SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A city-led crackdown Thursday on untagged canoes at Government Dock led one angry resident to race after his confiscated boat while defying the sirens of a pursuing bylaw officer chasing him down Franklin Avenue.

Canoes with tags are laid down in the city's designated area at Government Dock. An attempt to confiscate canoes without tags last week led a resident to chase bylaw officers down Franklin Avenue before pulling over at a red light at 52 Street. All canoes were returned to their owners by the end of the day. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

Jolliffe Island resident Bill Leard said he showed up at the dock expecting to paddle home as usual, but when he saw a city vehicle towing away his boat, he got in his truck and attempted to chase after it. An officer in an unmarked bylaw vehicle saw him weaving in and out of traffic on Franklin Avenue as he pursued the city vehicle and turned on his lights and sirens in an attempt to pull him over, he said.

Rather than pull over right away, Leard continued his pursuit for 12 blocks until he came to a red light at Franklin Avenue and 52 Street.

"I was pursuing a canoe thief and I broke a few traffic (laws) in the process," said Leard. "Unfortunately for me, it happened to be right in front of an unmarked bylaw vehicle."

Once stopped, Leard said a bylaw officer asked him to get out of his vehicle, at which point he was met by a can of pepper spray.

"When he realizes I'm a foot and a half taller than him he takes two steps back and says, 'stand back or I'll pepper spray you,'" said Leard.

After exchanging some words with the officer, RCMP and another bylaw vehicle arrived. Leard returned to his vehicle and waited for an RCMP officer to issue him three traffic tickets - one for passing on a solid yellow line, one for running a red light,and one for refusing to yield to an officer.

Dennis Marchiori, the city's director of public safety, said he is aware of the incident but had not heard that a bylaw officer had pulled out pepper spray.

However, he said, based on the circumstances the officer would have been well within his rights to do so.

"In this case, the individual is not pulling over. Even with the emergency lights activated, the individual went 12 blocks before he was pulled over. And he didn't even pull over - he stopped at a red light after he went through one red light," said Marchiori.

"That shows there is someone that is not willing to obey the rules of the road and/or obey the direction of the officer. So at that point in time, you have to be aware that that individual might react with some aggression toward the officer that has finally stopped him."

Leard, who owns a workshop at Government Dock, had filed a lawsuit against the city prior to the canoe-seizing incident, but he refused to discuss the case.

Jeff Humble, director of planning and lands with the city, said the city has been warning people leaving canoes at Government Dock for more than a year that they need to purchase city-issued tags at a cost of $200 if they wish to continue storing them there. Additional warnings have been issued over the last month and on Thursday, the city made good on its threats by confiscating five canoes that did not have tags.

Humble said all canoes were returned to their owners at the end of the day. Although there was no penalty issued for not having a tag, he said bylaw would be removing canoes in the future and that they would not be returned unless a tag was purchased.

"We think we've been fairly reasonable," he said, adding approximately 15 tags had been purchased as of last week.

"It's only fair that we follow through with those who have bought canoe tags and to other residents in Yellowknife that have similar user pay systems for services."

After his chase, Humble said Leard was given a tag for free because he is a senior citizen. He added that anyone above the age of 60 is also eligible for a free tag.

Individuals also have the choice of parking their canoes for free at other locations along the city's shoreline, Humble said.

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