Vancouver Secrets

Free Pass For Being Aboriginal

photo credit: kk

The Vancouver Sun has this interesting story today:

A Vancouver man caught shipping 11 kilograms of cocaine to Montreal got only 40 months in prison - because he was an aboriginal offender.

Man was ‘raised white,’ but judge says he identifies as first nation and deserves a break.

The judge noted that Isaac Richard Jenkins, 28, was born and raised in Louisiana but his mother was native and the drug dealer “only recently displayed interest in that part of his culture.”

“The pre-sentence report states that Mr. Jenkins identifies as aboriginal, although he was ‘raised white’ in Louisiana,” Provincial Court Judge Joseph Galati said in his written judgment.

Galati added: “Taking this into account, I have concluded that Jenkins should receive a somewhat lesser sentence than would a non-aboriginal offender, but not a significantly lesser sentence.”

The Crown had sought a sentence of between four and eight years, arguing there was no reason to justify a lesser consequence for Jenkins.

Interesting notes:

1) Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code requires that in sentencing, “all available sanctions other than imprisonment that are reasonable in the circumstances should be considered for all offenders, with particular attention to the circumstances of aboriginal offenders.”

16 per cent of all sentenced prisoners were aboriginal, but aboriginals make up only 3.7 per cent of Canada’s population.

2) Jenkins pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He was caught with 11 kilograms of cocaine in two suitcases as he checked in at Vancouver International Airport for a flight to Montreal.

His partner - Danielle Ledesma - pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in relation to two seizures. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

3X the sentence… for being white? Or female?

Glad BC Doesn’t Have A Say

photo credit: ItzaFineDay

From the Vancouver Sun:

When 1,400 British Columbians were asked to include Obama and John McCain among their possible choices for prime minister, 42 per cent of them chose Obama, well ahead of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who attracted support from 29 per cent of those polled.

Placing third was New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton with 12 per cent.

At the bottom of the heap were Liberal leader Stephane Dion, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and U.S. Republican leader John McCain, with seven, six and five per cent support respectively.

When British Columbians were asked who they would chose as president of the U.S. if they were able to vote, 80 per cent chose Obama, while 20 per cent chose McCain.

Pity poor Stephane Dion; it appears he has as much chance of winning B.C.’s support in his quest to become prime minister as the Vancouver Canucks do of winning the Stanley Cup.

Not only did Dion attract only seven per cent of those polled as a potential prime minister, only one per cent found he was best described as charismatic and only two per cent said he could be best described as inspiring.

Kyle Braid, vice-president public affairs for Ipsos Reid, said the results were fascinating.

“B.C. has got a bit of a case of the Obama envy,” he said. “It’s really pretty incredible, the degree to which a leader from another country has set himself apart from other politicians.

“The numbers also show that Dion has managed to do that as well, but in his case it’s completely in the wrong direction.”

Amazing… especially the part about the Canucks.

Look on the bright side…

photo credit: 96dpi

Canada’s economic outlook downgraded

The OECD has cut Canadian growth forecasts and now predict growth of less than 1 percent for the year:

Canada’s economy will expand by just 0.8 per cent in 2008, down from the 1.2 per cent forecast last spring, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projected in a revised economic outlook Tuesday. That’s also less than the 1.1 per cent now projected by the Finance Department.

The U.S. economy, however, will expand by 1.8 per cent, up from the 1.2 per cent projected in the spring, and the G7 countries will grow on average by 1.4 per cent, unchanged from the spring projection.

The only G7 country that will post weaker growth than Canada is Italy, now projected to expand by 0.1 per cent.

Big drop in Lower Mainland home sales

‘This summer, sales went off a cliff,’ says urban economist
Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun

The turn of the Lower Mainland real estate market’s cycle has been more dramatic than expected with real estate boards reporting another drop in sales and slide in prices at the end of August.

In Greater Vancouver, August Multiple Listing Service sales were down almost 54 per cent to 1,568 units, compared with 3,348 units in the same month a year ago.

Lower oil, home prices and pressure on retail prices… all the things that may let Vancouver fall back in line with the rest of the country.

Now’s the time to start putting away cash, and this time next year there may be real deals out there.

Good thing the Olympics are almost here to save the day.

Doesn’t Frozen Water Expand?

photo credit: Rita Willaert

The Vancouver Sun did an article on how we are all going to drown soon… forgot to mention when.

Got me thinking…

- If the icebergs all melt - and 90% of it is under water - wouldn’t sea levels actually decline?

- What is the agenda for scaring people about rising sea levels?

- If global warming has begun, why is it so damn cold here? Let’s let it go for another few degrees.

- anyone care to look at the increasing ice at the south pole?

I’m a skeptic mainly because David Suzuki scared the hell out of me in grade three - life on earth was supposed to be ended by now. 40 years later, the air is cleaner, we have more trees and life is good.

May be a good time to buy some waterfront property soon.

Bad Way To Get Lucky In Vancouver

photo credit: vern.

From the Vancouver Sun:
Metro Vancouver police issue date-rape drug warning
Tim Lai, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER - Vancouver Police are issuing a warning to women about date-rape drugs and to use extra caution at bars after 11 women reported sexual assaults in the Downtown Eastside and Surrey.

Const. Tim Fanning said that a man who works in the Downtown Eastside came forward last week to report these incidents after 11 women shared their stories of meeting a man in a bar and then getting raped.

“We can’t confirm at this whether it’s one suspect or a number of suspects because we have second-hand information,” said Fanning.

Fanning noted that the VPD gets a report of a sexual assault of this nature about once per week, but proving the use of date-rate drugs has been very difficult.

“By the time they report to us, if they do report to us, it’s often too late to see if drugs have been used in the sexual assault because it leaves the system fairly quickly,” he said.

Fanning wants to remind women to watch their drinks at the bar and to watch out for each other. If a sexual assault of this nature occurs, report it immediately, so the police can starting piecing the case together by reviewing security footage from the bar or talking to other patrons.

Be careful out there… Vancouver’s drugs have hit a new low.

What Would You Do With $170,000 Worth of Butter?

photo credit: sugarfreak

Police puzzled by $170,000 Vancouver butter theft
Mary Frances Hill, Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER — A theft of a semi-trailer carrying $170,000 worth of butter has Vancouver and Delta police baffled.

The semi-trailer truck was found in the 8200-block of River Road in Delta, near an industrial park. It had been emptied of its contents.

The truck was stolen Monday around 9 a.m. from the 300-block of Southeast Marine Drive in Vancouver.

“Semi-trailers do go missing on a regular basis, but butter’s not a typical product that’s stolen,” said Const. Paul Eisenzimmer of the Delta Police Department.

“The average corner store that might be interested in buying stolen cigarettes wouldn’t likely be interested in butter. Getting rid of $170,000 worth of butter would be pretty hard.”

Crime is getting out of hand…