Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IQALUIT
The bail hearing of an Iqaluit pot activist was adjourned until Friday after the judge found his bail application to be improperly completed.

Ed deVries, head of the Qikiqtani Compassion Club, which sold marijuana for medicinal use, remains in custody as he awaits his chance to face two drug possession, one trafficking, two property obtained through crime, one child pornography, and two sexual assault charges.

deVries, 53, appeared in court Friday, Sept. 30 for a bail review, but Judge Rene Foisy adjourned the hearing to Oct. 7 so defence lawyer Alison Crowe could properly resubmit her application. deVries has been in custody since Sept. 9.

He asked to have his cannabis returned because he has a licence to possess it. Calling his request "nonsensical," Foisy supported Crown prosecutor Chris Punter's position that he shouldn't get it back while he faces trafficking charges related to the drugs. RCMP arrested deVries and another man after raiding the compassion club in January 2010. They seized two pounds of marijuana, $7,200 in cash, a GMC Yukon and trafficking materials from two Iqaluit homes; in the process of the seizure, it's alleged they found child pornography.

The first sexual assault charge dates to some time between July 2004 and January 2006, and the second from June 2008 to June

2009.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.