ar

For those who. are ‘interested in learning how :

once free countries become police states Canada -
today may be’as good a place as any to begin their -
course of studies. In fact,’they can make a start
right here on the North Shore.

i

_____whether

exemple, that North Van-
couver City officials can
enter your home “at any
reasonablé -time” ~ without
_ your permission, without a
. séarch warrant and remove
property from it? They can
‘do this even in your absence
and the only grounds they.
need have for such an in-
vasion is to “ascertain”
or__not—you-
breaking a City bylaw.

I kid you not. Precisely
this happened last week to
‘North Van resident Doris

“Orr. Her home at 248 West
26th ‘Street was raided in her
absence by a bylaw en-
forcement officer backed up
by the RCMP and the SPCA.
~When she returned, ‘she
_ found that two personal pet
dogs, . both = properly
licensed, had been removed
- from the premises.

She went down to the
SPCA pound and showed a
receipt for the dog licence
fees, but was told she
couldn't have the dogs back.

--No-question of a search.

In the U. s. “charges laid as

‘West

In

Vancouver,

—Did—_you- know,——for- TFhe—next day, after—a
> further“visit to the pound:

_ dogs.

“North Shore
‘dedicated work in finding

accompanied by a News.
reporter and photographer,

she was.eventually told the
ould, after all, be
released to her. But she was
also informed ,that she had
committed. an offence.
Because the animals, at the
time of their “arrest” on her

warrant, youwll-note. Crown -

counsel Don Celle has
confirmed to. the News that
no warrant is necessary. in

=, +=such cases because entry and ~

the result of such a search —
not to mention the search oi
Mrs. Orr's home last week --
-would - be . automatically
‘thrown out. of court. Not

search is covered_-by._the because the parties involved

bylaw...

~ Vancouver:
Westminster, Delta and the ©

-City,” New

few | other
municipalities with their own
police. departments that

Z authority and control over: _

~-were- necessarily innocent,

In other words, a city hall
functionary is entitled to |

‘but purely-“because of the -

absence of a2 Proper search
“warrant.

private property, were -not_

PARAGRAPH 15A

As a result, Mrs. Orr —
who is well known on the
for her

homes for stray or unwanted
dogs — faces court charges.

’ It’s not the first time (she was

acquitted by a North Van’
judge two years ago on
charges of keeping dogs

which tuméd out to be

puppies and not, therefore,
subject to the bylaw), but
that’s neither here nor there

_ for the moment.

The shocking point
revealed Uy last week's
incident is the existence of

“follows:

paragraph 15A of the North
‘Van City Bylaw 4745 con-

cerning Licensing -and
Seizure of Dogs.” It Treads as

force his way into your home
at any time he sees fit,
merely in order to see if
you're doing anything he
disapproves of. He's also

_ entitled, it seems, te bring a
Mountie along with him just -

in case you should prove

There are other disturbing
indications along similar
es in Canada today. At the
grass roots level local RCMP
detachments do a com-
mendable job, by and large,

and are entitled (like any

B.C.

the. force - is .-exercised—on———-

behalf of the.elected ‘council
by the local police com-
mission.

By contrast, ‘the Mounties
hired by those (B.C.
municipalities which can’t be
bothered with running a
police department of their
own apparently remain.a law

_unto themselves when_ it

difficult.

g

ARROGANCE

The fact that the present
case specifically concerns

dogs is irrelevant. If Bylaw

4745 can contain an entry
and search paragraph, so,

presumably, can any other

bylaw. The supposedly basic
right of the citizen to inspect

~

“The Poundkeeper or

Bylaw Enforcement Officer
may enter, at all reasonable
times, upon aby property or
any building or premises
within the City in order to
ascertain whether the
provisions of this bylaw are
being obeyed.”

Fun and fitness in W. Van

_ Do you want to make the
most of your spare time this
fall and enjoy it too?

Then sign ‘up August 25,
September 8 and September
10 for one of the 100
Programs that West Van-
couver’s Parks and
Recreation Department is
offering the community -
from pre-schoolers “to
seniors.

What to do? What courses
to take? West Van residents
will find it all — ideas, ad-
vice, special events -- in a 20-
page program. directory
being delivered to every
household in the
municipality.

It contains details of
programs for every age and
interest from pre-schoolers
to senior citizens, as well as
for those with special needs
like the mentally and
physically handicapped.

The' many offerings, in-
. clude. _ (to _mention just a

swimming lessons; kayaking

‘ and canocing; learning to
dance on “the best ice in
town” or playing hockey
with friends at noon.

Leisure learning courses
for seniors; the French
playground program for pre-
schoolers; tap dancing,

gn NEN ON

cle vcille

Huis Rrrlor

for women and men

980-2625

.
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ee ee ee ee ee ee

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an a __.Bird -tvimee-patentandstor-

musical comedy, drama,
lapidary. and art history for
school-age children; a food
processor cooking course
and Greek dancing for
mothers (with babysitting
available).

Registration dates for
West Van residents at the
Recreation Centre, 780-22nd
Street, are as follows (ftom 9
a.m. to 12 noon in each
case): ~

Come and select your new used
car now. We handle only the best
and at reasonable prices.

1978 Datsun 510 2 Or.

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es a

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dition. An economical
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Only 4395.

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5 Spd transmission - Top of
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To Serve the North Shore
Better than ever before

We Guarantee Satisfaction
with our used cars in writing!

Mi esa fetuming. Ip. “t

Fimess and
Saturday, August 25;
general and aquatic
programs - Saturday,
September 8; Leisure Living
programs for seniors -
Monday, September 10.

skating

- Out-of-district
may register

residents
for fitness

classes Saturday, September
8, and for general programs
Saturday, September 15 (9
a.m. to 12 noon).

31978 Datsun B210 2 Or. -
4 Spd. - Just over 6000
miles a perfectly good
running: car ideal tor
Bchog, .. Peck f.

TR. ary

ve

1973 TéYota. Corona - Mark?
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Stock #9-168A Only 2895...

‘fullest public

other police force) to the
support, in
maintaining law and order.
But - unlike independent

. Municipal police depart-
ments such-as—West Van-
.couver .- they are. not

ultimately answerable to the
elected representatives of
the communities they serve.

They: are -not, it. seems,

be

a search warrant issued by a
judge before allowing any
gumshoes to invade his or
her property is simply

thrown out of the window for -

the convenience of city hall
jacks-in-office.

Sad to relate, this arrogant
approach already seems to.
_something of an
established Canadian
tradition. Canada,'-I -am
informed, is the only western
country which issues a
special warrant called a Writ
of Assistance to certain
police officers, permitting

them to search any premises
at any time for narcotics or
controlled drugs.

even answerable to the

provincial government...

NO CONTROL

That was the decision in a
case earlier this month in
Edmonton concerning a
complaint by an apparently
innocent citizen about

comes to the conduct of
individual. officers in specific
circumstances. Which brings
us back to Mrs. Orr’s visitors
last week.

The city bylaw en-
forcement officer entering
her home without a warrant

- on the strength of Bylaw
4745, para 15A, and the
RCMP patrol car waiting
outside,
reinforcements if needed,
may not in themselves mean
that the police state has

finally arrived in North
Vancouver.
But they certainly indicate

that two key ingredients of

the police state are already .

allegedly humiliating
treatment by two RCMP
officers. He appealed for

redress to Alberta’s  at-
torney-general, but an
-Alberta judge ruled that only

Ottawa -- not the province’s
chief law officer -- had
authority and control over
the Mounties’ actions.

Beef
on the

Re Whe ea

all for just
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phils
place

Phil’

3761 Detbrook
(former site of
European Heath Spa)

Kitchens of Calla - the
best of the land and the

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Sorry if Pve spoiled your
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"1995

these offers good
Wed to Sunday

We've got children's orders too,
so bring the family.

—Phil Catle
(tormerty with Torchy’ 5)

Place

980-4011

Open Tuesday through Sunday

ready to :provide -