Pastor, son and man committed fraud: Panel
A Surrey pastor and his son, along with a White Rock man, defrauded investors out of $450,000 in a real estate investment scheme, the B.C. Securities Commission says. A BCSC panel has found that Alan and Jerry Braun, and Steven Maxwell (a.k.a. Steven Fassman), committed fraud when they took the money from two backers that believed they were investing in real estate in Edmonton. The panel also made fraud findings against three companies, Braun Developments, TerraCorp Investment Ltd. and Canada Inc. The panel also found that Braun Developments and Canada Inc. committed fraud with respect to the three investments in the amount of $450,000, and TerraCorp Investment committed fraud of $300,000. The BCSC says Alan and Jerry Braun, both directors and officers of Braun Developments and TerraCorp Investment, were responsible for directing the affairs of both entities. Maxwell was a director of Canada Inc. and was responsible for its affairs. The three men deceived the investors by leading them to believe that they were buying real estate investments in Edmonton that would yield 50-per-cent returns in a short period, according to the BCSC. But the BCSC found they didn’t use the money to invest in real estate. Sanctions against the Brauns and Maxwell will be determined at a later date.
DELTA Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle
A 44-year-old Surrey man is dead following a pedestrian accident in Delta on Tuesday night. Delta police say the man was hit by a Dodge Ram pickup that was leaving a parking lot in the 9000-block of 120th Street just after 7:30 p.m. The pedestrian was taken to hospital by ambulance but later died. His name hasn’t been released. Delta police say the driver is co-operating with investigators. “While it is too early to speak to what caused this tragic crash, police want to caution both drivers and pedestrians to take extra care as the days get shorter,” said Delta police spokeswoman Cris Leykauf. “Pedestrians should wear bright or reflective clothing, or carry a light if possible, and should be aware that drivers may not see them. Drivers should keep an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in intersections and when making turns.”
FORT ST. JOHN Natural anthrax kills 13 farm bison
Thirteen bison on a farm in northeastern B.C. died of naturally acquired anthrax, a bacteria that the provincial Agriculture Ministry says can remain dormant in certain soil conditions for many years. The ministry says in a statement that the animals are thought to have contracted the disease from exposure to dormant anthrax spores in the soil of a feeding site on a farm near Fort St. John. The site is no longer being used and the farm has reported no other losses in its remaining heard of 150 animals. A vaccine for anthrax for livestock is available and the ministry says exposed animals can be successfully treated if diagnosed early. It says that anthrax can affect humans, although it’s very rare and there is no indication that anyone in contact with these animals has been infected.
B.C. CANNABIS More than 21,000 sales in first week
The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch rang up more than 21,000 cannabis transactions during the first seven days of legalization, nearly half of which occurred on Day 1. The BCLDB says there were 17,266 online sales completed between Oct. 17 and 23, while a further 4,014 sales were made at the province’s lone B.C. Cannabis Store in Kamloops. On Oct. 17 alone, the first day of cannabis legalization in Canada, there were 9,100 online sales registered at bccannabisstores.com and 800 transactions completed at the Kamloops pot shop. Despite being the sole wholesale distributor of nonmedical cannabis in B.C., the BCLDB is declining to release more specific figures relating to cannabis sales. A Postmedia News request for first-week dollar figures was denied by the branch.
OLD FORT Power restored in landslide zone
Power has been restored to a northeastern B.C. community affected by a slowly slumping hillside, but the terrain around Old Fort continues to slip and an evacuation order remains. B.C. Hydro crews began working last week to replace dozens of poles toppled by the creeping landslide and to restring over three kilometres of power lines to more than 50 homes that lost electricity Oct. 6. B.C. Hydro district manager Ed Shuster says in a video statement that lights were on in all the homes in the Fort St. John suburb by late Monday. The regional district is maintaining the evacuation order issued almost three weeks ago covering Old Fort and several of the islands just offshore of the community along the banks of the Peace River.
Residents in a handful of properties west of the main slide area were allowed to return last week, but most of the homes are still vacant.
Evacuees with permits have been able to enter to gather supplies. The district says it will continue to allow the removal of business vehicles, but owners still require a valid permit to enter the evacuation zone.
A cause of the landslide, which was first detected Sept. 30, hasn’t been determined, and geotechnical engineers are still uncertain when the earth will stabilize.