Canadian Lawyer

12 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP A n Alberta man, Everett George Klippert, has been described as the last man in Canada imprisoned for homosexual acts between consenting adults. Now, after years of obscurity, his case is being revisited as discussions continue about acknowledging Canada's history of criminalizing homosexuality. Some details of Klippert's life are clouded and troubling. But what is absolutely clear is that his controversial imprisonment as a dangerous sexual offender in 1966 clarified minds on Parliament Hill and played a signifi- cant role, three years later, in the pas- sage of legislation that finally decrimi- nalized homosexuality. But the line from Klippert's offences and convictions, to the laudable change in the law, his subsequent release and return to a quiet and very private life in Edmonton is not one without a few knotty problems. The first troubling question is: Was Klippert a pedophile? Klippert had two significant brushes with the law. In 1960, while working as a bus driver in Calgary, the 33-year-old was convicted of 18 charges of "gross indecency" under the then s. 149 of the Criminal Code. At the time, gross indecency was the charge laid against those alleged to have engaged in homosexual practices. At his May 1960 trial, he pleaded guilty to all charges. Competing Cal- gary daily newspapers both quote the Crown in the trial as identifying Klippert's "victims" as "young boys," though the papers never reveal the so-called young boys' ages. Nor do the ages of "the boys" appear in the infor- mation issued against Klippert. The court was told Klippert met many of his partners while driving the bus and would give them free rides or some- times a two-dollar bill. "I have seen those newspaper reports and I really have no idea what they mean," says Toronto lawyer Doug Elliott. He has been investigating the Klippert case for some time. "Depend- ing on your perspective, it could mean someone under 30, someone under 18 or someone under 12. If they had been prepubescent boys, I would think that would have been referred to in the [judge's] remarks." Elliott also says that, initially, Klip- pert was charged with the old offence of contributing to juvenile delinquency, but the Crown withdrew that charge, likely due to a lack of evidence. — GEOFF ELLWAND writerlaw@gmail.com Calgary man jailed for homosexuality back in the news S oaring housing prices in Vancouver are making the lifestyle in smaller communities — which still offer a chance to buy the single-family home with a backyard for the kids and the dog — more attractive than ever. While the pay and prestige may not be as great, the compensation comes in the form of more work-life balance, less spent on housing, less commuting time, more dispos- able income and more opportunity to work challenging cases. The average detached three-bedroom and two-bathroom house in Vancouver runs $1.5 million, while in the Fraser Valley the same property costs between $350,000 and $600,000 depending on the lot site. In areas such as Kelowna, the price range is $500,000 and above. Kamloops has an average home price of $400,000 to $425,000. On Vancouver Island, Victoria's capital region has home prices averag- ing $600,000 to $625,000, while up-Island areas such as Nanaimo list homes for an average price of $410,000 and smaller communities such as Port Alberni offer housing for just more than $200,000. "The difference between living in Vancouver and outside Vancouver is $1 mil- lion," says Jeff Robinson, a civil litigator with Kelowna's Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP and partner who left Vancouver in 2012 for the Okanagan, a sweet spot known internationally for its vineyards and wineries, lake and water sports, picture-card orchards and world-class skiing. It's not such a small town: StatsCan estimates Kelowna and its surrounding area as having a population of 197,274 in 2015, up from 191,190 the previous year, as it is also a place retirees favour. Robinson, a seven-year-call lawyer, moved from a condo in Vancouver to a tra- ditional family house in North Delta. But, with two busy working professionals and daycare needs, Robinson says simply: "It didn't work." He was spending 90 minutes or more commuting each day to work in Vancouver. He and his wife moved to Kelowna four years ago and have never looked back. "I'm working more here than I did in Vancouver," he says. Only minutes from home, he turns in more productive hours. "You don't get paid to commute and YOUNG LAWYERS IN B.C. EYE SMALLER COMMUNITIES Fort Langley, a village in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia W E S T

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