Toronto Coun. Paul Ainslie announced Thursday he had received a warning under the Highway Traffic Act during a police R.I.D.E. spot check in early May and, as a result, was asked to surrender his licence for three days.
Ainslie, who represents Ward 43 Scarborough East, said he came clean about the incident because he saw false information on Twitter, with users stating that he had been charged with driving under the influence.
Ainslie stressed that the warning, which was issued on the evening of May 3, is not a criminal offence and he will not be charged in relation to the issue going forward.
“There were no criminal charges filed against me and no criminal charges will be brought forward,” he said. “I have never been charged with a criminal offence and I have never previously received a warning under the Highway Traffic Act.”
Under the provincial Highway Traffic Act, a driver who registers a blood alcohol level between 0.05 and 0.08 for the first time can lose their licence for three days.
Ainslie said he was pulled over during the check as he was returning home after having dinner with friends. During the dinner, Ainslie said he had drank “two or three glasses of wine,” adding he thought enough time had lapsed to drive home.
“I truthfully admitted to the officer when he asked me if I had any alcohol, I answered ‘yes,’” he said. “I was quite surprised when I registered the warning.”
He said that despite not being charged with any criminal offence, he felt he needed to clarify the details of incident.
“I felt that to be a responsible city councillor, to be responsible to my family and to be responsible in particular to the residents in Ward 43 that elected me, I needed to make a clear and factual statement that I was not charged with drinking under the influence,” he said.
“This incident will never be repeated, as I’ve now been reminded of a lesson which was taught to me long ago: that drinking and driving don’t mix.”
