Transportation

B.C. RCMP reveal locations of COVID-19 road checkpoints

Last month, a Vancouver lawyer stated that it would be very difficult for the Mounties to enforce rules around nonessential travel

by Charlie Smith on May 6th, 2021 at 6:56 AM
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      The Mounties will be checking motorists travelling between different regions at four checkpoints, starting today (May 6).

      It's part of a provincial enforcement plan to prevent nonessential travel within B.C. to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

      New case counts on May 5 were significantly lower in the Interior, Vancouver Island, and Northern health regions than in Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health regions.

      The RCMP checkpoints will be in the following areas, according to a news release:

      * Highway 1 in the Boston Bar area;

      * Highway 3 in the Manning Park area;

      * Highway 5 in the Old Toll Booth area;

      * and Highway 99 in the Lillooet area.

      If police conclude that the travel is for nonessential reasons, drivers will be ordered to leave the region or face fines close to $600.

      Last month, Vancouver lawyer Sarah Leamon wrote a column on Straight.com suggesting that it will be very difficult for police to enforce the travel restrictions.

      "The right to remain silent is a charter-protected right in Canada, as is the right to obtain legal advice prior to providing any statements or further evidence to police in the course of an investigation," Leamon wrote. "Whether a person could be compelled to provide information to police about where they are travelling—and why in the context of a roadblock—would be legally tenuous at best."

      Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati has also questioned the RCMP's authority to do this.

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