00 Plus $20.G0 Factory Mail-in Rebate ‘HURRY! Rebate offer ends September 71998! 2404 GRANVILLE STREET (8%: & Granville) B.C.A.A. - A.R.A. 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