Conservative Party of Canada candidate Ron Cannan began his campaign for the Kelowna-Lake Country Member of Parliament seat Saturday outlining his parties platform to the conservative faithful Saturday. With crime, specifically drug related activity, a growing problem in this riding and throughout BC, the former City of Kelowna Councillor was quick to back leader Stephen Harper's strategy to fight crime head on. "It is time to stand up for British Columbians to protect our children from drug and substance abuse by getting tough on crime," said Harper, speaking at the Laurel Building during the parties' annual open house Saturday. "Stephen was in Vancouver this morning and announced that the conservative party of Canada will achieve this by not turning a blind eye to the problem but by introducing legislation that will number one ban conditional sentencing and house arrests for serious drug crimes. Number two, we will introduce mandatory minimum sentences of two years for criminals convicted of producing and trafficking drugs." [continues 362 words]
While crime was on the rise in Lake Country in 2004, the number of RCMP officers working the beat locally dropped. Speaking at a regular meeting of council last Tuesday evening, RCMP Sgt. Dwayne Wetteland revealed that criminal code investigations jumped 37.7 per cent over 2003. At the same time, he says, the Lake Country detail operated two officers short, and sometimes three, due to illness and transfers. Therefore, only five or six officers were left to deal with mountains of paperwork relating to 1,113 criminal code files. [continues 843 words]
Christopher Lord has seen the effects of wasting disease. He's watched the life slowly drain from many of his AIDS-stricken friends and felt helpless to ease their pain. He recalls one night in San Francisco when a close, dying friend asked him to go out and purchase a bag of marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes. The American owner of the historical "Canna-bus," which stopped overnight in Creston on Tuesday, recalls what happened when he tried to fulfil the request of his shadowy and wispy friend. [continues 504 words]
