The owner of the Smuggler含羞草研究社檚 Inn Bed & Breakfast in Blaine, Wash., is facing a number of charges relating to the smuggling of people into Canada.
A bail hearing was held in Surrey Provincial Court Wednesday for Robert Joseph Boule, who has been charged with 30 offences, including several under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A final decision on bail is expected to be handed down April 25.
Among the charges, Boule is facing 16 counts of counselling offences relating to knowingly inducing, aiding or abetting 16 people in illegally attempting to enter Canada.
The offences are alleged to have occurred at various times between April 2016 and March 2019.
The Smugglers Inn is located on the U.S. side of 0 Avenue at 184 Street.
In 2010, Canadian Geographic published an article on Boule and his experience watching as people illegally crossed the border, which runs through the backyard of the Smuggler含羞草研究社檚 Inn.
含羞草研究社淲e see people in our yard almost every night. Just keep your eyes open,含羞草研究社� Boule told the magazine, adding that, from time to time he would receive 含羞草研究社渧ague含羞草研究社� overtures from people asking whether he was interested in making some money.
含羞草研究社淚 tell them, 含羞草研究社楽orry, you misunderstand,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 said Boule, who has named rooms in his bed and breakfast for historic criminals, and whose personalized vehicle licence plate reads SMUGLER.
Bellingham lawyer Greg Boos said outside court Wednesday that he has known Boule for 含羞草研究社減robably two decades含羞草研究社� and referred to him as 含羞草研究社渁 pillar of the Blaine community and all the of the economic development community of Whatcom County.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 been trying to do things to make the community a better place for tourism, a better place for business,含羞草研究社� he said, adding that he was surprised to hear of Boule含羞草研究社檚 arrest.
含羞草研究社淏ob is straight and narrow,含羞草研究社� he said.
Boos said he was not surprised at the frequency of illegal crossings of the border on Zero Avenue in the vicinity of Smuggler含羞草研究社檚 Inn.
含羞草研究社淓verybody knows. People cross all along the U.S.-Canada border. Peace Arch Park is notorious for people crossers; the area that Bob is in, so close to the border, is notorious.含羞草研究社�
He said the problem has been exacerbated by the Trump administration含羞草研究社檚 refugee policy, in spite of offical claims from Canada that the U.S. remains a safe third country for refugees.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 a fiction,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淎ll of these people that maybe would otherwise be filing a refugee claim in the U.S. are fleeing to Canada because they know that their claim would not be dealt with properly.含羞草研究社�
He said Canadian law has been a 含羞草研究社渄river for refugees crossing the border illegally, because they will be turned away at the legal border crossings.含羞草研究社�
Asked to characterize Boule, Boos said 含羞草研究社淏ob has a heart of gold. He含羞草研究社檚 had a family of five living in his carriage house for over a year without paying any money, because their trailer home burned down.含羞草研究社�
While taking a photo of the Smuggler含羞草研究社檚 Inn property on Tuesday, a Peace Arch News reporter was pulled over by the RCMP. The officer, who was in the general area at the time, questioned him about why he was out of his car in the area, and subsequently let him go.
The officer told PAN he had been parked nearby.
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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