Ian McIlwaine feels scared and bullied and has had tears in his eyes since April 22, he says.
That Wednesday, according to McIlwaine, the Squamish RCMP paid his home a visit and had a chat with his wife over how the couple is raising their two sons, Connor, 6, and Tyler, 4.
The visit stemmed from an incident McIlwaine thought of as completely innocent that occurred on April 19.
McIlwaine had been waxing his car in the front yard that warm, sunny Sunday while his boys played beside him. Little Tyler decided to strip out of his wet clothes.
“He hates being wet,” McIlwaine said. “He had been fighting a cold so was wearing thicker pants and a longer shirt.”
The boys continued to play, Tyler in the nude. McIlwaine stopped Tyler to ask him if the boy wanted to get dressed, he said, but the child said no.
“He is four years old. He’s just pure right now, he doesn’t know prejudice,” said the father. “I like knowing he is my innocent little four-year-old still.”
The day ended and McIlwaine flew out of town on a business trip the next morning.
Two days later he got a call from his distraught wife, Margita, who is originally from Slovenia.“They are a fighting country… she’s a tough girl. The only time I ever
really saw her cry was when we had the kids, tears of joy kind of thing,” he said.
Over a couple of calls to her, McIlwaine said he discovered that according to Margita, the Squamish RCMP spent over half an hour at the house asking about the incident and advising her to keep both boys in the backyard if they are naked.
McIlwaine said his backyard has a creek and is not safe for children to run around.
Apparently the RCMP had received a complaint from a neighbour about the Sunday incident. McIlwaine said he gets along well with his immediate neighbours and isn’t sure who called the police.
McIlwaine cut short his business trip and flew home. He went to the RCMP detachment that Thursday. He said he was told that no law had been broken by having his son naked in the yard.
The incident has made both parents feel defensive about their parenting, said McIlwaine, his voice cracking.
“Everybody compliments me on how well behaved and well mannered and they are very polite and they are fun. You know, everything I do is try to give those kids a good start, they need the first six years to mean something,” he said.
The worst thing, McIlwaine said, is that not only are he and his wife distraught over the situation, their son Connor is frightened of being removed from the home by authorities.
“He was crying because he is concerned now that the police are going to take him and Tyler away because they got naked, and it wasn’t even him, it was just my youngest son,” said McIlwaine, “but God bless him, he stands up for his brother no matter what.”
McIlwaine and his wife want an apology from the RCMP.
McIlwaine’s story has gone viral since it was posted on social media. The support from the community has been amazing, McIlwaine said.
“That in itself makes me happy,” he said.
Squamish RCMP Staff Sgt. Brian Cumming issued a statement to The Squamish Chief in response to the story.
“I have spoken to Mrs. and Mr. McIlwaine, explained that we responded to a complaint from another citizen about their son being out on the street with no clothes on a few days earlier. They did not feel this was handled well by the officers responding despite my explanations, and I offered an apology that they were not happy and felt their son was now afraid of the police,” said Cumming.
“Mr. McIlwaine suggested that his son would respond well if given the opportunity to visit the police station and meet the police in more favourable circumstances, and we have agreed to arrange for this to happen in the near future.”
