Man with old DUI record can’t drive for Pai-pa

In a closed discussion on Tuesday night, Iqaluit’s city council decided not to reverse a decision denying a man’s request to work for Pai-pa Taxi because of a record of convictions for drunk driving, dating from 10 years ago.

Raynald Racine, who arrived in Iqaluit about a month ago, was to work for one of Pai-Pa’s owner-operators.

Neither Racine nor the owner-operator realized that an Iqaluit bylaw regarding the qualifications for taxi drivers could allow Ian Freemantle, the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, to quash Racine’s licence application.

According to the by-law Racine’s past offences, even though they occured more than five years ago, could be “deemed to be a threat to public safety.”

Moreover, in his application, Racine apparently didn’t respond positively to a question about whether he had a criminal record because he thought it referred only to convictions within the past five years.

“This man, earlier in his life, had been convicted of impaired driving on three occasions, failure to provide a breath sample and assault, but they were all 10 years ago,” said Pai-pa owner Craig Dunphy.

“They said the guy has only been in town for 30 days, why should we give him a job? If they’re going to say that, they should change the bylaw that you have to live in town for six months, or a year. They can’t make discretionary decisions made on a whim because somebody doesn’t speak English well enough. To me, it reeks of discrimination.”

Dunphy said council is punishing Racine for his past.

“The city council of Iqaluit has judged him again. Basically, what’s happening here is that the CAO and council are playing God. You can work, you can’t work. Where does it stop?”

Dunphy said he is looking “at several options” for future action.

“We’re not going to lay down and play dead. They’re taking this bylaw and twisting it to suit themselves.”