A man is being investigated for impaired operation of a vessel after creating a scene while drunk in a canoe on Christina Lake last week.The Christina Lake Fire Department, which had their boat on the water, helped Mounties make contact with the 51-year-old local man.
Sgt. Darryl Peppler, Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment commander, admitted that he had to check the Criminal Code to determine if a canoe was considered a vessel under the law.“They're gonna go with the investigation forwarded to Crown and we'll wait to see if Crown will approve it or not,” Peppler said, who explained the man in the canoe provided breath samples twice the legal limit.
Canoes have legally been considered “vessels” since 2018 when an Ontario judge ruled so in a case involving the tragic death of an eight-year-old. That ruling was then upheld at appeal. The man was brought aboard and his vessel towed to shore. He was a visitor from Alberta who had all the necessary equipment with him, including a life jacket, paddle and rope. Police say he was happy for the lift and to be saved from a 90-minute paddle.