War veteran charged after bomb comment

The Globe and Mail ^ | Thursday, October 4, 2001 | Canadian Press

[jalisco555]

CHARLOTTETOWN -- An 81-year-old man is facing a criminal charge and has been banned from flying with Air Canada for life after asking a baggage handler in Charlottetown whether she was looking for a bomb in his wife's change purse.

Elmer Blanchard, a frail Second World War veteran, thought it was an innocent question. He was wrong.

Minutes later, he was arrested by Charlottetown city police, charged with uttering bomb threats and taken to the police station, photographed and fingerprinted.

His wife, Albina, was hauled into a separate room, questioned and informed that her husband was being charged under the Criminal Code and that neither of them would be allowed to fly with Air Canada again.

Mrs. Blanchard said she's shocked, and now worried about her husband's health.

Since the incident Monday, she said, her husband won't eat, has stopped talking and just lies there -- sometimes with tears in his eyes.

The decorated veteran had never been in trouble with the law. Now, he faces a court hearing in Charlottetown next month. The maximum penalty for a conviction on the offence is two years in jail.

"I'm telling you, I don't know if I can go through this," Mrs. Blanchard said, choking back tears.

"He didn't mean it. He just said it as a matter of speech. She was looking through this little bag of mine. There was jewellery in there and there was money in there . . . and Elmer was right behind me, and he said 'Are you looking for a bomb?' "

The Blanchards summer in their hometown of Tignish, PEI, and spend the winters in Dundas, Ont.

After being released from police custody, the Blanchards booked a flight on Canada 3000 out of Moncton.

Their daughter, Gail McMillan, who lives in Paris, Ont., said she believes that security officials overreacted.

Ms. McMillan was supposed to pick up her parents at the airport in Toronto when she received a call saying that they were not on board the plane.

"All the man said -- and I shouldn't say 'all' because he shouldn't have said it -- but all he said was 'Are you looking for a bomb?' " Ms. McMillan said. "He's an 81-year-old man who has never, ever, ever had a brush with the law, who was in the war for five years. He's in shock. He just can't believe that he could be in so much trouble for making that comment."

Charlottetown Police Constable Gary Clow said that in light of what happened in the United States, the police department couldn't take any chances. But he said any time such a statement is made, the police are called.

Mike Campbell, general manager of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said the matter is out of his hands. He did say that such incidents are "very, very rare" for the Island's main airport.

Mr. Campbell said the airport's security measures were in place well before the terrorist attacks and have not been changed.

Mrs. Blanchard said she's trying to find a lawyer and figure out how they can get back to the Island for the court appearance. Air Canada is the only airline to fly into Prince Edward Island regularly.

[jalisco555]

Doesn't this make you feel safer?

[jerod]

There's stupid, and there there's real stupid.

The security people in P.E.I. are real stupid.

[wysiwyg]

Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. Like I said in another thread, the "security" measures are going overboard. This week I had my car keys, watch, wallet, belt and shoes x-rayed. But, I felt soooo much safer afterward. </sarcasm>

[ScreamingFist]

Yes, I feel so much safer. They can't find a friggin shotgun but they're real tuff on frail old men. Click on my screen name to find out how I feel about this situation.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Government has no incentive to prevent real terrorism. Government gains more power with every terrorist act.

[Nov3]

Oh yeah! An over reaction but still should have had more sense than to say bomb

[ScreamingFist]

Are we safer yet?

[Alan Ford]

"All the man said -- and I shouldn't say 'all' because he shouldn't have said it -- but all he said was 'Are you looking for a bomb?' " Ms. McMillan said. "He's an 81-year-old man who has never, ever, ever had a brush with the law, who was in the war for five years. He's in shock. He just can't believe that he could be in so much trouble for making that comment."

WoW !

[somena2001]

I have no doubt that now that this has been made VERY public - Air Canada and the RCMP are going to be in very hot water... As sucky as things are in Canada, the worst thing one can do - in this culture is to be mean or screw around with a vet. MWW

[EggsAckley]

The truly weird part of this is the fact that Canada is and has been harboring Arabic terrorists for years. Many, many of them enter the US through Canada. Why be so rigid at the airport and so lax at the borders?

[RasterMaster]

He's an 81-year-old man who has never, ever, ever had a brush with the law, who was in the war for five years.

Oh now there's a REAL threat! Are the airlines on crack? The Airline bigwigs aren't losing any money and are responsible for the tradegy on Sept. 11th, yet we get to pay for their screw-offs. Ban that airline, and all companies that pull Nazi tactics on a white man, but let three Muslims on board with no problem. The word BOMB is not making a bomb threat!

[VRWC_minion]

Mrs. Blanchard said she's trying to find a lawyer and figure out how they can get back to the Island for the court appearance. Air Canada is the only airline to fly into Prince Edward Island regularly.

Talk about absurd. The guy can't even go to his own trial.

[First_Salute]

Your tax dollars at work, defending civilization against enemy's of the state of limp minds.

[archy]

Canada: question the actions of the local Gestapo, and go to jail.

If I should ever hear of any planned bombings or attacks against Air Canadian aircraft or facilities, I'll not bother to report that forewarning, since it'll be an act against a dictatorial police state.

-archy-/-

[VRWC_minion]

Suicidal terrorists have no problem boarding planes with fake ID and box cutters while an 81 year old man and his purse carrying wife are permantly banned from airflight.

And we think profiling is a bad thing ?

[okie_tech]

This needs a FREEP!!!! HELP THIS MAN OUT AGAINST THE GESTAPO!

[spunkets]

"CHARLOTTETOWN -- An 81-year-old man is facing a criminal charge and has been banned from flying with Air Canada for life after asking a baggage handler in Charlottetown whether she was looking for a bomb in his wife's change purse. "

I'd rather be surrounded by jihadi wackjobs than these brainless twits in the gubmint.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

"...more sense than to say bomb."

Another word is added to the PC list of sacred "Evil" utterances .
Oooooh!, I feel safer, knowing I'm not allowed to say that word anymore.

[B4Ranch]

Wrong, the worst thing one can do in this culture is to be mean or screw around with a illegal alien. Vets aren't even on the list anymore. Ask your politicians. They'll say, "If you aren't fighting for the UN then you are against Canada and the US."

[Justin Thyme]

Do, doesn't make me feel safer. PEI folks severely over-reacted.

Unfortunately, I do believe the old man is guilty of being criminally stupid as well. Common sense alone dictates that you don't even mention the word "bomb" around airports. For crying out loud, every single airport I've been in has had signs saying that "all comments about bombs, weapons or hijacking will be taken seriously, and it's a federal offense".

Was he serious in his comment...I doubt it. Did Canadian authorities and Air Canada over-react, hell yeah. Was his comment even implying threat?...certainly not. But that doesn't change that fact that regardless of PC sensibilities, common sense should still be observed.