Stanley Edward Pottie went on trial in provincial court in Nanaimo on Friday, May 6 for allegedly breaking COVID-19 gathering rules at his upper Lantzville property in March 2021. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

COVID dispute

Lantzville man disputes $2,300 COVID ticket for alleged unsanctioned gathering

May 6, 2022 | 3:03 PM

NANAIMO — Stan Pottie is putting up a fight in hopes of flushing a pricey fine down the toilet.

The Lantzvllle man was on trial in Nanaimo on Friday, May 6 for allegedly breaking COVID-19 health measures last year.

Pottie was handed a $2,300 ticket from a Nanaimo RCMP officer who visited his property on March 20, 2021 for what the Crown described as an event.

A Nanaimo Mountie testified an estimated 40 to 50 people were on Pottie’s Clark Dr. West property after a complaint was filed to the detachment.

Gatherings and events of more than 10 people were banned under the Emergency Program Act at the time, which applied province-wide during the first six months of last year.

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The Crown’s Brett Webber told court a bylaw enforcement officer and Nanaimo RCMP warned Pottie in the days leading up to the alleged offence about COVID health restrictions.

Webber took exception to claims by Pottie he didn’t entice people to his Lantzville property, home to numerous life-sized animatronic dinosaurs.

Webber pointed to social media posts encouraging people to visit “Stanley’s Dino Park” home to a food truck and popcorn stand, while an admission fee was in place for adults.

“People just didn’t luck out and come onto your property. There was all of this type of advertising,” Webber told the court.

Two Nanaimo Mounties and a Lantzville bylaw enforcement officer testified on behalf of the Crown.

During his testimony, Pottie estimated there were in the range of 10 people on his property the afternoon he received the ticket.

“Every picture that you’ve provided show a couple of kids and some pictures don’t show any kids. But we’re to believe that very day there were 50 kids?”

Pottie noted some of the people on his property during the day in question were area dog walkers.

Judge Justine Saunders reserved her decision for a future date.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes