COURT: Hearing postponed in bear feeding case
By Mona Mattei
The man accused of feeding up to 26 bears near Christina Lake to guard his marijuana grow op made his first appearance at Provincial Court in Grand Forks today. Allen Piche has been charged with one count of feeding dangerous wildlife under the Wildlife Act [Sec. 33.1(1)].
Piche said that he has also just received information that he is facing two criminal charges for the production of, and possession for the purpose of trafficking in, marijuana. Piche appeared in court with his wife, Kathleen Wickie, and two other men implicated in the matter – Richard Vickery and Billi J. Vickery. Piche received disclosure information from the Crown Prosecutor during today’s hearing, and said he was unprepared to move forward. “I can’t afford a lawyer, so it takes me a while to figure things out. I have to do more research on these cases,” said Piche in an interview today. “I don’t know if I’m going to plead guilty or not. I’d like to know more information.” Piche said that the bears have now all gone into hibernation, and he’s confident that many of the younger males will not return next year. The judge recommended that Piche retain a lawyer for his next hearing. Defense lawyer Ken Wyllie represented the Vickerys. The hearing for all four was put over until Jan. 18, 2011, when the court may proceed with arraignment. A police investigation of an alleged marijuana grow operation in mid-August 2010 uncovered a number of severely habituated and food-conditioned black bears on a rural property near Christina Lake. The property owner, Piche, had allegedly been feeding the bears large amounts of dog food, in quantities that were enough to sustain the animals. As a result, the bears had become dependent upon humans for food and were docile in response to humans as food providers. It is believed as many as 26 bears were frequenting the property in search of food. Under the Province’s Wildlife Act, penalties for feeding dangerous wildlife can be as high as $100,000 for a first offence, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both. Subsequent convictions for the same offence can result in a fine of not more than $200,000 and not less than $2,000, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both.
