Graeme Wood / Glacier Media – May 27, 2023 / 7:21 pm | Story: 428955
Photo: Shutterstock
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a settlement with a B.C. bookkeeper for his role in his client’s fraud Biozoom, Inc.
A B.C. bookkeeper has been fined $25,000 and permanently barred from any business activity related to penny stocks after regulators determined he “willfully aided and abetted” in the fraud committed by his client Avtar Dhillon, a former prominent Vancouver stock promoter.
In an administrative settlement agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Shrizali Jumani — who advertises accounting services in Burnaby — did not admit liability to the facts he and the commission agreed to on May 22.
Between at least March 2011 and February 2018, Jumani carried out a series of stock transactions of American-registered OncoSec Medical Inc., a company chaired by Dhillon, who faces prison time at a sentencing hearing this November after pleading guilty to three felonies last December.
Dhillon’s fraud relates to an alleged, multi-faceted illegal pump-and-dump trading scheme involving over a billion dollars’ worth of stock sales across over 100 companies. The trades were conducted, in part, by over a dozen British Columbians, via offshore shell companies, the commission alleges.
One of those offshore shell companies was 0903759 B.C. Ltd, controlled by Jumani but one whose assets were beneficially owned by Dhillon, according to the commission.
The numbered company bought close to 80,000 OncoSec predecessor shares, at one cent per share, which became over 2.5 million restricted shares following a stock split conducted under Dhillon’s watch.
Jumani knew the company acquired the shares for Dhillon but falsely represented them as company assets, according to the commission.
To lift the trade restrictions on the shares and thus sell them to the public, Jumani made false representations to the brokerage firm where they were held, in particular that the shares had no affiliation to OncoSec (including the company’s chairman, Dhillon).
Via 50 transactions, Jumani sold $783,500 worth of stock and disbursed it to One World Ranches LLC and One World Farms Inc., companies owned by Dhillon.
Jumani repeated this process in another round of share purchases and sales, for further gross proceeds of $257,000.
Jumani “knew or was reckless in not knowing that Dhillon was obligated, as Chairman of OncoSec, not to engage in any undisclosed holding of or trading in the securities of OncoSec,” stated the commission’s agreement.
In doing all this, the commission found Jumani “willfully violated” several aspects of the U.S. Securities Act.
Bookkeeper says he was victim of Dhillon’s fraud
Reached by phone at his business, Jumani told Glacier Media that at the time of the deals he did not have any information from Dhillon on what the stocks were; he said he informed the commission he never profited from those sales.
“I did something for him I shouldn’t have done,” said Jumani, describing his services to Dhillon as basic bookkeeping.
Jumani “provided private accounting services that included tax preparation and bookkeeping, and served as Dhillon’s Canadian tax preparer. He has never been licensed as a Chartered Accountant or as a Certified Public Accountant,” noted the settlement.
“I think they (Dhillon) should have known better and informed me when I was selling those shares …I basically got caught into things,” said Jumani.
“I’m kind of a victim,” he said, describing the settlement as a “black mark” on his 40-year bookkeeping career.
Meanwhile, Dhillon has had his sentencing hearing delayed to November. Whereas he initially pleaded the Fifth Amendment in the SEC’s civil case against him, he wrote to the commission in April saying he was willing to testify following a declaration wherein he describes “aggressive promotions” of his companies while simultaneously selling restricted shares.
The commission alleged in September 2021 that Dhillon personally profited by $5 million across three of his American companies.
Dhillon has directed numerous Canadian public companies, including a once high-profile Richmond-based marijuana provider named Emerald Health Therapeutics.
Company stock records from court proceedings in B.C. of Therapeutics’ parent company Emerald Health Sciences show Jumani had 2.66 million founder shares distributed to him at 0.00001 cents per share, in 2013. Jumani allocated hundreds of thousands to holding companies the commission states are associated to former Vancouver lawyer and offshore shell facilitator Fred Sharp. Sharp is a co-defendant in Dhillon’s civil SEC case who has since been found guilty of fraud in a default judgment, after not responding to the charges.
“This case concerns a sophisticated, multiyear, multinational attack on the United States financial markets and retail United States investors by foreign and domestic actors. These actors schemed to sell fraudulently hundreds of millions of dollars in stocks in the United States markets,” stated the SEC complaint at the time.
Following more than three decades of business dealing in B.C., the B.C. Securities Commission recently banned Sharp from the province’s investment market; however, Dhillon remains unrestrained.
Dhillon, a resident of California, could receive a prison term of 63 to 78 months in a federal prison.
Jeremy Hainsworth / Glacier Media – May 27, 2023 / 7:18 pm | Story: 428953
Photo: Thinkstock.
A new report says police and local governments have restrictive drug policies that could harm lives.
Local governments and police departments in B.C. are at the centre of prohibitive drug policies that are costing drug users their lives, a new report from advocacy groups says.
That’s according to the Pivot Legal Society and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), who say with an average of up to seven people a day dying from overdose in the province, something has to change. That, they argue, has to come at the grassroots level — in communities.
The groups released Talking Back to the City: A manual for winning – and resisting – local drug policy this week, a 60-page report for grassroots organizing against what they’re calling ‘the drug war.’
“Even after (decriminalization), police are always circling. They’re everywhere. We just want our people to try the best at what they’re doing. Do good research. Don’t give up. If there’s no peace for the people, there’ll be no rest for the government,” said Delilah Gregg, a VANDU board member.
B.C.’s new drug decriminalization law kicked in Jan. 31. People in possession of 2.5 grams or less of fentanyl, heroin, morphine, crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA cannot be arrested or have their drugs seized.
Instead, the B.C. government says drug users will be offered an information card from officers about health and social supports, including local treatment and recovery services, if requested.
B.C.’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions told Glacier Media that Pivot, VANDU and the BC Association of Chiefs of Police have been supportive of that decriminalization exemption under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Moreover, the ministry said, the “RCMP have been engaged throughout the process of developing and implementing the exemption to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of illegal substances.”
Still, the ministry said, it “continues to work closely with public health, police, local governments and other partners to update policies and practice guidelines relating to substance use where necessary to mitigate any outstanding issues that arise.”
However, the report notes the 2016 declaration of a public health emergency due to the rising number of overdose deaths. It said since then, all levels of government have vowed to use “all tools” to prevent overdose-related deaths.
“Yet in B.C. alone, an estimated 10,505 people have since then died from the unregulated drug supply,” the report stated. “We fiercely disagree that all tools are being used. How could we believe otherwise, when it is a daily struggle for our comrades around the province to simply provide overdose prevention services in their communities?
“At a time when local governments are fighting tooth and nail to shut down drug user services and supports, it is impossible to believe that all available powers and resources are being mobilized for anything other than the continued suppression of and violence against people who use drugs,” said the report.
The report targets what it calls the deadly action and inaction of local governments, highlighting that “it is here on the streets where drug users die from policy at the hands of police, bylaw enforcement officers, city councils and the public.”
“In addition to undercutting B.C.’s decriminalization policy, cities are routinely responsible for impediments to and closure of overdose prevention services (OPS) across the province, despite there being a standing ministerial order requiring OPS ‘wherever there is need,’” said Pivot lawyer Caitlin Shane.
“Drug user groups (which provide cutting-edge harm reduction services and drug policy advocacy) are constantly under threat too, with many having to close their doors due to local governments’ use of zoning restrictions, business licence denials, and nuisance property designations,” the report said, calling for an end to those practices from the local level up.
Recommendations
The groups set forth recommendations as part of a toolkit to assist those jurisdictions:
- decriminalizing people who use drugs (PWUD), our spaces, and our safe supply initiatives;
- amending bylaws and policies that disproportionately harm PWUD;
- ending drug and ‘paraphernalia’ seizures by law enforcement;
- ending local interference with drug user spaces and services;
- creating ‘bubble zones’ around harm reduction services;
- supporting a community-based approach to overdose; and,
- integrating alcohol into local harm reduction, safe supply, and decriminalization efforts.
The report notes local governments can apply for exemptions from the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to allow drug use in their communities to allow for safe use and safer supply initiatives.
Further, it said, not all laws need to be enforced.
“Another approach local governments can take toward decriminalization is for police forces to adopt policies of non-enforcement with respect to drug possession and street-based drug trafficking, meaning that they would not investigate or arrest people in connection with these offences,” the report said.
“We want this report to act as a manual,” said VANDU board member Elli Taylor.
What do government have to say?
The ministry said it has invested more than $11 million in new positions to ensure decriminalization success in B.C. This includes new “decriminalization navigators” who are on the ground to help build connections with local service providers and police.
The ministry said health authorities are also receiving funding for improve peer outreach services to strengthen on-the-ground resources for drug users and to partner with police to minimize the need for police interaction and/or referral where possible and improve interactions between police and people who use drugs.
Moreover, the ministry said both it, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General have worked with police leadership and other stakeholders to develop training to support B.C.’s more than 9,000 front line police officers with the knowledge and tools to implement decriminalization.
And, the ministry said, that includes ensuring officers understand the terms and conditions of the exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, how decriminalization will address stigma, their role in the successful implementation of decriminalization, and the importance of a public health approach to substance use.
The ministry said more than 80 per cent of officers have completed the first phase of training with a second phase set to launch in the coming months.
“Several police agencies have made the training mandatory, including the RCMP, Abbotsford PD, Metro Vancouver Transit PD, Satanic PD and Vancouver PD,” the ministry said.
The City of Vancouver referred a request for comment to the Vancouver Police Department, which has yet to comment.
Photo: Environment Canada
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the Thompson-Okanagan region on Saturday morning.
UDPATE 7:10 p.m.
Environment Canada has lifted thunderstorm watch for the Thompson-Okanagan region at 7:07 p.m.
A watch remains in place for the Boundary region only, where a risk remains for slow moving thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain.
ORIGINAL 9:20 a.m.
Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Thompson-Okanagan region.
According to the weather agency, conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms with strong wind gusts and heavy rain.
“The primary hazard will be slow moving thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain nearing 15 to 20 mm per hour,” said a statement from Environment Canada.
The watch was put in place at 9 a.m. on Saturday for the South Thompson, Nicola, Okanagan Valley, Boundary and Central Okanagan regions. This includes the cities of Merritt, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton.
Maria Diment / Vancouver is Awesome – May 27, 2023 / 5:40 pm | Story: 428944
Photo: @itsemmaokayy/TikTok.
The owner of Sweet Something bakery in Vancouver shared video surveillance footage of a man who entered the business, mopped the floor, took some selfies, and stole six cupcakes.
A Vancouver business owner shared footage of an odd break-in at her bakery.
The owner of Sweet Something bakery uploaded video surveillance footage to TikTok of a man who entered her business around 3 a.m. on Friday (May 26).
The man had lingered outside of the business for around 20 minutes, according to the social media video, before smashing the glass door and entering the bakery.
He then proceeded to bring out a mop from the back of the bakery and tidy up the broken glass. “A respectful king. We love to see it,” jokes the business owner.
The man also took several selfies on the store phone in a pair of orange sunglasses before leaving with six cupcakes. “I hope they’re good. Next time just ask. We’ll be happy to give you the six cupcakes,” she says.
The bakery owner notes that the man was inside the store for approximately an hour and 10 minutes.
The next day (May 27) the bakery owner unveiled a new menu item: a Pink Champagne cupcake (the flavour stolen) with a cookie decorated as a pair of orange sunglasses on top.
The new dessert is called the Crime of Passion cupcake.
“When life gives you lemons make lemonade,” she captions a TikTok story.
V.I.A. has reached out to the business owner and the Vancouver Police Department for more information.
@itsemmaokayy Man breaks into bakery to steal 6 cupcakes and tries to clean up after himself #vancouver #bakery #breakandenter #crime #vpd #fyp #fyp? #criminaloffensivesideeye ? original sound – Emma
The Canadian Press – May 27, 2023 / 5:37 pm | Story: 428940
Photo: The Canadian Press
British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says two people have been charged in the killing of an Abbotsford man last year.
A statement from police says a 22-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were arrested Friday and charged in the death of 41-year-old Chad Colivas.
The man has been charged with second degree murder, while the woman has been charged with manslaughter in the March 2022 shooting death.
Police say the incident is not believed to be linked to gang conflict in the region.
They said at the time of the homicide that Abbotsford police had responded to a report of a man who was shot in the lower level of a family home.
Police released no further details, saying the matter is now before the courts.
Keili Bartlett / Glacier Media – May 27, 2023 / 3:00 pm | Story: 428914
Photo: Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre
The Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre’s Ameleia Clark and Dr. Jesse Davicioni put an injured bear cub on fluids during an effort to save the bear’s life in May.
As new bears emerge on the Sunshine Coast, one cub has already succumbed to its injuries after being hit by a car, despite an impressive team effort to save its life.
In the evening of May 21, the cub was hit by a vehicle on the highway. A wildlife volunteer happened to be in the area at the time and rushed over. Ameleia Clark, who has worked at the Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre for six years, told Coast Reporter the driver who struck the bear refused to help and left. So the volunteer called the rehab centre telling them she was transporting an injured cub, with the help of a police escort.
The cub was unresponsive when he arrived, and had had several seizures on the way. Clark and Irene Davy, the co-founder of the centre, assessed the cub. He was bleeding from his nose. They called nearby veterinarian Dr. Jesse Davicioni of the Gibsons Animal Hospital for help.
They needed to transport the cub to Critter Care in Langley as quickly as possible, but “Ferries give us a really hard time crunch when it comes to transporting injured animals,” Clark said. They put the bear on fluids, but despite attempting to catch the next ferry, they didn’t make it on board. They moved the cub into Randy’s, a volunteer, vehicle. Instead of waiting at the terminal, the team decided to turn back to monitor the bear and administer more fluids and medication.
After catching a 10:30 p.m. ferry, the cub finally arrived at Critter Care after midnight. He survived the first night but succumbed to his injuries by Tuesday morning
In a Facebook post, the Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre shared the bear’s fate: “Sadly this little bear cub didn’t survive his internal injuries after a vehicle strike in the Pender Harbour area,” Irene Davy wrote.
“Although we don’t normally feature animals that died from their injuries, we wish to acknowledge and offer our heartfelt thanks to all those who, instead of enjoying a leisurely evening, put in the time and effort to try to save him. This includes the RCMP, and Tammy and Jeff for watching over him; our volunteers Dre and Linden for transporting him to Gibsons Wildlife; Dr. Jesse from Gibsons Animal Hospital, who with help from our staff member Ameleia … stabilized him until he could be safely transported by Randy on the last ferry to Critter Care in Langley, and to Nathan and the interns patiently waiting at Critter Care to take him in.
“In this world of turmoil, there are still many caring people around who are willing, at a moment’s notice, to spend considerable time and effort to rescue injured wildlife. Thank you all!”
Such an extensive team effort is not typical, Clark said. “This was definitely a special occasion. Everybody wanted this little cub to survive. He was given every chance that we could to help him.
“I hope people appreciate the wildlife because if we don’t start treating it better, birds and bears are going to be a myth.”
How to help
The Sunshine Coast Bear Alliance (SCBA) said there are at least six new bear families between Langdale and Pender Harbour this season, with one family frequenting Gibsons’ Gospel Rock area and another passing through Sechelt’s Kinnikinnick trails.
The mother and sibling of the bear who died are still in the area, the SCBA said, and drivers are asked to use caution. Mother and cub bears tend to stay closer to the urban-wildland interface, away from male bears.
Although fall is typically the highest risk time of year for wildlife collisions, the spring and early summer can also be peak times, the SCBA said. Tammy Trefry of Coastal Wildlife Rescue said they’ve been responding to hits on the road non-stop. Her advice is if people see one creature, assume another is following.
“If you see a bear crossing a roadway, there may be cubs dawdling behind a Mum so please make sure the entire family has safely crossed before resuming your drive. This applies to all wildlife families,” the SCBA recommends.
In particular, drivers should be alert at dusk and dawn, around creeks and drainages, and near habitats or water sources.
People using trails, or out with their dogs, should also stay alert to their surroundings and never let their dog approach bears.
Clarke said people coming across injured wildlife should be kind, be smart and not handle the animal too much. Too often, the rehab centre has seen baby animals passed around to children, which is “detrimental to their fighting chances.” Instead, secure the animal if possible, but first call for experienced help from the Gibsons Wildlife Rehab Centre.
The Gibsons Wildlife Resource Centre is still looking for more volunteers to help care for injured and orphaned wildlife. People interested in volunteering can call Clark at 778-891-3642.
Maria Diment / Glacier Media – May 27, 2023 / 2:15 pm | Story: 428915
Photo: @martynschmoll/Twitter.
Multitudes of Vancouver locals showed up for the Critical Mass bike ride on May 26 to object the removal of the Stanley Park bike lane.
Hundreds of Vancouver locals showed up for a bike ride to object to the removal of the Stanley Park bike lane Friday.
Critical Mass bike rides take place on the last Friday of every month and the May 26 event saw a large turnout.
Earlier this week, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation office was vandalized with cyclist graffiti that poked fun at the divisive temporary bike lane, which was installed along Stanley Park Drive in 2021 to allow social distancing between cyclists and other park-goers.
Vancouverites who support the bike lane have previously organized protests to keep it in place.
Despite local outcry, the Park Board voted on Feb. 13 to return most of Stanley Park Drive to pre-pandemic two-lane vehicle traffic, which means removing the bike lane almost entirely.
“We are outraged, upset, and completely disillusioned,” says Critical Mass in an email. “[Critical Mass] is the only means for cyclists and proponents of alternative transportation and less car access in the city to support their wishes for a greener [and] cleaner city.”
“We are not blocking traffic; we are traffic!”
The Friday evening bike ride saw a “couple hundred people” including families, kids, and pups, said one attendee on Twitter.
The group was also addressed by Park Board Commissioner Thomas Digby before they set off.
The Critical Mass ride was seen taking up more space on the road than the designated lanes for cyclists as they travelled to Stanley Park to ride the now removed bike lane.
The Canadian Press – May 27, 2023 / 11:30 am | Story: 428876
Photo: The Canadian Press
Premier David Eby and BC NDP candidate Ravi Parmar walk along Goldstream Ave. as they visit shops and talk to locals while out in Langford, B.C., on May 25, 2023.
UPDATE: 11:30 a.m.
The date for two B.C. byelections have been set by Premier David Eby Saturday morning.
Residents in Greater Victoria’s Langford-Juan de Fuca riding and the Vancouver-Mount Pleasant areas will go to the polls next month, with the final voting day for both electoral districts taking place on June 24.
Advance voting will be available from June 16 to June 21.
Both ridings became vacant when Melanie Mark and former premier John Horgan resigned as MLAs earlier this year.
ORIGINAL: 6:15 a.m.
Premier David Eby says he plans to set the dates today for byelections in two vacant British Columbia ridings.
He says residents in Greater Victoria’s Langford-Juan de Fuca riding and those in the Vancouver-Mount Pleasant constituency are in urgent need of representation.
The Langford riding was held by former premier John Horgan before he retired earlier this year and, before leaving her seat in March, former New Democrat cabinet minister Melanie Mark represented Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, which includes part of that city’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
Eby said Friday he wanted the two new MLAs to be elected before the legislature resumes sitting in early October.
The premier, however, ruled out a late summer campaign, saying voters are usually looking to relax and spend time with their families in late July and August.
Eby visited the Langford-Juan de Fuca riding earlier this week, walking along the community’s main street in a campaign-style stop at local shops with New Democrat candidate Ravi Parmar.
Carla Wilson / Times Colonist – May 27, 2023 / 7:05 am | Story: 428878
Photo: Google Maps
Campbell River hopes to show health-care professionals what it has to offer.
A new housing program aims to tackle the shortage of health professionals in Campbell River by offering low-cost temporary accommodation and a friendly welcome.
For $50 per night, a fully-furnished apartment near the hospital will be available for between one week and three months on a first-come, first served basis, the city announced Friday. Utilities, water, wi-fi and weekly cleaning are included.
Health-care professionals will also receive welcome packages filled with products and services from local businesses.
The temporary program will apply to locum physicians and other essential health-care workers.
Campbell River, like other communities on the Island and elsewhere in B.C., is struggling to attract enough health-care professionals.
“One of the biggest barriers we face when looking to secure locum physicians to come to Campbell River is access to available, affordable housing,” said Sadie Mack, operations co-ordinator with the Campbell River and District Division of Family Practice.
The new initiative grew out of discussions between city officials and Dr. Jordyn Vanderveen, of the Campbell River and District Division of Family Practice, and Dr. Sol Gregory, of the Campbell River Medical Staff Engagement Initiative Society.
It intends to show local physicians how much they are valued by showing its eagerness to support them and their need to take time off, Mackie said.
It is hoped that it will increase the likelihood of new physicians coming to Campbell River and providing relief for the existing physicians, she said. This will ensure “that patients are getting the best care possible.”
Acting Mayor Susan Sinnott said short-term housing for locums is a challenge throughout the province.
“During peak season, short-term rentals are often unavailable and, consequently locum positions are left vacant,” she said.
“This gap increases wait times and reduces the care available at hospitals and clinics.”
Sinnott is optimistic that collaborating with local medical health organizations will address the issue and enhance health care.
The city expects that when rental service revenue is returned to the program it will allow additional health-care professionals to come to Campbell River.
Graeme Wood / Glacier Media – May 27, 2023 / 6:39 am | Story: 428877
Photo: Victoria Sexual Assault Centre / Via Facebook.
Sexual assault aid organizations report persistent demand following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
B.C. organizations aiding sexual assault victims continue to report persistent high levels of demand more than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated problems in accessing timely support.
Angela MacDougall, executive director of the Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), says her Vancouver-based group is among the 83 per cent of “sexual violence organizations” reporting “increased or consistently high demand for sexual violence support services compared to pre-pandemic levels,” according to a recent survey by the Ending Violence Association of Canada (EVA Canada).
“I’m exhausted; it’s been a lot but we have an incredible team,” MacDougall told Glacier Media.
MacDougall said demand for services such as counselling has risen about 300 per cent, between March 2020 and March 2022. In total, the group fielded over 94,000 calls in that time by committing over 28,000 volunteer hours.
BWSS runs a crisis line and helps provide counselling and victim services, professional training connections, legal education and research and policy analysis, among other services that may also be specifically geared to more vulnerable women.
Organizations such as BWSS are reporting an increase in “compounding” challenges that are leading to more sexual assaults, such as lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poor health, deteriorating mental well-being and increasing addictions.
And the high demand is stressing support staff, with 46 per cent of organizations reporting staff taking leaves for stress and illness. Furthermore, 50 per cent of organizations are facing difficulties recruiting qualified staff.
All this leads to greater wait times and the EVA Canada survey suggests, “long wait times jeopardize the window of opportunity for treatment, as survivors who must endure a prolonged hold on a waitlist may no longer be ready for support when they finally get the call to be seen.”
MacDougall said the global pandemic brought a “moment of recognition for gender-based violence and assault within relationships.”
“Sexualized violence has been largely under resourced in terms of prevention for decades. There hasn’t been enough funding or support from government, but also in the public consciousness,” said MacDougall.
Last year the provincial government announced a $10-million annual fund for support service providers such as BWSS — something that is appreciated by MacDougall but “doesn’t go far enough.”
MacDougall notes that sexual violence against women is a precursor to femicide, the murder of a woman motivated by hate against women. Eighty-seven per cent of these murders occur inside a woman’s home, at the hands of their intimate partner, statistics show.
In 2022, 184 women and girls were murdered, primarily by men. According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, Canada has witnessed a 27 per cent increase in murdered women and girls, when compared to 2019. Of the 184 victims in 2022, the accused was male 88 per cent of the time.
Not all sexual assaults are against women but the statistics lean heavily in that direction: Statistics Canada reports the rate was more than five times higher among women (50 per 1,000) than men (nine per 1,000).
But most female victims of sexual assault don’t want to report to police, said MacDougall.
“Most want to kind of deal with the impact of what’s happened. It’s a trauma and an intimate trauma. So there’s a first stage of getting a grip on what’s happened,” she said.
The B.C. government provides information online on several avenues to take if you are sexually assaulted.
Cornelia Naylor / Burnaby Now – May 26, 2023 / 8:40 pm | Story: 428860
Photo: Pexels
A 53-year-old man who was tackled and detained by about 10 people after he was caught secretly videoing a woman peeing in a BCIT women’s washroom nearly five years ago has been handed a two-year conditional sentence and two years of probation.
Jay Winship Forster was in Vancouver provincial court last week to plead guilty to one count of voyeurism and two counts of possession of child pornography.
BCIT voyeurism
Forster was discovered in a cubicle in a third floor washroom at BCIT’s Burnaby campus by a woman using the cubicle next to him, according to Crown prosecutor Jason Krupa.
“She saw the camera; she screamed and yelled,” said Krupa, outlining the agreed facts in the case. “He withdrew, took off. She chased him. He pushed her out of the way.”
Before Forster could escape, however, Krupa said about 10 people tackled him and held him till police arrived.
When police searched Forster’s phone, they discovered images of the woman who had caught him in the act, as well as videos of “a few other people,” according to Krupa.
A further search also revealed 364 child sex abuse images, including images of girls as young as six engaged in sex acts.
“Very problematic,” Krupa said.
Forster, who was 42 at the time of the incident, was charged with voyeurism, assault and possession of child pornography in July 2019.
A second secret phone
One of the conditions of his bail on those charges was a ban on having more than one cell phone.
About a year later, however, his common law partner discovered he had two cell phones and found child sex abuse images on the second, secret phone, according to Krupa.
“(She) essentially marched him down to the police station, and he turned himself in,” he said.
Forster was charged with two more counts of possessing child pornography in October 2020.
Explaining why it’s taken nearly five years to deal with the BCIT charges, Krupa pointed to two psychological reports ordered in the case.
The first found no evidence of “significant or even noticeable mental illness,” according to Krupa, but the second one did.
Krupa noted Forster had been committed under the Mental Health Act for a time, receiving “weeks” of treatments, and now sees a psychiatrist regularly.
“This man is suffering from a significant mental illness,” Krupa said. “It’s documented, and, in my submission, putting him in jail would simply likely lead him to decompensate and not be in the public interest.”
Banned from BCIT and UBC campuses
In a joint sentencing submission, Krupa and defence lawyer Brian Coleman called for a conditional sentence (a jail sentence served in the community) and probation.
Judge Gregory Rideout agreed.
During the first six months of his two-year sentence, he will be under house arrest, followed by a-year-and-a-half under a curfew.
He is banned from the BCIT and UBC campuses and from parks, schools and anywhere else children under the age of 16 are likely to be.
He is also prohibited from possessing any device capable of recording and will have his phone and internet access restricted.
And he will be placed on the national sex offender registry for 10 years.
UBC voyeurism
This isn’t the first time Forster has been sentenced for voyeurism.
In 2013, he was granted a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to one count of secretly observing or recording nudity in a women’s changeroom at UBC in the fall of 2012.
Photo: BC Transit Flickr
BC Transit and local government are once again offering the GradPASS program for graduating high school students.
Schools in more than 70 communities across British Columbia take part in the program that allows Grade 12 students to ride the bus for free, any two days during the month of June.
The GradPASS program aims to help students consider all transportation options when planning a safe ride home at graduation time.
To use a GradPASS, students simply scratch off their two chosen travel days, which do not have to be consecutive. When boarding the bus, they present the card along with a valid student ID to the driver.
GradPASS cards will be handed out to students by participating schools in late May.
The program was first introduced in Vancouver in 1988 to encourage safe transportation options during graduation season Grade 12 students.
For more information on BC Transit schedules, fares and to sign up for customer alerts, visit bctransit.com and select your local transit system.
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