RESIDENTS LAUD 'CRACK HOUSE' FIRE

Three Men Arrested After A Near-Riot On N.B. Island

"Release Our Heroes" reads the sign on a truck on the picturesque
island of Grand Manan, a small, normally quiet island off the coast of
New Brunswick.

The "heroes" are three men arrested by the RCMP following a near-riot
in July when the house of an alleged crack dealer was set on fire.

"The feeling is still that these men are concerned citizens who have
done a service for Grand Manan," said the hamlet's Mayor, Dennis Greene.

The majority of 700 island residents at a meeting on Wednesday voiced
support for the men.

But the local RCMP see it differently. "We can't tolerate as a society
lawless acts and people acting outside of the law," said Sergeant Greg
MacAvoy. "We have to discourage violence."

The rift between the law-abiding community and the RCMP started on
July 22, when a group of about 40 residents approached the Grand Manan
home of Ronald Ross, 41, who islanders say is a known drug dealer.

A verbal confrontation led to violence as fist fights broke out and
gunfire was exchanged. Although no one was injured, Mr. Ross' house
was destroyed by fire and three local men, all in their twenties, were
arrested. Mr. Ross is still being sought.

"We are law-abiding citizens and we can be rational, but it was total
frustration with the system," the Mayor said.

The arrests of the three men angered many in Grand Manan, a 90-minute
ferry ride from the New Brunswick coast and described as the "jewel of
the Bay of Fundy."

Tension in the town about drug-dealing is still high, with the RCMP
worried another uprising could occur. Normally patrolled by four
full-time officers, the RCMP brought 70 more over to Grand Manan by
ferry on Monday after rumours flew of another similar incident.

At the meeting on Wednesday, RCMP officers showed a video clip with
two of the arrested men asking the community for calm. Some agreed;
some thought it was staged. Nevertheless, reaction was clear.

Mayor Greene, 63, said some residents have posted signs that read
"Release Our Heroes." He said the intent of the group was not to burn
down the house, only to confront what they saw as a drug problem in
the community.

"People are so emotional over this issue," he said. "Two weeks ago it
was a crack house. Today there's no crack house. People are very happy
with the result, but they're not condoning how it came about."

Lately, Grand Manan -- a community of 2,600 people known for its
lobster fishery and whale watching -- has fallen on hard times. Two
years ago, a local cannery was closed, leaving 140 people out of work.
The economic downturn has left a place for drug use to blossom.

"It's a wonderful little community that has [suffered from] substance
abuse and addiction problems," Sgt. MacAvoy said. "I think some of the
fellows felt a sense of desperation and wanted to take some action on
their own. It's really unfortunate it ended up the way it did."

But Mr. Greene said many in the community have blamed the
RCMP.

"The people believe that if [the RCMP] had spent a fraction of the
money used to bring over the 70 officers in the fight against drugs
there wouldn't have been any burning of a house," he said.

Most agree the community is calm now; the group of 70 officers has
whittled down to only a handful. But a bail hearing for the three men
scheduled for Aug. 15 could change all that.

"If they are released, they will be welcomed by the community," Mr.
Greene said. "But if they are held, I don't know how the people will
take it."

All arecharged with at least one count of possession of a weapon
dangerous to the public peace. One man is also charged with two counts of
wilfully or recklessly setting fire with disregard for human life.

"They've got these young fellows locked up like it's doing the village
a favour. It's just the opposite. The community is very upset over
this."

"The system let us down," said Bev Fleet, who has lived on Grand Manan
for almost 50 years. "They didn't deal with this.... Now that we've
dealt with it, I think they're going to make examples of our youth.