Fisheries charges laid against Gaglardis
The Gaglardi family is in hot legal water after allegedly breaking federal laws while carrying out construction work on a lakefront property in Savona.
Tom Gaglardi, his father Bob and Jim Parks, in addition to the Gaglardi-owned Northland Properties Corporation, are facing two charges under the federal Fisheries Act.
According to court documents obtained by KTW, the charges allege the parties contravened federal legislation by first clearing and then filling land — actions "that resulted in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, the foreshore of Kamloops Lake."
The documents allege the offences took place between April 2010 and Jan. 25, 2011.
The charges were laid on April 10, 2012.
TNRD director Ronaye Elliott said the waterfront Gaglardi property is located east of the entry to the Savona Aspen Planers panel plant and is roughly the size of two city lots.
She said the work so close to the water angered some area residents.
"Well, yeah, because you're not allowed to do work on the shore," she said.
"There's people who live along the shore who aren't even allowed to move logs on their property."
Elliott said the TNRD issued a stop-work order on the construction.
Tom Gaglardi is the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers and recently purchased the NHL's Dallas Stars.
His Vancouver-based Northland company is behind the Sandman Hotel construction project underway on Lorne Street in downtown Kamloops across from Riverside Park.
The file is due back in court on Aug. 16, at which time it is expected the accused parties will enter a plea.
Savona is 35 kilometres west of Kamloops on the Trans-Canada Highway.
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