24th drunk driving offence a Canadian record?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Winnipeg Sun


In what's believed to be a Canadian record, a 67-year-old Quebec man was convicted Tuesday of his 24th drunk-driving offence.

Yvon Gingras of St-Ubalde, Que., was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to impaired driving, breach of conditions and refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test.

Gingras bought a car despite a driving ban. Outraged neighbours, aware of his prior convictions, formed a committee to track his movements.

One neighbour spotted Gingras behind the wheel last June 20 and called police. The unlicensed driver refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. Officers searched his car and found eight large bottles of beer as well as a full bottle of vodka.

"The defendant clearly poses a risk to public safety and he has no respect for the law and court orders," Judge Alain Morand told a sentencing hearing.

Gingras, initially barred from driving until 2021, has now been slapped with a lifetime driving ban.

He was also ordered to provide a DNA sample and his new car was confiscated.

Crown attorney Christine Gosselin congratulated St-Ubalde citizens for their vigilance.

"Under the circumstances, it is an initiative that should be welcomed," Gosselin said. "People must get involved."

Gingras has a lengthy and diverse criminal record dating back to 1965. He has been convicted of 24 counts of driving while intoxicated, seven for violating a driving ban and five counts of refusing a breathalyzer test.

He also has 25 convictions for theft, four for assault and threats along with seven convictions for violating court orders.

Gingras has never agreed to enter rehab.

[Hugh_Janus]

tbh, I'd have perma-banned him after 5 offences :wha:

I hate drink drivers

[Joebob034]

Isn't this just par for the course for Canadians?

[Godfather]

Nope, just Quebec :roll: They have their own legal system away from the entire country. Bunch of headbangers (except Sam)

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Nope, just Quebec :roll: They have their own legal system away from the entire country. Bunch of headbangs (except Sam)

But what's weird is that every time we would head up to Montreal, when we stopped at the border, the Canadian border agents nearly always asked us if anyone in the vehicle had a DUI on their record. Sometimes they were real pricks about it too, they'd be all "Don't lie to me, because I'll run your record and find it!"

:roll:

[Godfather]

But what's weird is that every time we would head up to Montreal, when we stopped at the border, the Canadian border agents nearly always asked us if anyone in the vehicle had a DUI on their record. Sometimes they were real pricks about it too, they'd be all "Don't lie to me, because I'll run your record and find it!"

:roll:

:lol:

That's a strange question to ask at the border too isn't it? Usually they just ask about meat and veggies... maybe drugs.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

:lol:

That's a strange question to ask at the border too isn't it? Usually they just ask about meat and veggies... maybe drugs

Well, I know that Canadian law prevents any foreign national with a drunk driving offense on their record from entering the country. Dunno why they were making a big deal about it at the Quebec/Vermont border though...maybe because we were just a bunch of young guys and they assumed that we must have someone in the vehicle with a DUI on their record? :dunno:

[Godfather]

Well, I know that Canadian law prevents any foreign national with a drunk driving offense on their record from entering the country. Dunno why they were making a big deal about it at the Quebec/Vermont border though...maybe because we were just a bunch of young guys and they assumed that we must have someone in the vehicle with a DUI on their record? :dunno:

Weird, I had no idea that was brought up at the border.

Motor vehicles law is made by each provincial government, so I can't speak to what the hell Quebec is doing but here after 1 conviction you're just fucked. Jail time, car impounded, breathalizer to start car, penalties. If you manage to get through all that, every ticket past the 3rd would cost $24,000 and you'd have to pay it before buying your insurance :lol:

I still just don't get how any person could afford to have that many violations on their driving record?

[Hal-9000]

Last time I crossed the border going into the US, they didn't ask us if we had any perishables, illegal items...they asked - Will you be bringing anything back?

:lol:


Yes officer, we plan to pick up 10 kilos of black tar heroin and some underage American girls you fucking mook :lol:

[Godfather]

They're more worried about that nice leather jacket and new shoes you're planning on ripping the tags off to not pay duty on :lol:

[Hal-9000]

Can't recall ever getting asked about drinking offenses .....of course we went back in the days when you didn't need a passport, free trade was just a notion and no 9/11...


You're right GF, they were more concerned about X amount of shopping dollars spent

[Godfather]

Fug, that reminds me I need to renew my passport

Need new dress shirts and a suit, and dammed if I won't buy it for half the price in Seattle. :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Last time I crossed the border going into the US, they didn't ask us if we had any perishables, illegal items...they asked - Will you be bringing anything back?

:lol:


Yes officer, we plan to pick up 10 kilos of black tar heroin and some underage American girls you fucking mook :lol:

We'd get questions like that too, mostly coming back into the States....the questioning would go something like:

How long were you in Canada?
Purpose of your trip?
Anything illegal in the vehicle?

What was he expecting with the last question? :-s

Dammit officer, why did you have to ask that one? Yes, we have a car full of weed and narcotics we picked up in Canada, you done busted us :(


:roll:

[Joebob034]

I've never been asked that question either, but the last couple of times I've crossed the border I've actually had a bigger a-hole on the Windsor side. It's usually the other way around. You get the asshole on the Detroit side when you're coming back.

[Noilly Pratt]

I remember when in the 80's I'd say "just going for a drive" and they'd say "good luck with the Birch Bay girls!" It was a known cruising spot that was only 10 minutes away from us.

Even now when you say you live in a border town they usually are OK - I go over for gas all the time. Just that you need your passport. Never EVER have been asked either side about DUIs, but my record is clean, anyway.

Only time I was hassled was about 11pm about 20 years ago and I was going over to Bellingham, WA. to pick up my Mom from a flight from Reno.

They asked me where are you going and why so late. I started to answer Bellingham, to....and the guy interrupts. I ALSO ASKED YOU WHY! I guess I talked a little slow for his liking. I said "OK - like I'm trying to say"... After that, it was the third degree -- what do I do, is this my car etc, etc. "I ought to strip search your car". He was getting more irate and the more out of control he got, the more cool I became. He was trying his best to be intimidating but I've been around law enforcement people all my life and so I just wasn't, so I think it rattled the guy.

[Godfather]

I went camping with my family once and the border cop said "anything illegal, any fruit, veggies or meat?"

And my uncles goes: "Just meat"
Border cop: "...... please pull off to the side"

They then proceeded to take away $40 of beef jerky, no doubt packaged and shipped from the US :rofl: Why my uncle did that I'll never understand.

[Hal-9000]

I remember in grade 12 we drove down to Spokane and my friend has a somewhat common name.They held him (us) there for over 3 hours confirming he wasn't the guy on a nationwide warrant :lol: Even his middle name was the same.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I think that out of all the times I went to Montreal (and it was a couple hundred times easy), we only got dragged inside the Canadian customs once, they ran our licenses, they searched the vehicle, they gave us a pat down....and there was no reason as to why they singled us out :wha:

[DemonGeminiX]

I think that out of all the times I went to Montreal (and it was a couple hundred times easy), we only got dragged inside the Canadian customs once, they ran our licenses, they searched the vehicle, they gave us a pat down....and there was no reason as to why they singled us out :wha:

:hand:

They obviously knew you were rabble rousers.

[Godfather]

I think that out of all the times I went to Montreal (and it was a couple hundred times easy), we only got dragged inside the Canadian customs once, they ran our licenses, they searched the vehicle, they gave us a pat down....and there was no reason as to why they singled us out :wha:

I always understood they had a practice of randomly pull aside every __th car on a given day depending on how busy they are. You were probably also singled out cus you look like a trouble maker :lol:

[Joebob034]

One time I got the "random car search" when crossing the border. I had to pull over and they looked in my truck and my friend and I had to go into the processing center where they swiped our licenses - a grand total of 15 minutes. The funny thing is I had a case of beer in my bed that I left at my friend's house when I picked him up. I thought "It's probably not gonna matter, but I'll take it out just to be safe." Of course when the border guard if asked if I had any tobacco or alcohol on me I said no, not knowing I'd be searched. Had I said no and then they found that case of beer in my bed I don't know what would've happened. Of course I blamed my friend for the random search cuz he's Pakistani.

[Hal-9000]

My old boss travels by motorhome and has probably been to Texas more often that Kevin :lol:

He said they ask and never check the coach of his motorhome.After one trip, him and his wife had cartons of smokes, bottles of booze and completely forgot about claiming them :lol:

He said that they had bought the 'contraband' 2 weeks earlier in Wyoming and forgotten.