Police Waited Seven Months To Charge De Vries

The man who ran as Nunavut's Marijuana Party candidate in the last federal election insists he is no reefer recidivist.

Police charged Ed de Vries, 48, in Iqaluit May 2 with drug trafficking, conspiracy to traffic and breach of undertaking, shortly after de Vries was released from a six-month prison term for drug-related charges.

In fact, the marijuana seizure that led to these charges occurred in late September 2006, several days before de Vries was sentenced Sept. 24.

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Police charged Ed deVries in Iqaluit with trafficking in a controlled substance, conspiracy to traffic and breach of undertaking, May 2. He was released from custody and will appear in court July 3.

Police seized several pounds of marijuana, said Cpl. Randy Slawson.

DeVries, 48, recently served a six-month sentence for trafficking marijuana and laundering the proceeds of crime, after police intercepted a filing cabinet in 2003 full of marijuana sent from Ontario to Iqaluit, addressed to a company owned by deVries.

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In an editorial this past Oct. 20, 2006, on the firing of the chief of the Kativik Regional Police Force, Brian Jones, Nunatsiaq News stated that some elected officials participate in the illegal drug and booze economy. Nunatsiaq News has no basis to make that statement and it retracts it. Nunatsiaq News apologizes to any elected officials, including members of the Kativik Regional Government, who may have been harmed by that statement.

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Pot Politician Will Miss Igloolik's Christmas Cheer

The man who ran as Nunavut's Marijuana Party candidate during the last federal election will spend Christmas inside a maximum-security prison.

Ed deVries is presently serving a six-month prison sentence for trafficking marijuana and laundering the proceeds of crime at the Central East Detention Centre in Lindsay, Ontario.

The Ontario prison holds convicts serving sentences of less than two years, such as deVries, as well as inmates detained before trial who are considered to be a flight risk, or too dangerous to be at large. The jail can hold 1,200 inmates.

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Focus Shifts to Inuit-Friendly Program

KUUJJUAQ -- With an all-new staff and a keen board of directors, fresh determination and ambitious plans for the future, Kuujjuaq's treatment centre is ready to start up again in January.

That's when the centre's staff is planning to take the first treatment cycle the centre has been able to offer in more than a year.

"It's really exciting," said Eva Lapage, who is now the executive director of Isuarsivik. "I want to know how people feel when they go through our treatment program."

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I am a concerned beneficiary of Nunavut. I was so disappointed while I was in my old home town of Iqaluit last summer.

There are so many cocaine users this year, more then ever before, and I noticed that there are more family issues then ever before with all the cocaine and crystal meth in town.

There are kids out there who are not being taken care of because their parents are spending their money on cocaine and crystal meth.

How could you live with yourselves knowing that your kids are starving while you are using these hard drugs? You get more pleasure using this hard drug while your kids are starving? Do you even think about your kids when you're high?

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At this early date, it's still too soon to say exactly when the Kativik Regional Government's mishandling of its policing file actually began. It's now clear that the KRG's incompetence on this issue goes back several years, at the very least.

That being said, it's now obvious that the regional council blundered badly on the evening of Sept. 14, when they voted to dump the popular, tirelessly devoted, and under-appreciated chief of the Kativik Regional Police Force, Brian Jones. The move sparked outrage among most KRPF members and their union, and led to a chain of events that has seen the people of Nunavik lose effective control of their police force.

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This week, the police team led by the RCMP, formed to combat organized crime in Quebec's native communities, accepted the Motorola Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement.

The award recognizes innovative policing programs that serve as models for law enforcement agencies around the world.

The Aboriginal Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit is comprised of members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Surete du Quebec and the Association of First Nations Chiefs of Police.

The Kativik Regional Police Force, under its former chief Brian Jones, was an active member of the unit.

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I am writing from Pangnirtung. I have concerns regarding our town and the growing crime wave that seems to have taken over.

Not only are there a magnitude of break-ins, and smash-and-grabs. We have tires slashed on vehicles for no apparent reason and within the last month, we have had two armed robberies.

I almost feel sorry for the RCMP. They seem to work hard, when they get out of the nine-to-five rut they're in, but they don't seem to get much help from the court system.

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Nunavut's candidate for the Marijuana Party in the last federal election has been sentenced to six months in jail for drug-related offences.

Ed deVries was sentenced in Igloolik on Sept. 25 to six months in jail and one month of probation for trafficking and laundering the proceeds of crime.

Those charges date back to December 2003, when police intercepted a filing cabinet sent through the mail, filled with more than 2,000 grams of pot, and addressed to a company owned by deVries.

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As the mother of a KRPF captain in Nunavik, I was distressed to read in your newspaper of the police chief's dismissal by the KRG Council.

Are these "suits" completely moronic in firing a chief who has accomplished more in the stopping and stemming of drugs in the region than anyone else has achieved?

I hate to think that the KRG acts of blindness to what happens to people caught in the 'trap of drug use' is actually endangering my son's life and all of his co-workers at KRPF.

Shame on the KRG council for the way in which they repay those who do truly make a difference.

Dorothy Hubert

Victoria BC

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Iglulik - Nunavut's most outspoken marijuana advocate will serve time behind bars because of the very thing he promotes.

After pleading guilty to trafficking and laundering the proceeds of crime, Ed DeVries was sentenced to six months in jail and one year probation on Sept. 25 in Iglulik.

He imported more than 2,000 grams of marijuana to Nunavut. The pot was concealed inside a filing cabinet.

DeVries was charged with laundering $282,539.83 worth of items, drugs and money.

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Police And School Staff Plan To Step Up Drug Awareness Campaign

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

A most unwelcome guest made an appearance in a Rankin Inlet middle school earlier this month.

A young female student was discovered to be in possession of marijuana at Simon Alaittuq school by a staff member.

No charges were laid in the matter, with authorities opting to deal with the situation away from the courts.

Principal Bev Hill said, in a prepared statement, staff members at the school are providing students with factual information on the dangers associated with drug use, and how to deal with peer pressure and drug use.

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Marijuana Find In Middle School Has Police Promising Action

The discovery of a young female student in possession of marijuana at Simon Alaittuq school in Rankin Inlet has sent shock waves through the community.

Principal Bev Hill, reading from a prepared statement, acknowledged the incident had taken place at the school earlier this month.

She said the matter is being dealt with through regular RCMP channels.

"As well, school staff are taking this opportunity to provide students with factual information on the dangers associated with drug use, and how to deal with peer pressure and drug use," said Hill.

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Dismissal Comes After Clashes Over Drug Enforcement Operations

KUUJJUAQ - With their sirens wailing and horns honking, members of the Kativik Regional Police Force planned to parade past municipal and regional government offices in Nunavik this past Wednesday to protest the firing of Brian Jones, their chief of police.

The Kativik Regional Government's regional council voted to fire Jones at a late-night meeting held Sept. 14.

That's when the council heard and passed two resolutions, tagged on to their lengthy agenda: the first put an end to Jones' 14 years of service with the KRPF, and the second named the KRG's assistant general director, Luc Harvey, as the interim chief of police, effective Sept. 20.

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"This Just Proves There Is A Problem"

Some drug users at Nunavik's Raglan mine got a rude surprise on Aug. 31 as police swooped down on the Kattiniq site and walked off with several stashes of hash oil, steroids, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a small quantity of cocaine.

Four officers from the Kativik Regional Police Force, an officer with the Aboriginal Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit from Montreal and a dog master started searches in the afternoon at the Donaldson Airport and continued on into the evening at the mine's Kattiniq complex.

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In light of all the controversy surrounding Rev. Ed DeVries, leader of the Nunavut Marijuana Party, I felt it necessary to put in my two cents. I give it to Ed for his honesty and coming forth to everyone, rather than hiding behind closed doors. I can certainly understand people's resentment and anger towards him, as everyone is entitled to their opinion and I remain neutral to it all.

Nunavut as a territory has its share of problems ranging from alcohol abuse, rape, child molestation, spousal abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, and suicide to name a few. I believe it is not a direct result from marijuana use. There are many other factors that play part in the whole grand scheme of things here in the territory. There are other drugs available to people, such as alcohol, crack/cocaine, ecstasy, and mushrooms.

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In response to It's Your Turn, Aug. 14, Nunavut News/North: Should police do more to arrest street level drug dealers?

Yes. I believe police could do a lot better to arrest drug dealers. I was born and raised in a small community and I have seen people dealing drugs a lot my whole life.

I have friends and family members who smoke drugs and aren't finishing school. They smoke mostly all day when they can afford it when other kids at school their age are learning.

I think that the cops should do something about it, not just know about it because it is also a problem in my community.

It seems like all they want to do is smoke drugs.

Petanie Pitsiulak, Iqaluit

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After reading the article about "Rev." Eddie deVries, I was shocked to learn that there are people in this world who are that ridiculous.

It was obvious that he's a "pothead." One of the main side effects of smoking marijuana is that it affects your brain, which is clear with Ed deVries, so I'm not sure if the "Church of Universe" or "Canada's leading experts in cannabis research" taught this man about the effects of drugs, such as having difficulties in thinking and problem-solving, increases in the heart rate, anxiety, and panic, just to name a few.

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To the readers, and in particular the residents of Igloolik, I feel I must write in response to the attention being given to my life recently and publicly.

My apologies to Mayor Quassa and all those offended by statements reported in this paper in relation to my aquiring and then wanting to donate some carvings and artifacts. It was never my intention to bring about this much anger and oppression over an act of honesty and generosity.

The "problem" existed long before my time and the methods employed to address the problem usually cause more problems!

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