DOES REVELSTOKE DESERVE DRUG SMUGGLING CENTRE LABEL?

Many in Revelstoke likely watched The Fifth Estate episode on Friday
evening titled 'Over the Edge' which explored the tragic tale of the
death of drug smuggler and Revelstoke resident Sam Brown.

The portrayal was the second one by a major national media outlet,
the first being a long feature story in Rolling Stone magazine a
couple of months ago entitled 'Death of a Freerider.'

Adding to that, Canadian actor, director and producer Jason Priestley
of 90210 fame optioned the rights to the Rolling Stone story last
week, meaning the tale could be made into a feature-length film.

When we first heard of Sam Brown's death in late February here at the
Times Review, we sought to find out if there was any foul play in his
jail death.

Authorities in Washington State released a small pile of documents
including from the county jail, the sheriff's department, the police
department, medical examiners and more. After reviewing the
documents, we concluded that it was in fact a suicide. And,
incidentally, dealing with the U.S. government in procuring these
documents was leagues easier than anything I've experienced in B.C.

At the same time, we looked to find out who was involved in the
smuggling ring. We made some headway before the RCMP and DEA swept in
and arrested numerous individuals at locations across the Southern
Interior as part of an ongoing investigation called Operation Blade
Runner, in essence advancing the story well past where we were at. It
also took the story out of our hands in a way. The subsequent legal
proceedings would happen in courtrooms far from here. For us, it was
the end of the local story.

Since then, the story has developed a life of its own. So far, in my
opinion, there has been an unfortunate tendency to glamourize the
drug smuggling angle of the story, focusing in on the dramatic
helicopter trips, and the resulting payoff which includes
snowmobiling, mountain biking and other backcountry recreation. As
residents here know, recreating in the mountains around us doesn't
require a life of crime. If it makes it to production, I wonder if
the movie will take the same angle?

By chance, for a brief period I once lived in the same building as
Jason Priestley in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Everyone has heard
of what a horror show that part of our country can be. In my
experience, those who visit there for the first time find it to be
far, far worse than they ever imagined. Before he produces another
portrayal that plays up the 'glamour' and excitement side of the
'harmless' marijuana business, can I ask that Mr. Priestley reflect
on the destroyed lives and utter human tragedy that he would have
witnessed on a daily basis there? I ask that he then seek to remind
himself that the helicopters that go south with marijuana then turn
around and bring cocaine north, fuelling the crack-fuelled despair in
his neighbourhood.

For my part, the story has not been glamourous. Personally, I don't
count listening to angry drug smugglers rant at me on the telephone
as a perk of the job.

Despite the reality that many of the significant events relating to
this particular individual story happened in the greater Revelstoke
area, and the fact that those arrested in the joint DEA/RCMP
smuggling investigation were from all over the province and beyond,
both of the national features focused in on Nelson, B.C. as the hub
for marijuana activities such as processing and distribution. That's
a good thing for Revelstoke. We don't want, need or deserve to be
painted as a marijuana hot spot of some sort.

In a postmodern world we don't often attach a moral to the story to
sum things up. Can I suggest, in this case, that we should? Getting
involved in the world of high stakes international smuggling means
facing a few very bad, very possible outcomes, including years in
prison, organized violence and possibly death. None of these are
glamourous. Given ongoing RCMP and DEA investigations focusing on
smuggling operations in our neck of the woods that date back over a
decade (and likely more) perhaps we should be on the lookout for the
telltale signs of involvement in friends and family and see what we
can do to put a stop to it before they get drawn too far, too quickly
into a world of false friends and major consequences.

Deportations, such as that of marijuana activist Marc Emery, as well
as extraditions of Canadian gangsters and drug runners seems to point
to a pattern of outsourcing Canadian drug-related criminal offence
prosecutions to the U.S. It's been argued that Canadian authorities,
perhaps frustrated by perceived lenient sentences here in Canada,
have been willing participants in this process. One flaw in this
model is those involved in organizing smuggling have figured this
out, and will therefore use mules to do the job while they count
their money at home and plan their next shipment.