Owner of NHL’s Dallas Stars begin trial on environment charges

KAMLOOPS – A trial is underway in Kamloops Provincial Court for a local high-profile father-son business duo facing environmental charges.

Father and son Bob and Tom Gaglardi, owners of Northland Properties Corporation each, along with the company, face two counts of harmful alteration of fish habitat.

Northland Properties is the parent company of the Sandman hotel chain and the Denny’s, Moxie’s and Shark Club restaurants. A Sandman Signature hotel is near completion in downtown Kamloops, expected to open this year at a date yet to be announced.

Tom is also part owner of the local WHL hockey team the Kamloops Blazers and the NHL hockey team the Dallas Stars.

Crown counsel Digby Kier alleges 600 feet of lake-front property owned by the family at Kamloops Lake was cleared and altered, disturbing the natural fish habitat in April 2010.

The trial began today before judge Stephen Harrison and is scheduled for three days.

Defence lawyers Rob Bruneau and Rob Toor are representing the Gaglardis and the company.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.

—This story was corrected at 4:15 p.m. January 14, 2014 to say the property is owned by the family, not merely Bob.