KAMLOOPS, B.C. - A Kamloops, B.C., couple spent six hours at Vancouver International Airport Sunday wondering what had happened to their Polish nephew who was supposed to be arriving from England.
Worse, Wes Abramowicz said he was told by both airport and customs officials his nephew had never boarded the plane. It was only after several hours that he and his wife learned Canada Border Services had detained him.
"My wife was really worried," he said. "She was thinking about (Robert) Dziekanski."
Dziekanski arrived at the airport from Poland to join his mother in October of 2007, but spent hours stranded in the arrivals area, became agitated and then died after being jolted with an RCMP Taser.
Abramowicz's nephew, Pavel March, 28, a Polish citizen living in England, was held by Canada Border Services because officers believed he was coming to B.C. to work. Abramowicz said Tuesday his nephew came to visit and they were planning a road trip into northern B.C.
Abramowicz said he couldn't believe the lack of co-operation he got after what happened to Dziekanski. He said he repeatedly asked airport staff and border officials for help, with little or no reaction.
"The treatment I got there was the worst possible," he said.
Customs officials eventually told Abramowicz March had been detained, but they refused to say why due to privacy laws.
After Abramowicz complained to the Polish Consulate and MP Cathy McLeod's office he finally got a phone call from March on Monday, saying he was still at Vancouver airport.
March was back in England by Tuesday. Abramowicz said his nephew told him he was led to the airplane in handcuffs.
Vancouver lawyer Walter Kosteckyj said Abramowicz's story is frightening given what happened at Vancouver airport with Dziekanski.
He said recommendations made during the Braidwood Inquiry into Dziekanski's death were supposed to prevent a repeat of what happened, but it's clear that hasn't happened.
An official with Canada Border Services could not be reached for comment.
