Fly your drone:

• below 90 m above the ground
• at least 5.6 km away from aerodromes (any airport  or area where aircraft take off and land)
• at least 1.9 km away from heliports or aerodromes used by helicopters
• within 500 m of yourself
• only if clearly marked with your name, address and telephone number
• these are but a few of the rules – check with Transport Canada

Transport Canada inspectors investigate reports of unsafe and illegal drone use and may involve local police if other laws (for example, the Criminal Code and privacy laws) have been broken.

You could face serious penalties, including up to $25,000 in fines and/or jail time, if you:

• • put aircraft at risk
  • fly where you are not allowed
  • endanger anyone’s safety

Why this item at this time:

A reliable citizen reported the following – a drone was sighted flying close to the airport. Both the local airport and the RCMP are located adjacent to Airport Street.
That citizen contacted the RCMP but nothing much happened. When the drone was again spotted flying over homes on Airport Street right down to the RCMP station a second call was made to the police.

But prior to that a group of citizens tracked the drone and operator to a home on Highway 97 North of Skagit Avenue.

A second officer became involved and went to the identified home and asked the house occupant whether he had a drone. The answer was yes, it was inspected and then seized by police. One report was that the drone was an expensive model.

Police in Oliver have not confirmed nor denied the story. We don’t know whether charges will be laid, a warning given or the drone returned to its owner.