National parks charges against 4 kayakers in Nunavut withdrawn
All charges have been dropped against a group of kayakers accused of breaking national parks laws in Nunavut last year.
In an Iqaluit courtroom Monday, Crown prosecutor Chris McCarthy withdrew charges against Edward Hansen, Mark Agnew, Eileen Visser and Jeffrey Wueste.
The four kayakers were facing 45 charges each, relating to events alleged to have occurred at the Bylot Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Sirmilik National Park near Pond Inlet during a months-long paddling trip last summer.
Among the withdrawn charges — which were contrary to the Canadian National Parks Act and Migratory Birds Convention Act — were possessing a firearm in a bird sanctuary and entering a restricted area of a park.
None of the kayakers were physically present in the courtroom for Monday’s hearing.
Defence lawyer Alison Crowe was present on behalf of Hansen, and lawyers for the other three appeared on videoconference.
The kayakers were part of an American group called the Arctic Cowboys, who took part in an 83-day voyage starting in July near Pond Inlet, according to posts from their social media feeds.
The kayakers were arrested by parks law enforcement with the assistance of RCMP on Aug. 25 in Cambridge Bay, and released.
In addition to withdrawing the charges, Justice Christian Lyons ordered, at the Crown’s request, that any items Parks Canada seized from the group be returned.
“The case is finished,” Lyons said.
McCarthy did not say in court why the Crown was withdrawing the charges.
Nathalie Houle, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, said in an email that the Crown has no further comment on the case.
Speaking to Nunatsiaq News after proceedings, Crowe said she wasn’t expecting the case to end Monday.
It’s at the Crown’s discretion to proceed with prosecuting charges, and in this case it’s possible they didn’t see a reasonable chance of conviction, she said.
“We have a very reasonable Crown office here, and I thank the Crown for their decision,” Crowe said.
Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News
