After rolling around in a city court for two years, a rollerblading charge against Vancouver’s iconic Roller Girl has been dismissed.
The highly visible, pink-clad Roller Girl (a.k.a. Angela Dawson) is a familiar site to Vancouvertites who have seen her over the years directing traffic in the city's major intersections.
Or, they’ve come across her campaigning when she’s run for various city elected offices.
However, since April 20, 2021, some of her energies have gone to fighting a traffic ticket.
Roller Girl claimed Vancouver police put her in danger when they stopped her at Main and Keefer that day, while rollerblading behind a truck.
She was charged with unlawfully coasting/sliding with apparatus on a street.
When she appeared before a justice of the peace on March 29, 2022, she said the ticket was a violation of her human rights, of her right to freedom of expression.
“I’m a rollerblader,” she said.
That’s when the court asked if Dawson wanted to pursue a Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge on the ticket.
Dawson agreed.
And so the dispute continued — for 11 court appearances, some revolving around questions about whether or not Roller Girl would be getting a lawyer.
It was on Nov. 15 that a judge told Roller Girl there would be no further adjournments to obtain a lawyer.
It was in February that well-known Vancouver lawyer Kevin Westell’s name appeared on records as Roller Girl’s lawyer.
The case was set to go to trial May 31; however, on April 12, the case was listed as "ended" with no further proceedings.
Dawson rollerblading in the area of Main and Hastings has been a common sight for almost two decades. She directs traffic while on wheels in her trademark bright pink attire. She's also known to direct traffic at Commercial and Broadway and Main and 14th.
"I love it," she said. "I love preventing death. I like to enhance society."
