Vernon Judge Mayland McKimm held off on his sentencing of the
Regional District of the North Okanagan Wednesday afternoon because of
something he heard in the media.
The RDNO is awaiting to hear what financial penalty it will face after being found guilty
of failing to provide potable water, allowing contamination of drinking
water, introducing foreign matter into a well and operating a well in a
manner to cause adverse impact in connection with the contamination of
the Antwerp Springs water source in January 2010.
McKimm is frustrated and insulted by numerous media reports that
suggest the RDNO does not take responsibility for its actions and
continues to claim innocence in the case despite the guilty verdict.
The District of Coldstream has also maintained its innocence in the matter despite the fact it plead guilty to the charges.
In particular, McKimm says comments by RDNO Board Chair, Patrick
Nichol in many media publications as well as the one he heard on the
radio while driving home just two days after he gave the guilty
verdict, left him unsettled.
McKimm says Nicol and the RDNO continue to claim they have done
nothing wrong and that they have somehow been disserved by the justice
system.
“The comments I heard that day showed a contemptuous attitude towards
the findings of the court and more importantly it may well reflect the
motivations of the RDNO. This, along with a number of comments made
during the trial about the district's sincere concern with respect to
providing the district clean water shows a complete indifference from
the district,” said McKimm.
"If I made a comment regarding our lack of responsibility in the case
(which I don't know if I did entirely), I don't think that would be too
unreasonable given were in a position of defense," claimed Patrick
Nicol (more)
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