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WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013
Arrests, seizures spur theft allegations
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
RCMP are recommending theft charges against two Prince George men after seizing more than $200,000 worth of motorized equipment.
Their names were not released Tuesday, and Prince George RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass declined to say if either of them is the city employee who has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.
The employee is a member of Prince George Fire Rescue, according to a source.
“As with any investigation, unless there is a public safety concern to do so, we would not release personal information about persons that are under investigation,” Douglass said.
However, he did say the names will be released as soon as Crown counsel approves charges. In the interim, the two have been summoned to appear in court on July 10.
A 37-year-old man was arrested May 1 when police seized a jet boat, allegedly stolen in Fort St. John in September, from a Bench Drive property. That action also led police to the recovery of an excavator and a trailer allegedly stolen from Fort St. James in August 2011 and a skid steer tractor and a trailer allegedly stolen from Grand Prairie, Alberta in June 2010.
Two allegedly stolen flat deck trailers were also seized.
A 31-year-old man was arrested the next day when police executed a search warrant on a Jutland Road property where a jet boat RCMP said was confirmed to have been stolen from Fort St. John in July 2011 and a snowmobile, allegedly stolen in Prince George in 2004, were recovered.
A second snowmobile and a four wheel all-terrain vehicle were also seized and, although those two items have yet to be confirmed as stolen, Douglass said investigators believe them to be as the vehicle identification numbers were removed.
— see ITEMS, page 3
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Constitutional
Peter JAMES Citizen staff pjames@pgcitizen.ca
While most intervener groups in the Northern Gateway pipeline environmental assessment hearings are preparing their final arguments, others are getting ready to make their case on the constitutionality of the process.
After the final oral arguments conclude, likely next month, the National Energy Board’s Joint Review Panel will spend one day dealing with any constitutional arguments that have arisen over the course of the hearings.
Two First Nations groups, the Gitxaala and Heiltsuk, have raised questions about whether the National Energy Board has the authority to grant a certificate to Northern Gateway to move into the next phase of the process given the outstanding Aboriginal land and title _____________________________
The federal government argues that the panel should not rule on the constitutionality of a certificate which has yet to be issued.
claims and the Crown’s duty to consult First Nations about projects on their traditional lands.
Northern Gateway is seeking permission to build a heavy oil pipeline to move oilsands products from northern Alberta to Kitimat for export to Asian markets.
“Since prior to contact,
Gitxaala members have
exercised, and continue _______________________________
to exercise, their Aboriginal right to hunt, fish and trap in areas of Gitxaala Traditional Territory that would be traversed by, or adjacent to, the proposed tanker routes for the Project,” the group wrote in one of its legal filings. “The proposed Project will infringe Gitxaala’s Aboriginal title and its Aboriginal rights to hunt, fish and gather.”
In its filing, the Gitxaala list reasons why the proposed pipeline would harm their traditional practices.
They argue that the Joint Review Panel has the authority to rule on constitutional issues but suggest it should put any questions about jurisdiction to the Federal Court of Appeal as a pre-emptive measure.
To complicate matters, changes to federal law last year mean the final decision to issue a certificate rests with the federal cabinet, rather than with the National Energy Board.
However the Gitxaala argue that since the board will be the one issuing the certificate in the end, it retains the authority to ensure the constitution is upheld.
The federal government argues that the panel should not rule on the constitutionality of a certificate which has yet to be issued.
— see FIRM, page 3
Child dead in SUV mishap
Peter JAMES Citizen staff
An 11-year-old girl was behind the wheel of a sports utility vehicle on Friday when it rolled over, killing a 12-year-old female passenger near Mackenzie.
A 41-year-old man was also in the 1994 Jeep YJ at the time of the crash, which occurred around 7 p.m. on Causeway forest
service road.
Police are investigating what led to the crash and have not yet decided whether or not charges will be recommended.
“The investigation is ongoing and we’re still examining all the circumstances involving the incident,” RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said.
The North District traffic special-
ists are assisting Mackenzie RCMP detachment in conducting the probe. Moskaluk said it was too early to say how long the investigation could take.
“You have a collision analyst report to be received, vehicle inspection and just the whole investigation itself looking at all the circumstances,” Moskaluk said.
The names of those involved in
the incident have not been released and police have not said if those involved in the incident are related.
The 12-year-old girl was declared dead at the scene and the road was closed for 10 hours due to the investigation.
The impact of the crash on the community with a regional population of 4,500 has been devastating, according to police.
“The impact on the community and in our elementary and high schools has been significant,” Mackenzie RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Syd Lecky said in a news release.
“Investigators and RCMP victim assistance workers continue to work with the community in providing support to the affected families.”
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