A man with an extensive rap sheet of theft and property crimes dating back to 2006 is facing charges after once again getting arrested in Whistler.
In a release on Aug. 28, the Whistler RCMP said they received a report of a break-and-enter into a residential unit on Aug. 17. Police "conducted an investigation and were able to take a male immediately into custody," the release said.
The next day, Aug. 18, five charges were laid against Stephen Ernest Blackwater, 46, including three charges of break-and-enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, possession of property obtained by crime and obstruction of a peace officer in the execution of his duties.
It's at least the fifth time Blackwater has been arrested for crimes in Whistler. In August 2024, he was charged with one count of break-and-enter to commit an indictable offence after breaking into two local businesses.
Blackwater was found guilty of that charge, and sentenced to 493 days in jail and 18 months of probation, according to publicly available court documents. It's unclear when he was released.
In 2008, Blackwater was charged with four counts of breaking and entering in the resort, one count of breaching an earlier condition that he stay out of Whistler, and for failing to appear in court on another charge. In that instance he was sentenced to six months in jail and one year of probation.
In 2007, he was charged with break-and-enter with intent to commit an indictable offence in Whistler, and eventually sentenced to 34 days in jail.
And in October 2006, he was found guilty of theft under $5,000 for a different Whistler offence, eventually serving eight days in prison.
The 2006 charge is the earliest, but Blackwater's rap sheet extends far beyond Whistler. Plugging his name into Court Services Online produces three full pages of results, with petty crimes taking place everywhere from Prince Rupert, West Vancouver and North Vancouver to Burnaby, Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver.
Blackwater remains in custody until his next court appearance on Sept. 2.
It's unclear where Blackwater is originally from, though previous news reports stated he has "no fixed address."
Pique has asked police for more info, and will update this story as necessary.
Whistler bike thief found to be in Canada illegally
Meanwhile, a separate theft investigation is also underway after police received a report on Aug. 13 about a man in possession of a stolen bike.
"Members were able to retrieve the bicycle and, during the investigation, it was discovered that the suspect in possession of the stolen bike was illegally residing in Canada," police said in a release.
The man was arrested under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and local police worked in partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency to "ensure that further investigation into the individual’s overstay in Canada was conducted."
“We want the visitors and residents of the Whistler community to trust that when they call us, we will be there to assist,” said Cpl. Katrina Boehmer, media relations officer with the Sea to Sky RCMP, in the release. “Whether investigators are returning stolen property or arresting individuals to enforce the laws, our priority is to address each situation with professionalism and with the safety of our community in mind.”
Anyone with information on these cases or any other crimes is asked to contact the Sea to Sky Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or go to solvecrime.ca.
