Haida Gwaii Community Wants Court to Ban Man From Its Land

Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative, Prince George Citizen

A federal Crown prosecutor wants a BC Supreme Court judge to sentence a man who was banished from Skidegate reserves to six months in jail on concurrent sentences for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and for selling marijuana.

Shaun Jackson Smith was convicted on May 12, 2025, of trafficking cocaine and selling marijuana.

During a July 8 sentencing hearing in Prince George, Crown prosecutor Adrienne Switzer told Justice Christopher Greenwood that Smith was operating an “ongoing business venture” that he had established less than two months after completing his previous prison sentence. She said he owned a residence, vehicles and a boat. 

Police seized a quantity of drugs from Smith’s residence, including 30.5 grams of cocaine hidden in the false bottom of a Heinz can in a kitchen cupboard.

“An expert testified that the value of the cocaine on Mr. Smith’s person, which was prepackaged for sale, was approximately $450 to $900, depending on certain market factors,” Switzer told the court. “At the street level, the 30.5 grams of cocaine would be worth approximately $3,050. The expert estimated the marijuana to be worth approximately $8,845.”

Switzer said Smith’s crimes had terrorized the Skidegate community on Haida Gwaii.

“This is a community that obviously does not wish to have this individual return to resume the harmful activities that he’s now twice engaged in,” Switzer said. “That causes fear and other social side effects within that community.”

Deputy Chief Coun. Trent Moraes of the Skidegate Band Council submitted a community impact statement to the court. Moraes said Smith’s behaviour was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of criminality, breaches of court orders and disregard for the safety of others.

“Women fear for their safety,” Moraes said. “Families and neighbours lived with uncertainty, and community members became reluctant to report concerns because they feared retaliation.”

The situation became so serious that the band council unanimously passed a resolution banning Smith from its reserves.

“We respectfully ask that the sentence result in meaningful additional time in custody,” Moraes told Greenwood. “We also ask the court to prohibit Mr. Smith from returning to Skidegate or any Skidegate reserve unless he receives written permission from the Skidegate Band Council.”