On this special episode Kyla and guest host Roy look at the now-viral for all the wrong reasons RCMP video about pedestrian safety and analyze it through the lens of civil litigation. On the Magraken Moment, Erik talks about the division of blame in a rear-end crash.

Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com

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www.vancouvercriminallaw.com

Episode 312: Special Guest Host Roy Ho and Civil Litigation

On Friday, December 8th, our host Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa has the headlines. First, the RCMP under investigation after Indigenous woman's body found one kilometre from where she was missing. Also, CIBC fined $1.3M for failing to comply with money laundering, terrorism financing regulations. And in the US, a woman who threw a chipotle bowl at an employee is sentenced to a fast food job. Finally, Samina Sultana has a book recommendation in her Turn the Page segment!

RCMP under investigation for action, inaction in death of Indigenous woman

On this week's episode, Kyla and Paul look at a quirky case with a judgement filled with pop culture references. Their predictions about police needing retraining for impaired driving investigations also become true!

Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts and hoodies at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com

Follow Kyla Lee on Twitter:
twitter.com/IRPlawyer

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Episode 344: Hogan's Heroes and RCMP Retraining

One among the ranks of the thousands of missing or murdered indigenous women in Canada who I learned about recently is Chelsea Poorman, found dead in Vancouver, BC after being missing for 18 months.

The Murdered and the Missing (Song for Chelsea Poorman)

Greg Marchildon talks to Dennis Gruending about his book, A Communist for the RCMP: The Uncovered Story of a Social Movement Informant.

In 1941, the RCMP recruited Frank Hadesbeck, a Spanish Civil War veteran, as a paid informant to infiltrate the Communist Party. For decades, he informed not only upon communists, but also upon hundreds of other people who held progressive views. Hadesbeck’s “Watch Out” lists on behalf of the Security Service included labour activists, medical doctors, lawyers, university professors and students, journalists, Indigenous and progressive farm leaders, members of the clergy, and anyone involved in the peace and human rights movements.

A Communist for the RCMP provides an inside account of Hadesbeck’s career and illustrates how the RCMP uses surveillance of activists to enforce the status quo.

Dennis Gruending has written and edited eight books, including biographies of former Saskatchewan premier Allan Blakeney and of Emmett Hall, whose Royal Commission recommended Medicare for Canada. Gruending has worked as a print and television journalist and as a CBC Radio host. He served as a New Democratic Party MP in the 36th parliament and was his party’s critic for the environment and for international development. He later wrote speeches for former Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, and later still spent six years at the Canadian Labour Congress. He and his wife, Martha Wiebe, live in Ottawa. You can find more information at: https://www.dennisgruending.com.

Image Credit: Between the Lines

If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.

A Communist for the RCMP: The Uncovered Story of a Social Movement Informant

Nicole O'Byrne talks to Greg Marquis about his book "Canada's State Police: 150 Years of the RCMP. Drawing upon all of the available literature related to the organization's history, Marquis lays bare what he regards as 150 years of state police action and seeks to challenge what he claims are the carefully constructed myths about the RCMP's role in Canadian life.

Greg Marquis is a historian at the University of New Brunswick. He specializes in Canadian history and criminal justice theory. He has developed a number of courses in the area of law and society, and is on the editorial board of Acadiensis. He is the author of multiple books including, The Vigilant Eye: Policing Canada from 1867-9/11, Truth & Honour: The Death of Richard Oland and the Trial of Dennis Oland, and John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Year That Canada Was Cool. Greg Marquis lives in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.

Image Credit: James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers

Canada’s State Police: 150 years of the RCMP

"Riot in the Rain" is a raw and unfiltered anthem of resistance, channeling the anger, frustration, and unyielding spirit of Indigenous peoples standing against the systemic oppression symbolized by the RCMP. The track embodies the rage of centuries of mistreatment, the fight for sovereignty, and the pain of lives uprooted and traditions threatened.

Through gritty drill beats and fiery bars, the song paints vivid imagery of clashes between the RCMP and Indigenous protesters, echoing the real-world confrontations over land, rights, and freedom. The lyrics lay bare the tensions of riot squads confronting those who protect their sacred lands, exposing the stark imbalance of power and the resilience of Indigenous communities in the face of state-sanctioned force.

With its heavy basslines and intense delivery, "Riot in the Rain" is both a battle cry and a mournful lament, blending anger with hope as it calls for unity, resistance, and justice. This track is not just music; it’s a testament to the ongoing struggle and a reminder that the spirit of resistance cannot be extinguished.

Riot In The Rain

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There are some Cortes Island elements to the story of a boat stolen from Campbell River on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. 

Someone living in the Potlatch Road area of southern Cortes Island observed ‘big military type planes’ and some helicopters flying around the ocean that morning and thought it might be a Sea-Air Rescue excerise. He did not think about it again until reading about the incident on CHEK News.

At 8 AM the Powell River RCMP received a request from the Quadra detachment to help intercept the stolen boat. GPS tracked it to the vincinty of Mitlenatch Island. An RCMP vessel from Powell River responded and was en route to Mitlenatch when it was notified that the Quadra detachment had already located the stolen vessel. 

The stolen boat was escourting it to the Mansons Landing dock, on Cortes Island, where it was secured and two ‘suspects’ were arrested for Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000. They were transported back to Campbell River and turned over to the Campbell River RCMP. 

Mansons Landing dock is maintained by Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI), but as it was a straighforward matter police did not think it necessary to inform them. Consequently HACI did not learn of the incident for another five days.

The Quadra Island detachment used to issue weekly reports of their activities on Quadra, Cortes and other Discovery Islands, but have discontinued that service. The RCMP press release for this incident comes from the Powell River detachment.   

Cortes Island Elements In A Boat Theft Story

An extensive search was launched for six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan after they were reported missing on May 2, 2025 from their home in Lansdowne Station, N.S. Josh Hoffman was on the scene.

Search underway for two missing children in rural Nova Scotia

The search for two missing children in rural Nova Scotia is restarting two weeks after they were last seen.  CBC News has confirmed the RCMP asked Colchester Ground Search and Rescue to resume efforts this weekend to find Lilly and Jack Sullivan. 
Josh Hoffman is there

Search for missing N.S. children resumes two weeks after they were last seen

Cortes Currents is a news platform that asks what's current in Cortes and the Discovery Islands. Web articles & radio podcasts: Cortes Island, Quadra Island, Discovery Islands, Campbell River: news, lifestyle, local politics, affordable housing, economy, food security, health, ferries, tourism, history,  culture, environmental issues, sustainable forestry, oyster farming, the arts, First Nations, energy, climate change, overshoot

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), libertarian socialist, dad, lover of life.  I also write songs as part of Ai Tsuno, which you can look up on all the streaming platforms.

young indigenous rapper from a small town trying to tell his story 

Immerse yourself in Canada’s history! Witness to Yesterday episodes take listeners on a journey to document a time in Canada’s past and explore the people behind it, its significance, and its relevance to today. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: https://bit.ly/support_WTY. To learn more about the Society and Canada’s history, subscribe to our newsletter at https://bit.ly/news_WTY.

Toronto Metropolitan University's campus and community multi-media hub. Listen at 1280 AM or online at metradio.ca

Driving law drives the law. Our legal system is shaped and developed by what happens when we are in our cars. Acumen Law Corporation lawyer Kyla Lee discusses with guests all things related to the rules of the road and how it is constantly changing the legal landscape.

New tracks tagged #RCMP