Two girls died on the street the other day. The police believe they had used ecstasy and cocaine hours earlier These are the real victims of the cross border smuggling of BC bud.

I have read some of these comments . What Sam Brown did was very wrong and he paid with his life. The things people are saying are very hurtful to his family. What most people are forgetting is that he was a human being, a son, brother ... a person. it is every ones right to comment, but in doing think before u comment about what your opinion well do to his family. No one wanted Sam Brown to die. He just made wrong choices, like many of use have done. No one has the right to judge we are all only human. the Brown family has paid enough , stop the hate. Let this family grieve in peace. RIP Sam, I hope you are in a better place, riding your motorcycle and at peace,

I don't normally post anything,anywhere for that matter, but this story has come to my attention and some of the posts have gotten under my skin like never before.

Sam's is a horrific story, but one that would be so easy to envision oneself slipping into. I am of the same disfunctional, corporately brain-washed generation as Sam. Here i am, trying to make it through dental school, dropping out in my last semester due to lack of funds. I can't tell you what i would have done for the money just 2 mths ago, because i don't even know myself. Here we are, a society pushing money, the high-life, nice cars, fast food, quick fixes(Swiffers, Bounty...individually wrapped prunes?), yet we have governments who support outsourcing instead of the future of their countries (ie STUDENTS).
Sam never used violence, didn't have a GUN (unlike every respectable American citizen!). Things can start small and easy, then before you know it people are no longer ASKING you to do something, but TELLING you to.

So next time you feel the hairbrained, impulsive need to post something awful, think of reading that very same thing about your own son, your own friend. Look at the big picture for once instead of going on some narrow-minded crusade for the petty issues in life. Focus on something bigger and better, step off the line that was only drawn there to make you more managable. Question your beliefs, just to ensure that they are indeed your own.

RIP Sam, thank you for making me feel passionately.

To all of you out there with your negative comments, you should be ashamed of yourselves. This was someones son, brother, uncle and above all.. friend. He was a good man, and everyone makes bad choices sometimes when put in certain situations, if you can't admit that, then you are only lying to yourself. Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you have nothing good to say, then say nothing at all?
To all of those who had the pleasure of meeting Sam, i'm sure i can speak for all of us when i say that he will always be remembered and missed.

Cheers Sam

It is the same style of heli as the one Sam was flying, but definetly NOT the same machine!

For those still following this story,....on Jan 23, 2010 RCMP Border Integrity Program in Nelson seized a helicopter in a remote location north of Nelson for drug trafficking across the Canada-US boarder. It was the same style as Sam flew, possibly the same helicopter (not confirmed). In the press release, RCMP did say they had been tracking the aircraft since Aug 2008,....well before Sam ill-fated trip. It had been reported flying south towards the boarder in low light conditions and returning shortly after at least 10 times in the year-and-a-half RCMP tracked it.

Considering the differnet points of view on this story so far, I am sure the conclusions drawn from this bit of news will be as varied.

I accidentally discovered Sam's story while looking for a CBC video on 911, which coincidentally is censored for me to watch in the US.
In my opinion: law enforcement/DEA operations and prosecutions against dealers/smugglers is merely the darker elements of our own "governments" beating down their competition. I ask any one who reads this to dig into the depth of CIA involvment (includung the Bush & Clinton families) in all forms of drug trafficing from the Vietnam era right up to the present day.
With historical precedences such as the Opium Wars in the 19th century, for the huge profit of the British East India Company, is it so hard to conceive government involvement.
My sincerest regrets to Sam's family & friends. He surely seemed like a likeable guy with no malice and I find it impossible for me, an American citizen, to veiw any of his activities for which he was persecuted as criminal; regardless of the "laws" written by the establishment's elite.

I know a bit about Sam Brown. I have read the arguments on this blog site. What a waste of time that has been. Some of you are using Sam's death as a forum to legalize Pot. Shame on you! Some of you are using Sam's death as a reason to moralize and feel above the pot smokers. Shame on you too! Some of you are using Sam's death to express your own anger at Sam's grieving family. How awful for you to feel you need to do this.

I do believe Sam Brown is a victim, not of the law, not of the family, but of the drug business and his own poor choices. I do not hate pot smoking, but lets get one thing straight: For now it is illegal, if you don't like that fact, do something about it in a productive way.

The drug business is killing kid, cops and families. the ones who use the cocaine, the ones who sell the pot, the police offices who are only doing what there job asks them to do and yes the trafficers too.

I hate the choices Sam made, but I hate more the terrible job CBC's Fifth Estate did handled this story. It felt like the fifth estate was trying to make a scandal where there was none. A young kid got hooked into the lifestyle and pay of the drug industry and he made terrible choices and took his own life when he could not stand the consequences. There was no scandal. It is just a tragic story, just like any drug overdose, or gang violence is a sad story.

This is the second time I have had the inside story on a story that the Fifth Estate has covered ( the only times I have watched the Fifth Estate.) Both relating to the tragedy of drugs and our youth. Both times the Fifth Estate cared less about the people involved in the stories, only told one side and completely skewed the facts to fit their need to entertain.

SHAME ON YOU FIFTH ESTATE!!!

A life wasted...long before he died. I have read about this poor boy and how we should have saved him. What about the family's he killed. Drug "runners" and dealers go to the bottom of the pile, along with people who embezzle the life savings of others, mainly from our seniors. I have pulled my family back from drugs, helped save my son...how many were not saved. How many will live with some thrill seeking drug runner's "fun". What gives them the right to put money ahead of some less fortunates.
My sympathy doesn't lay with Sam...he escaped.

How does one spell stupid, because that's exactly what this person was. You don't smuggle drugs into the US in the helicopter and expect bliss.

Funny how we deify the historical rum runners, lining up to see movies about them but all gather here to s*it on Sam Brown:

I knew Sam Brown. only that he dated my daughter for several months. He was True Blue
and that's all I feel that I need to say.

I appreciate the penetrating and yet nuanced work of Fifth Estate. This portrait did not hide the risky and unethical aspects of Sam's daring and yet allowed us to appreciate how how he challenged himself, and what his growing awareness and concerns were; these suggest what his future contributions might have been and how he is continuing to inspire those who knew him to live fully.

A young man in my community who had a loving extended family and was doing well academically and in sports committed suicide seemingly out of the blue. He had just had a relationship breakup and it seems that his girlfriend had been calling him frequently at all hours of the night. A recent study shows links between sleep deprivation and suicide risk.

It's pretty disgusting to see all of the hate for Sam Brown, especially given that some of you can't even be bothered to get his name correct.

Sam chose what he did, and the fifth estate isn't saying that he should just be let go. Should we go after Bacardi too? How many people have been killed by drunk drivers?

Sam Brown was not some evil monster that you can quickly pigeonhole into a character on law and order that we should just toss in jail and forget the key. He had friends, and a family, and could just have easily been your son or daughter. The mandatory minimums imposed in the US, and recently by our weak Harper government will only drive more people to suicide, and joining criminal organizations in jail.

How many of you enjoy the freedom of becoming inebriated? Take a look in the mirror before you reduce a human being to a two-dimensional stereotype, as well as criticizing journalism that looks at the often overlooked consequences of being involved in this industry. If you want a talking head that will make you feel better about wanting another human being to suffer misery, watch Harper give a speech.

After two months and over 250 comments, still no one has clued in to the "BIG PICTURE"..............WHY, did the Canadian RCMP allow the DEA and the US athorities to dictate when and where Sam Brown would be arrested? As Canadians we have our own Laws, our own judges, our own "Due Process" and definetly our own sentences. Wake up and smell the Tim Hortons, people! If we continue to let the US invade our country and do as they please it wont be long until Canada is just another American state!
When given the information on all this illegal activity that was about to take place, our own country turned its back(on a canadian citizen) and let the Americans, allow Sam to fly over the boarder to be arrested in the States!!!!!! Shame on Sam, I dont think so. Shame on Canada and the rest of you fellow Canadians that have nothing better to say than "oh, he was a criminal", "oh, what he was doing was wrong", "Oh, he got what he deserved". Shame on the RCMP who didnt have a big enough back bone to say, we'll deal with "our guys" up here and you let your "rat bastards" rot down there!
There isnt a day that goes by that I dont think of Sam! Rest in Peace.

Sam Brown was a son, brother, nephew, and grandchild...

you may not agree with the story and how it was done, but that does not give you the right to talk down about Sam and his family. you do not have the right to pass judgment. it is not your place.

show some respect.

Rest in Peace Sam Brown. you will be missed by many.

Rest in Peace Sam Brown.

I breifly met Lou back in New Zealand when Sam would have been a toddler at the time.
The area in New Zealand where I myself along with Lou's Children grew up breifly, is very simular to Nelson but not as cold. The dynamics of the area are very simular to Nelson with the main industies being Logging, Fishing, Coal Mining at the time.
I met Lou briefly in the early 80's when Sam was a toddler, Lou was a bit of a legend and well respected in this part of the world as a fisherman and could put his hand to almost anything, he would go where no other would and allways welcomed people to their home, so Sam was a chip off the old block.
As with Nelson these industries fell on hard times and allot of young people took to Pot growing including myself, so I do understand how it must be there.
I was fortunate to see the writing on the wall as Sam must have after seeing a few of my friends sent to jail for growing Pot, its just a shame he didn't get out of this trade earlier.
At the time we were pretty nieve about what we were getting ourselves into and I get the feeling Sam was to, we came from good hard working families and as with Sam the great outdoors was our education and something the majority of children growing up these days only see on TV.
As these industries fell on hard times people left to find work leaving behind cheap houses to buy which attracted low lifes from cities to take up residency and move in on the pot industry, this also attracted the attention of organised crime syndicates and thats when it all turned for me, we weren't dealing with ordinary people anymore, we were dealing with hardened criminals and they don't do bussiness the same way us country folk do.
Unfortunatly this is where Sam got in over his head, he probably started out dealing with ordinary day to day people, but when the Cocain was introduced, that should have raised alarm bells to him, he was a bright young fella and I'm sure it did.
Unfortunatly their is no easy answer to why as young people we risk these things, I think as with Sam it was a bit of a game and we were nieve about the consequences of our actions.Money is a attraction when their is little paying work, but we didn't want the flash cars and all the gadgets all we wanted was a small farm and live off the land at that time.
I do have a affinaty with young Sam having grown up in the same area and the love of the outdoors, I own my own helicopter business in Ausralia and no I don't do drug runs, but love my job and the people I get to meet in this industry, its just a shame young Sam isn't around to do the same thing.
As a message to young people looking at taking these risks, it all might be good at the start with plenty of cash in your pocket, but let me tell you now it will go bad some where down the track and you have to live with that for the rest of your lives so think about it hard and I know what Sam would say.

CHEERS Wayne.

Yet another story that I disagreed how the Fifth Estate presented it. As I have just said recently; until recently I really enjoyed your stories and thought it was thorough reporting.
I cannot believe how good you made this criminal look.
Regards;
J. MacDonald

Sam Brown was a high stakes drug smuggler so it was surprising that the Fifth Estate would glorify him and even equate drug trafficking to just another form of thrill seeking sport for those young drug smugglers.
Really? I guess it could follow that, rape is also just another extreme sport for rapists.

Equally annoying was Sam's father, Lou Brown. Claiming that he assisted Sam because he could not live with himself if something happened to his son and if that meant he had to do jail time he could live with that. If Mr. Brown really wanted to help his son, he would have taken the responsible parental action of setting an example by vehemently disapproving and steadfastly refusing to be a part of anything risky and illegal, rather than aiding and abetting Sam with an activity that led to a fatal outcome. I'll just bet that Mr. Brown was paid for all his assistance, so he was only too willing to go along rather than be a responsible parent for his son. Even if he were not paid, I wonder if Mr. Brown can live with himself now knowing the part he played. No wonder he minimizes responsibility by implying that he was unaware of Sam's drug trade involvement because he told Sam never to tell him and that is about as believable as Mr. Martin's claim that Sam stole the helicopter.

Regardless, of how events unfolded, it was Sam who chose to get involved in the drug trade.
It says alot about him that he chose a quicker, criminal path to satisfy his thrill seeking nature and his need to finance a big lifestyle. He could have chosen to invest the time, effort and discipline required to pursue other options, such as being a fire fighter, under cover agent, fighter pilot, a correspondent of war torn countries, etc .... Any one of them could have appealed to his risk taking nature and could also have had the added bonus of positively impacting the world, but he preferred to further pollute the world with the devastatingly destructive poison of illegal drugs.

Despite claims that he was such a great, kind person who was concerned about the environment, the impression that I got was that he was self-involved. Nothing was ever mentioned about him giving either his time and/or money for the betterment of his community or for any other good needy cause.

His gesture to raise money for a jailed cohort, Ms. James, was allegedly motivated by guilt according to those who knew Sam. I wish that the Fifth Estate had done further investigation that would have either substantiated or challenged those claims of Sam's friends, family members and associates.

What was really surpising is that for someone who was such a fearless dare devil, I would have anticipated that Sam would have rose to the challenge of being in a prison environment. However, Sam committed suicide after only a few days of incarceration.

The Fifth Estate disappointed me, by the way they approached this story. I wonder if Sam were native or black or any other minority male, in a similar situation, if this story would have been presented in the same compassionate manner.

Grownup | BC | Posted November 28, 2009 11:47 AM: You are absolutely right. This boy was a smuggler and drug dealer who just did not want to work for a living. Note to all the old druggies in the kooteneys: you, your children and your grandchildren all work for organized crime whether you are willing to believe it or not. Just because the BC government doesn't touch you, you started to think the American border meant nothing either. I'm pulling for the border guards.

The funny thing is that it appears that we even care that this information gets into the "Mainstream". Who cares about the mainstream media. You've already failed, and alternative media and the Internet have come to the rescue. Mainstream media, you've already made yourself irrelevant... 8 years later... hahahaha... You did it too yourself.

We don't need your help anymore. Take a look around you... Look at the postings (not just here, but everywhere). Those who have done our homework already know it is a lie, and WE ARE THE MAJORITY! We don't need mainstream! We don't need your petty efforts! Too late for the party, I'm sorry. Mainstream media... FAIL!

Know this: we have learned a lot from 9/11. We know how the 'Big Lie' can be perpetrated, so we will recognize them in the future, as we have learned from our past. As I said, WE ARE THE MAJORITY, and we can END THE AGENDA with our own INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS. Don't go along with it anymore, if you don't agree.

The key: NON-VIOLENCE, NON-COMPLIANCE!

PEACE.

I have read so many comments here that talk about youth in BC not having opportunities to get jobs because of the economy and this somehow justifies joining the drug trade.
Do you think that the rest of us just sit on our fat rich asses and watch the money roll in?
There are all kinds of areas in this country where there are few prospects for jobs and a financially successful future, and guess what - young folk move away from home, go into debt for an education, pack up and move to places where there are more opportunities and make a life there until they can afford to move back. Sometimes they even work at horrible jobs that they hate in order to finance a better future!
Cry me a Columbia River - Kootenay youth that are in the drug business are in it because of the culture of the area. Populated by those who opted out of society in the 60's and 70's, the parents and grandparents of these young folk teach them that those of us who work for a living, who follow the laws of the land, who pay the taxes that fuel their subsidized lives, are the stupid fools and they are the ones deserving of the bounty of our labour because they are ever so smarter than the rest of us and too good to work.
The drug trade in BC flourishes because the culture and the government feed it.
If Canadian law enforcement can't/won't clean up the drug trade in BC (and the rest of Canada) then the US will do it for us. And the sooner, the better.

I really liked this story about Sam. I liked the idea he worked hard at being a dare devil. But after he got in trouble with the law, he quit on life. I use that as an incentive, although we all go through trials and tribulations we never quit on life. We all make mistakes, we must accept responsibility for our actions and keep striving to improve and be the best we can. Be willing to take advice from friends, family, lawyers, professional people . Life is really worth living and every moment is worth hanging on to. We must hold on to things most precious, we must hold on to life. I feel Sam was not really close to his family and not willing take advice from anyone.
Les

i think the story is about legalizing canabis. its about the senseless tragedy of the criminalization of pot. pot has far less harmful effects than alcohol and yet we can get a drink any time we want. we can keep alcohol in our homes. we can purchase unlimited quantities of alcohol and stock pile it in our homes. leagalize pot. stop the square head control freaks from interferring in our lives with their hypocritical prohibiton morals and their tight wad concervative narrow mindedness. while we're at it get rid of the parsitical gangs and selfish greedy drug dealers too. legalize things and let people make educated choices.

well it seems majority wins and most peeps seem to miss the point. It's time for change. instead of letting the criminals keep the profits of the pot trade, let the income go to general revenue and do some good for the poor in the country. pot a gateway drug i don't buy it what do they teach us pot will make you paradoid, alcohol will make you loose your inibitions,hummm witch one am i more likley to try cocaine on for the first time. agreed coke is evil but pot that makes you paranoid and hungry come on. If it was the other way around and alcohol was illegal and pot was legal, I bet there would be a whole lot less problems in the world. but we all know the story those in control make and have to much money and not willing to give it up. And what's the point you can't take it with you, so why not embrace god instead of trying to replace him.
It's time for a change.

if there was no benifit to sam's crime he would still be here, and if pot was legal i am willing to bet cocaine would disapear

After reading these comments that try to glorify "this poor misguided boy" I have one comment to make, To bad it did not end before the first drug deal was done. This would be a fitting end to all of these loosers in this drug trade. Only in Canada you say, pity

Over the Edge
An important point not made in your story of Sam Brown was the potential danger posed by extreme thrill-seeking behavior exemplified by this charming young man. In psychological practice, thrill seeking behavior in young males can be a red flag for engaging in ever increasing dangerous adventures. Yes, people like Sam can be very charming, compelling people but their behavior can lead to pain and death for themselves and others. Why would CBC chose to glamorize Sam's behavior rather than identify it is a concern? Your message was a disservice to thrill seeking young people, their parents and society.

You people out there who quickly target Sam Brown and belittle the producers of the show by your posted comments here are near sighted and/or suffering severe blindness, to say the least. Too many people fail to see the real message. Open your eyes, see the wide picture of multi-facetted corruption at top levels of this society driven by the love of money. The numbers valuation system, or money, ought to be strictly guarded by those at the top who control it so that it always remains a stable and fair means of trade for everyone. Instead, too many who control money (and you know who they are) have invented clever devices of aberration and abuse to their own greedy advantage. Such cultured top heavy corruption has created not just the millionaires, but the billionaires and even the trillionaires who hoard and control enormous consumptive power thereby inflicting severe *damage to the valuation system, upon which we all depend. The so-called financial meltdown is evidence of this damage of which we are all victims, including the Sam Browns of this world along with all who attempt to "escape" by use of the substance he transported. Open your eyes to see Sam Brown and substance abusers to be at the very bottom of systemic corruption. Such bottom-crawlers are, indeed, unwitting victims themselves who are lured into "escape pleasures" and to material lifestyles exemplified to them by corrupted top heavy financial manipulators who hold the helm in society. At his young age, and given entrenchments by his hometown and world environments, Sam Brown did not realize the gravity of the mess he was into. Given more time, however, there is every reason to believe that he would have "self-corrected" with age, education, and experience as evidenced by the degree of his intellect and, therefore, awareness potential. In any event, don't you agree that as a human being he should have been given the benefit of any doubts in this regard? After all, where there is life there is hope. Now that his life is gone, all possibilities for his good have been sabataged. There is, obviously, so much more that needs to be said about the case of Sam Brown; so many unanswered questions about his treatment and exactly what happened to him after his arrest and custody inside that holding cell in Spokane. Furthermore, did you read the DEA affidavits available here on the site? Is release of those statements by arresting agents a device of justification? Are there unquestionable questions in evidence in this matter? The producers of Over the Edge have done a balanced and stimulating presentation which identifies exploitation and points to the real victims of it, especially if you read between the lines. Producers of the show have sparked timely and very useful debate by their excellence.

When we take a realistic look at *damage to the valuation system, by which system we work and upon which we all depend, lift your eyes up and away from bottom abuse by the drug trade to legalized abuse of hard currency at the top in games of chance, such as national lotteries. What does the chance dumping of enormous millions into the laps of random individuals do for the work ethic of people who must go to work every day? Shall we examine the obscene minute-by-minute commodities and derivatives exchange transactions which dump millions and billions daily into laps of people who know nothing about work and productivity? What message does such legalized mishandling and abuse of critical currency from the top of society send down the line to people at large, especially to young minds most vulnerable, like the Sam Browns of the community? There is so much more to think about before jumping to fatal judgment of him. As to laws broken, many of them can be here today and gone tomorrow, but a human life ought not to be so tenuous.

All you anti-pot Canadians do your self a favor and move to the United States.

I followed your program called Over the Edge a few nights ago with growing disbelief.Your spin on Sam Brown's life as a great guy living on the edge was hard enough to swallow, but to suggest that he was scared to death by the police is insidious.This was a man who knowingly and systematically planned and embraced the life of a drug pusher.You try to make us feel sorry for someone who was greedy, self-centered and narcissistic.His thrills,being the big man,living the high life, it was all about him.He cared little if anything for the thousands of lives he was helping to destroy by pushing drugs.You quote his former girlfriend as saying he wanted to help the environment and give back in his new business.I wonder how much she shared in the profits of his drug dealings,how much of his drug money financed his clean business. Sam was NOT a victim.He made the choice to become a criminal.You do a huge disservice to our law enforcement when you infer the police are the real bad guys.Bottom line, Sam enjoyed all the benefits of his criminal lifestyle,but, when it came to pay for his crimes he couldn't take responsibility for his actions.It is sad to see anyone choose a lifestyle which destroys them and those around them.It is tragic to see a respected news program twist the facts to get more viewers at the expense of our law enforcement officers and their families.You owe them an apology and the real story of Sam.Interesting ,you interviewed Sam's family and friends, but little if anything from the police. Talk about skewing perceptions. D.Melnick

Bad things happen to good people. While Sam may have been a great guy in every other way, the business he was in and the last trip he made were illegal, criminal acts and I'm sure he knew it.

I'm not sure why The Fifth approached the story the way they did, but maybe taking a compassionate posture may have allowed Linden MacIntyre to get the story he did. I don't know that he was motivated to place a drug-runner in a favourable light - nobody knows until and unless Linden MacIntyre tells us.

Sam Brown, as we are told, was loved, enjoyed good health, and had a great sense of adventure. And for whatever tragic reason, he decided to take his life by his own hand. Who knows why? It may have to do with the amount of time he was likely to serve if convicted, as was proposed in the show - another possibility could be that he knew he had messed-up his life and the freedom he enjoyed and couldn't come to terms with that. We'll never know.

It's yet another story of the horror, tragedy, grief, and so much more that the drug business causes our society. Will it ever stop?

I have taken a week to mull over this episode. Part of the message in the show seemed to attempt to be a warning of minimal scope. What might happen to you when you smuggle drugs into and out of the United States. If you get caught it can have devastating consequences for you and your family. Thats it.

Sam was portrayed as this free spirit, yet it seems he was so free that he was willingly flaunting the law for his personal monetary growth and the life of the quick and easy. What would it be like here if we were all so free spirited?

He was a pawn for sure and played that way by the people he was flying for. (You fill in the name here) He got his nice fat cash payout for each and every trip he made. He was doing this one last trip to help his friend who was in jail for the same type of illegal business, ya right.

I saw a young man, brilliant enough to design his amazing wheel for the mountain biking enthusiasts. I saw a young man that could have taken all that energy and free spirit and directed it into a positive community effort to help other young free spirits stay connected to the real world. A world where we actually work and pay taxes to not only forward our own lives, but for others as well. Hospitals come to mind. No drug money makes it there does it.

Suicide at any time is a tragedy for any family. Unfortunately this one was brought on by greed and grief, all associated to this nasty business. And yes when you fly drugs for someone else you are a drug trafficker.

After reading all this tripe about our poor misguided young/older drug dealers/ runners, or what ever their connection, I can still say that I hope every one off these low lives get a similar ending. To even think that these people have a place in our society is stupid, I wonder how high the pile of ruined lives are out there, including the ones who are dead from doing drugs or family(s) lives and our society effected. The cost to all Canadians due to this evil are not countable and society would be better off "period" with all conected to this drug problem out of the picture. Try this "drug occupation"! in any other country and see the results, only in Canada is such activities allowed to flurish due to our gutless justice system.

Boo Hoo Hoo! The Fifth Estate has no credibility left.

I was appalled and horrified by this story. Sam Brown made a choice. He CHOSE to break the law; he CHOSE to work in the underworld, and he CHOSE to earn his money illegally. He also CHOSE to end his own life. The Fifth Estate CHOSE to glorify his illegal exploits.

I quote the Fifth Estate's home page: "The mission of the program could also be described this way; to be the home of incisive and original investigative journalism, to challenge assumptions and question conventional wisdom, and MOST IMPORTANTLY TO GIVE VOICE TO VICTIMS OF INJUSTICE WHO DESERVE TO BE HEARD BUT HAVE BEEN SILENCED" (my emphasis)

I submit that Sam Brown was not a victim but a very willing participant in his own downfall.

Too bad the Fifth Estate doesn't CHOOSE to chronicle the lives of those who are mentally and emotionally hurt by the use of drugs. I have a family member whose life has been radically changed by drug use. While I fully acknowledge that my loved one CHOSE to use these illicit substances, where is the support for those who are left dealing with the aftermath?

Your time, energy and money could have been better spent on those who have been silenced by depression, drug use and mental health problems, and the family members who suffer in silence as they watch their loved ones trying(often unsuccessfully) to reclaim their lives.

I could not believe my ears watching this show.
I mean how dare the police try to get drugs off the street. Poor Sam, he just couldn't face prison time - it didn't seem to bother him too much when he climbed in the helicopter. WTF CBC???? I thought you were one of the last news broadcasters with some integrity left!!!! Maybe you should have interviewed some of the many people who's lives have been ruined by drugs. I'm sure their families wouldn't be boo hooing over some drug dealer. He made the choice to smuggle drugs, he made the choice to kill himself. I feel for his family but don't forget no one forced him to do these things.

I think it must be kind of discouraging when you try to put together a nuanced program which you think your audience will 'get' and it turned out all they want is the plot from a one-hour cop show.

Soldier on Mr. McIntyre and the rest on Fifth Estate. You may have heard from a lot of disgruntled people here, but they don't represent the majority of your viewers.

Most of what's on tv is pre-digested pap, like breakfast cereal in a box or packet to be dumped in a bowl or nuked. The people who want that are bashing you on this one.

The rest of us come for something that makes us think, that affects our lives like a good Herzog movie. This was a superb program. This was even heads above the Fifth's usual good standard.

We'll be rolling this around in our heads and discussing this issue and story for some time to come.

This one deserves a broadcasting award. This one, it's an example of how good we can be.

Thanks for making me proud to be Canadian.

This is like the dream team of hockey getting shut out by the Russians , Did this really happen?
Mr Mvintyre, this would be a good time to fudge up your resume, You have went from the penthouse to the outhouse in a week, imagine that, a single week. Over the years I have enjoyed your reporting, but this one I'm not too sure. This is something that happens down home, but not too often, up here in the big smoke they hand out boy scout badges for this.
Good luck with your new endeavor , Might I suggest a word with Rex Murphy, might be helpful in these matters. I often wonder what he has on some of these characters (LOL) geek talk, means laughing out. Hope you have a thick skin, might be useful.

I grew up in the Kootenays in the Industry.
I moved to Vancouver to find a good job.
Sam Brown didn't really have much of a chance. Many young kids from the Kootenays don't. He had weak parental and community guidance and no education. In the Kootenays that is a recipe for disaster. I have seen COUNTLESS young men and women go down the same path because they lacked those two things.
Believe it or not they have low self esteem and a limited sense of their own capacity. Kootenay kids who smuggle and grow get into it at a very young age before they get a chance to develop diverse interests. They get a message from society that if you have STUFF, cars, boats, houses, snowmobiles,take vacations and can eat out often, then you are successful.
In our culture being able to make a lot of money is what makes you appear successful in life regardless. BUT after a while most of these young people, if their self esteem is not completely tied to money, quickly come to the realization that they don't actually DO anything and it eats away at them. Either they get out or they begin to use drugs. From what I have heard from two people I know who knew Sam Brown intimately he had arrived at this conclusion and had quietly shared that with them. He really did want out and was ready Do Something.
In this rural setting where unemployment is high and jobs are limited there are only three decent jobs for those without educations. Logging and forestry type jobs (mills, etc), tree-planting and the drug economy. Logging and tree planting are on the decline and good jobs are limited. The odds are stacked against the young people.
I know people want to paint Sam as an 'Opportunistic Criminal Who Couldn't Stand the Heat' but sadly he is NOT an anomaly where he lived as drug dealing or growing is one of the only viable options for the uneducated in rural communities. In fact, many kids from 'normal' blue collar families that might have once gotten jobs at the Mill are growing pot. They too want to own a house and have a boat like Dad does.

I blame three things for the creation and demise of Sam Brown, the international drug smuggler, besides Sam himself!

1. The older generation who actively recruit and/or turn a blind eye to what their own children or friends children are doing in the community. This is endemic to this region. We are guilty!
2. The tightening of the border after 9/11 which forced Ma n' Pa drug smugglers who used to individually hike their weed across the border to turn to organized crime to collectively move their pot. I remember it causing much consternation in the community. Nobody wanted the gangs but the only way after 9/11 to move weed was in helicopters, semi-trucks and through border guards who are paid to look the other way. And only organized crime had that kind of money and the connections. They had tried to move into the Kootenays for years but there was never a need for them. 9/11 changed that. That is when gangs, guns and cocaine came to the Kootenays.
In the old days Sam would have never graduated to anything more than what he could carry or bike across.
3. The War on Drugs.

My sorrow and condolences to Sams family and all those whom I love who loved him as well as his larger community. I am proud that his Spirit shines so brightly that he is being celebrated as more than a 'drug-dealer'. He was a remarkable person who was deeply loved. To all my friends and family who never really had a chance to be anything but words fail me.
If anyone is from the Koots and reads this. Get that cocaine out of your community already!!!

.

I think the real tragedy of this story is the loss of credibility to CBC as a news agency. When a program romanticizes drug smuggling and gives such a biased account of a calculated illegal enterprise and its participants with little regard to their consequences, it is enough to make me switch the channel. I suffered through the program waiting, for someone to call this individual a criminal and for the reporter to mention the fact that maybe Sam Jones should take responsibility for his actions, but that never came. When someone is illegally flying helicopters across the border with 100s of pounds of pot, why does the report minimize the severity of these actions and chalk them up as childhood pranks, “boys will be boys”, and just having a good time. We should not feel sorry for Sam Jones. To report his actions as thrill-seeking is irresponsible journalism. He was climbing a criminal enterprise and was caught. I shall save my sympathies for someone more deserving, like the Canadians he intended to inflict with his cocaine return cargo. Shame on you Sam Jones, but more importantly shame on you CBC.

It appears to me that some of the bloggers relate to Sam in either themselves or through their children. I would suggest that in doing so, you do yourselves and especially your kids a disservice as hopefully none of you are drug traffickers like Sam was. I am sure that all of you are endeavoring to raise your kids with good values, unlike Sam’s father who aided and abetted Sam in his criminal activity. Perhaps, if Sam had been taught good values, he would have avoided the intense feelings of embarrassment, shame, and disgrace in his jail cell that ultimately led to his demise.
Even if one might concede that marijuana is a relatively benign and harmless drug, one must be reminded that Sam also smuggled cocaine, a very destructive drug. It is suggested that Sam was doing was last drug run to earn money to pay a co-drug runner’s legal bills. Even if that was his intent, there is an old saying that is most fitting in this case – “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

My first thought was "I can't believe Fifth Estate actually spent money on this drug dealers sob story", and then thought of all the other stories that Fifth likes to rage against any form of police and I wasn't surprised. I then thought that I do feel sorry for his family minus his dad who knew exactly what he was doing and didn't seem to care enough about his son to stop his druggie son spiralling out of control. I thought this will be the first time I comment on any forum because I knew there would be idiots that would support the drug culture and try to put a spin on legalizing marihuana because of this.

Here is the perfect reason why you cannot legalize marihuana, because it is directly involved with all the harder drugs, just a stepping stone for the victims.

Let's all be adult about this and support the fight against any sort of illegal drugs and be in a position to protect our citizens. If you choose to engage in any illegal activity, man up and pay the price/sentence.

Was really, REALLY annoyed by this show - why pick out this one criminal, and then focus a whole show on what a great guy he was and how he was wronged? Lots of drug dealers are really great guys, and lots of them care about their families and friends. So what? Drug dealing is a crime in this country, and if the kid couldn't do the time, he shouldn't have done the crime. My heart goes out to his FAMILY, and the families of ALL criminals who suffer endless worry and broken hearts due to their loved one's doomed activities.

Why are we laying the blame for this trajedy on anyone other than Mr. Brown? It was his choices that caused his family and friends so much grief. He chose to smuggle drugs into the USA. He chose to take his own life. Suddenly, that is someone elses fault?

I wish I could blame all my poor choices on someone else and gain the sympathy that Mr. Brown has accumulated. The bottom line is that HE is the one to blame for the whole mess. His actions have caused a lot of grief to a lot of people and I'm expected to feel sorry for him?

For some reason, the fifth estate loves to paint criminals as "victims". I find it disgusting.

i give all respect to this guy, he was living life on the edge and had no fear

I am disappointed that such a disgusting criminal would be portrayed as simply making some poor choices. Shame on you Fifth Estate for trying to create sympathy for him .He was registering a business. and where did the money come from? Not from a 9-5 job like the rest of the world he was making thousands of dollars for dealing. Good job USA you stopped one batch of coke from coming to Canada keep up the good work. RIP Sam too bad you couldn’t pay for your crime.

"Scared to Death" of the U.S. Justice System I think NOT. How about the thousands of dollars he owes to his criminal organization for losing the helicopter (stolen..were you born last night), 200 lbs of B.C.Bud, the loss of income of the seized Cocaine. Poor little Sam was in over his head because of greed and saw no other way out.

It's bad enough a brilliant, free spirit like Sam got caught up in the U.S. "justice" system and was chided into suicide by "authorities" by consensus perception, but worse - that distant viewers would so ignorantly and disrespectfully tout the prohibitionist horn without fully educating themselves first!

In short, the hemp cannabis plant is an easily grown solution to mass free provision of food, fuel, medicine and fibre. That is why it's illegal and so threatening to governments and all major industries and why non-harmful citizens are wasting millions of our tax dollars sitting in the profit driven prison industrial complex.

I'm sorry, but to even engage a reasonable discussion of the sorry context in which Sam Brown's life was essentially pathetically taken, people evidently have to become much more education on prohibition and who the major players actually are. Easily done online, no excuses not to be up to speed when prohibition affects everyone.

It is terrible that this man died, but for someone who is supposedly intelligent, it is quite stupid to get involved with drug smuggling - especially into the USA. Their policies are well known as are their punishments. Let's also realize that this man stole, smuggled and profited greatly from his criminal activities so he should not be sainted for dying. Had he lived he would have continued to live the good/easy life while we all still worked and paid taxes. I believe that marijuana should be legal but cocaine should not be. He was a DRUG SMUGGLER and there are great risks and unfortunately consequences.
It is interesting that this "intelligent" man did not ask his superiors all of the questions that could have saved his life beforehand. I also find it amazing that when someone like this dies, it was going to be their "last run". It is sad but he made his own bed.

I've already submitted my comments earlier ; but as I sit here at 12:45 am with my 16 year old son in emergency with possible swine flu or appendicitis or whatever it is, I can't help but think of Sam's family losing a child. It doesn't matter how you lose them or what mistakes they might have made, it is still a tragedy and hurts a family beyond belief. Sam appeared to be like I was and my friends were in the Kootenay's when I was growing up there. From the stories my dad and his dad told me, they weren't much different. It's so easy for urbanites to toss them aside as criminals and drug traffickers, but unless the kids have been away to post-secondary education in the city or something, and have gained the insight to take in the big picture of urban drug culture and violence; they are still just young isolated kids; yes, even at 24; without the maturity and exposure to what the drug business is all about, and what jail time really means.
I thank Linden and the CBC again for taking the perspective of the family watching their son learn but unfortunately die from a harsh reality in life. He's not unlike many others I've known who died in avalanches etc. in that paradise, where living life to it's fullest is the only priority . To those of you who sit in your urban rat cage and judge, well to me, Sam lived a hundred lives better than any of you judgemental milktoasts! Again , think of where the Kennedy's and Seagram's or Walker's or other "leaders of society" made their fortunes! Cheers!!

It's a hearbreaking story, I saw the beginning of Mtn biking stardom snuffed out by poor choices. My heart breaks for his family, as a father myself...., I can't imagine the pain. I can't condemn him either, the drug war is just plain stupid, like so many policies on both sides of our gov't driven more by emotions than logic, it's what drives up the profitability and creates the wealth that drives people to this lifestyle. Even the victims are guilty in this, this is not a black and white subject, there are no easy answers.

What doesn't seem to be understood is that for some of us freedom and life, the definition of "fun" are very different than for most people, and incarceration for one person is death for another. Most people will never understand someone like Sam Brown, but some of us get it completely. A life not lived on the edge, is a life of mediocrity and a life not lived at all.

RIP Sam Brown, I hope you are truly free now.

I believe the laws regarding marijuana cultivation and use in Canada and U.S.A. are antiquated, short sighted and even corrupt (see documentary "The Union- the business of getting high"). Sam Brown's only "claim to fame" was to perpetuate the myth that marijuana is in the same catagory as cocaine and other truly harmful drugs by trafficking in both for his own profit. I have very little sympathy for anyone who traffics or facilitates those who deal in cocaine. They need to be stopped. Sam Brown is not an action hero. He was a greedy kid who made stupid choices and has jeopardized the case for decriminalization of marijuana.

Well, I did learn that Nelson has a lot of fine restaurants, according to one of Sam's previous lawyers.

Shame on Colin Martin for taking advantage of young,greedy,naive thrill seekers to be his minion(s). Colin Martin appears to be part of the same criminal organization as Sam Brown and made money by taking his cut for providing the helicopters. Then, Colin Martin throws his "friend" under the bus by saying Sam Brown stole the helicopter. What a coward. Admit you are a low life criminal and quit blaming the police for what happened to Sam. Colin Martin and the rest of the organization facilitated the smuggling and exploited all kinds of people so they could make mounds of tax free money. It is all about greed and death is just part of doing business to those people. I feel sorry for Sam Brown, his family and friends, and lets blame the right people, not the police or the US justice system that is trying to combat the low life criminals.

Poor Sam Brown. Blame the middleman, blame the government, blame the lawyers, blame the culture. Why do we not hold Sam Brown responsible? Your story makes Sam Brown the innocent, risk loving, kind fellow. Well, I wonder how the story would go if we interviewed some of the parents of some of the kids who smoked the crack that Sam Brown smuggled and ended up dead, psychotic or homeless. Connect the dots. I feel for Sam Brown and his family, but I feel for the other uninteded victims of his irresponsibility too.

Its one thing to smuggle weed, its a whole other ball of wax smuggling cocaine. Anyone with 1/2 a brain in their head knows that weed doesn't kill or destroy (and I haven't smoked the stuff in a long) but cocaine does. Sam takes a substance thats a non-killer and a non-destroyer to a foreign country and then brings back pure poison to be distributed to the people in his Own country??!! As soon as that information was divulged, my sympathy for this individual flat-lined. All I can say is Shame on him, karma's a bitch. You sell certain death to people, then death is a karma may come for you as well. Touche'.

i think that the message here is legalize marijuana, i knew this guy and rode with him on several occasions. if marijuana was legal shit like this wouldnt happen.

Attempting to portray this common criminal in a sympathetic light scored a zero with me. His accomplishments prior to becoming a cross-border drug runner are of no more consequence than merely being a time-filler to make a one hour show.
He wanted life on the edge, and he got it. If he couldn't deal with the consequences of his actions, he was obviously not as bulletproof as he believed himself to be.
His manner of dealing with his failure was his choice.

He joins many who chose the criminal lifestyle, and quickly removed themselves from the gene pool.

Nice work Sam!

It's probably a good thing Sam ended his life. Had he had hung around and been sent to prison, all the bleeding hearts and potheads in this country would make him the "Omar Khadr" of the pot industry and would have whined to the federal government to get him released. Perhaps, ironically, the drugs this young man smuggled may have been as destructive and deadly as anything Khadr purportedly did.

Anyone who says Sam deserved what he got is inhumane and disgusting. Lets make alcohol illegal then lock up anyone caught with it. Then you drunken hypocrites will see what it feels like to be locked up like an animal and fed 40 cents worth of food a day, like they do right now to drug users. What a disgusting system we live in, it makes me sick, people must get some kind of high treating each other like dogs. CBC did the right thing by choosing to air this story. All you Americans that think stopping Sam will change anything in your rank country are hilarious. The only thing you have accomplished is destroying and ending Sam Browns life, you must be proud. Your streets will always be packed with Cocaine and Heroin, your pathetic economy runs on hard drugs so quit being so ignorant.

I just finished watching the story of Sam Brown. What was missing was whether he had gone through a police interrogation before his suicide. I have a feeling that there may have been other reasons why he chose to take his life. Either the cops or his lawyer may have told him that he could get a lighter sentence if he would just inform on his associates. Sam struck me not only as the type who couldn't stand incarceration for any length of time, but also as a man who could never rat on another.

Nice job, Lynden. Your ability to story-tell draws me into nearly every documentary you tackle. Enjoyed your work once again this evening with the short story of Sam Brown.

Why people feel so compelled to criticize your work in this story boggles my mind. Just fail to understand how people are accusing the CBC of "sensationalizing" drugs or the fact that Sam's series of unfortunate events (self-inflicted) does not deserve airtime. Please, get a grip fellow Canadians.

the hells angels, red scorpions and the u.n gang make
piles of money from illegal drugs. maybe you could do
a sympathetic show about them/

Mr. MacIntyre has taken the path of many media reporters and presented the 'poor victim' scenario in reporting on John Brown.

John Brown made a decision to break American and Canadian laws. He then committed suicide fearing the punishment he might, not would, but might have faced.

I suppose Darwin's Theory was again enacted. People of all ages make stupid decisions and die whether driving a vehicle, using drugs or playing the wrong games with the wrong people.

The weary aspect of this story is that the media, and many people in our society, view Mr. Brown as the long-suffering victim. He is in fact a criminal who meted out his own punishment both for himself and those who loved him.

The real victims in this scenario are Mr. Brown's family and friends.

As for Mr. McIntyre's angle on this story, I hope he feels good about promoting decision-making and a life style that should be abhored and helping to attract other 'John Browns' into an early grave.

So sad for young Sam.

No disrespect intended, but I was pleased to see the segment at the end of the show. As I understand it, CBC will be featuring a program that will question the "official" explanation of the events of 9/11.

And here I thought that the msm would never get around to asking questions that many people worldwide would like to have some clear answers to. There are many questions. I look forward to it. For many Canadians, CBC is a trusted source of information. Please do us proud.

How the CBC, funded by taxpayers, can justify the glamourization of a coward like Mr.Brown is sickening.

His goal was to smuggle back many kilograms of cocaine into Canada. (But to be fair, cocaine is also a natural product, used by the natives of South America for millenium to ease pain etc etc etc. get ready for this argument next.)

This publicly funded story was a disgrace in terms of journalistic integrity. It promoted a blatantly criminal act without any consideration for those who have suffered as a result of Cocaine importation. It is sickening that hundreds of Canadian heroes die in Afganistan, and countless other Canadians are overlooked for their accomplishments. I assure you many Canadians were the opposite of sad as a result of the end of your "story".

I was very disappointed tonight at the lack of judgement shown my CBC in the slant they took with the death of a 24-year-old B.C. drug smuggler. No one else was to blame for his death than Sam Brown himself. It is not has if we are short of stories that are worthy of your attention. I do not normally comment on such programs, but it was more than this 30-year newspaper veteran could bear. Disgusting waste of CBC programming funds, which are in short supply.
And now next week you tantalize us with what you bill as plausible conspiracy theory regarding 9/11. What a disgrace to the memory of the almost 6,000 who perished, including many Canadians. Would you given Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel a program for himself.
Please dump that story and air any kind of repeat show.
Bob Marleau

I just saw the documentary. While I can understand this thrill seeker - what he was caught doing - brings misery to many, and yes even DEATH....the documentary focussed entirely on the free spirit, fun loving guy from BC. How about those families broken apart by drug addiction??

Wrong focus CBC....COCAINE IS BAD FOR YOU!!! How about that message??? Drugs kill....

We lost a family member to cocaine - another young guy just like your subject...but a victim, not making big bucks...

What a confusing piece?

Am I supposed to be happy another drug smuggler is off the streets, or be sad that a young, charming boy took his life?

Am I supposed to be happy that U.S. DEA agents did their jobs, or be sad that the agents interfered with Sam’s drug smuggling plans and scared him to death?

Confused…

Wow, so many people commenting on the lack of newsworthiness of this Fifth Estate episode only shows the relevancy of this issue. And the comments are so negative: throw them in jail, shoot them all--no sympathy, no compassion. Yikes, I had no idea of the number of people who are so anti-marijuana in this country. Even if you are pro-marijuana, please do NOT come to Nelson. There's too many people here already. Stay in your big cities and have another beer, or two. Watch the Fifth Estate and find another episode to complain about.

I think That the U.S.A takes Pot or marijuana crime too serious there are way bigger problems in the drug world such as prescription pills like Oxycontin , Vicodin or Percocet). Also Xanax, Valium or Librium .Prescription drug misuse and abuse is cause for great concern. As of 2008, teens cite prescription drugs as the most accessable drugs available to them just as easy to get as marijuana. So before you go crying about big bad Sam Brown maybe you should go put your pain pills the Dentist gave you or you know them pills the Doctor gave you after you hurt you back or had that much needed knee surgery well before your child ever goes to smoke a joint 9 out of 10 times they would rather get jacked up on some of mommy and daddy's pills in the bathroom cupboard . Sam was not even close to being a drug dealer .He was no loser He was a transporter who was influenced by the power of money . All you people on here that have taken shots at Sam who has passed away and left these rude messages for his family and friends to see should take a step back . I know if your children age 16 to 25 who watch today's tv shows , movies and listen to today's music would jump at a chance to make such large sums of money. The real dealers show these kids the money the girls the party's the life the cars and before you know it your going to the prison for weekend visits with your child. They make it sound easy and say they could never get caught look at how poorly that border was protected out there miles of forest with no people there to catch you . And all the real Drug Dealers care about is there pockets and when they catch the news at 6 and see Sam brown caught in jail there on the phone saying he better not snitch or rat me out or hes a dead man . Not even a care in the world or help with legal fees as long as they can find a new kid fast so the can still make all there deals on time still that week .

SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT SAM BROWN BUT JUST KNOW YOU AREN'T AROUND YOUR KIDS 24/7 AND THIS STORY COULD OF EASILY BEEN ABOUT YOU THE DRUG DEALING SCENE IS HUGE IN CANADA AND ITS BORDER TOWNS AND MOST KIDS WILL TAKE THE EASY QUICK WAY TO MAKE SOME MONEY FROM SELLING ON THE STREET AND TO FRIENDS MAYBE GROWING PLANTS OUT IN THE BACKYARD OR EVEN GOING CROSS BORDER TO MAKE A BIG PAY DAY ........... IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU...

Ease up a little Larry Legarde. Linden MacIntyre is a journalist and sometimes journalists offend people. Apparently people like you. I think it is a little harsh to say "Keep your Guiller prize close as it may be the only company you will have for a while".

However, making an uneducated comment like the one that followed your aforementioned comment re: "I'm kinda wondering if maybe Linden recently started partaking in the subject matter of his story", shows the true depth of your intellect.

Linden is one of our most distinguished broadcast journalists in the world and is a pleasure and a privilege to watch, read, and call a Canadian (even if I personally did not agree with portions of this story). Oh and should he find himself alone for a period of time I¡¦m sure he¡¦ll be comforted by his many awards that include the Gordon Sinclair Awards, his Dupont/Columbia Silver Baton award, his George Polk Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, the CBC's Wilderness award, his International Emmy and his Gemini awards ¡¦s. Should I continue, And c¡¦mon he¡¦s a Newfoundlander. God never made a bad Newfoundlander ƒº

By the way ¡§The Bishop¡¦s Man¡¨ was an engaging read Linden¡K.Keep up the great work.

I met Sam a number of years ago as a realtor when Sam had made some money from the sale of the his invention - the wheel that you see in the documentary. I liked this young man - he seemed to have pretty much raised himself - not unlike many of us. Our parent(s) do the best they can. And then it is up to each of us to find our way. It was heartbreaking to see how his path had taken him since that time. It is easy to be lured into this type of fast money. The area here is very tolerant of the marijuana trade and perhaps that lulls a false sense of security. Sam had a lot of friends outside of this world - and most did not know that Sam had gotten into this kind of world. In many ways he was very private. I also think he didn't want his friends to know about this part of his life. I also think it has had an impact on a lot of his friends and what can happen.

I often wonder what happened in the prison. It seemed odd that Sam would have taken such a drastic measure without checking all of his options. I have heard rumors about the Spokane police, who were working at the prison at the time when Sam was in prison had been transferred - is that true and if so - why? And what kind of treatment did Sam sustain while he was there?

There must be a better way for us to deal with the whole marijuana issue and find a way so that the trade of marjuana removes the criminal element. And that takes us to the fact that Sam was a minor player who took the whole brunt - it doesn't impact on the ones that make the biggest gain - they don't seem to put themselves in harms way.

Thanks again for doing a good job of this documentary - I thought it was fair and well done.

If the purpose of this program was to get people thinking about the impact of the drug trade on our communities, our families, and individuals, you've achieved that. That alone makes programs like this worthwhile. Open discussion and debate are important, and hopefully will lead to better thought out and enforced policies by our lawmakers. I think we should all be thankful we have a public broadcaster to bring these kinds of topic to us for thought and discussion.
Obviously the way our society deals with the drug trade is dysfunctional and needs correcting. It is sad that young people such as Sam end up destroying their own lives and, in the process, hurting a hell of a lot of other people too. It's reprehensible that the leaders in the drug trade live like kings and are never held accountable for all of the destruction they cause.
Saying that Sam deserved what he got or is just another drug smuggling scum is oversimplifying the matter. Lots of young people are troubled for a variety of reasons and do make bad choices. They make easy targets for the big players in the drug trade. And they are the ones who pay the price when things go wrong. I'm not saying they should be obsolved of responsibility for their choices, but as a society it's in our own interest to help them get back on the right path. I don't know what the answer is, nor probably do any of us.

This is Canada. Feeling sorry for the adult drug dealer who got caught. Not the peoples lives the drugs are wrecking. The guy who owned the helicopter must be in hot water,saying he stole it. What a crock!
The town of Nelson has been portrayed as a town running on drug money to me. I have always wondered what everyone does down there. I guess with 7 billion a year injected into the economy you can live that laid back lifestyle. The CBC is going to be band from coming back for telling on them.

I Personally am i a mountain biker,adventure enthusiest, and a thrill seeker, and i can personally relate to Sams love of risk taking and the rush. However i am against drugs, and dont necessarily approve of what Sam was doing but thats beside the fact for all you people out there saying that Sam doesnt deserve to be recognized, i fully disagree, you can call him a nieve 24 year old criminal, etc, however, not every one is perfect people make mistakes, like they said he was trying to clean up. so just dont call him a criminal and not smart enough to avoid arrest, as you can see there were flaws in the mission. However, this just goes to show how conclusion jumpy the US government is. RIP Sam the mountain bike community will never forget.

prescription drugs cause more deaths and debilitation
than all the illegal drugs put together by the american
medical associations own admission they admit to 120,000
deaths from correctly perscribed medicine every year.
And by the way the drug war is very successful venture
for the DEA,FBI the lawyers and judges and the very
lucrative private for profit american prison system

My suggestion to Linden MacIntyre, Keep your Guiller prize close as it may be the only company you will have for a while. If you only knew how disappointed most Canadiens are with you at this time. I'm kinda wondering if maybe Linden recently started partaking in the subject matter of his story. Why anyone with some responsibly at C.B.C would not quash this story, the story is in the poorest taste and I doubt a Guiller would be handed out for this story. Maybe Linden is sharing some of his stash.I noticed that you are of catholic faith, must be time for a confession soon.

I wonder what life would have been like for Sam Brown and all who knew and loved him if mj was a legal substance. Perhaps the "point" of this report was to spark such a discussion. What if....mj was regulated similar to tobacco.

You know , at 24 or whatever, when you grow up in that area as I did, with the incredible outdoor lifestyle giving you your reason for living, you don't think about the larger picture; that of the crack heads and biker gangs far away controlling the trade; you are living life for the adventure that none of you in Toronto or Vancouver or anywhere but a place and upbringing like Sam's can understand. Of course he was wrong and of course people suffer for coke being so addictive, but I really think that at his age and the way he was insulated against the realities of big city drug crime, he really didn't have the insight to understand the consequences of his actions. My friends' son made the same mistake but fortunately got a big painful lesson in life and was out in a year, and has a second chance at life, with maturity gained on his own. It's so easy to sit back holier than thou' and condemn these young people while you drink your cocktail's , but don't forget how the beer and whiskey magnates in Canada made their fortunes! And telling a story is what the news corps are there for, so thanks to the CBC for presenting balanced perspectives to life stories!

To the police it's all black and white-your'e either a civilian or a crimimal.The U.S. is all about control especially of other countries.They constantly take the law into their own hands-with no repercussions.The animosity they would have had towards this talented,gutsy,handsome young man who dared to break the law by flying pot into their country!Whether Sam Brown died from their words or with their hands it's no mystery. Then justify it "with that's one less drug dealing criminal".
What is supposed to fill the gap of BC's number 1 cash crop?Are all those involved in the industry just supposed to graduate to non-existant jobs or wither away (and preferably) for the states-DIE?Sam Brown found employment.Drugs will always exist and it's up to the individual to use it or refuse it.I can't imagine North America without coffee: everyone has to have their daily fix?Are parents educating their children about caffeine addiction(the accectable drug),or applauding law enforcement for destroying coffee plantations?It's not all black and white.
I think the fifth estate did a great job.They were not leaning in one direction or the other,they gave a story of a tradegy.It's up to the viewer to understand.

Wake up people! Sam didn't die because he couldn't handle time in jail (anyone who knows him, knows that). It goes deeper than that, and I wouldn't doubt there's someone on the inside who made sure he didn't get out of there alive. Sam would only have killed himself if it meant saving someone else - think about it.
I know that if this happened just north of the 49, we wouldn't even be debating this. Americans are so fanatical it's scary. I can only imagine what a hyped up DEA officer had to say to Sam Brown when they brought him into the jail.
There is way more to this story and the Fifth Estate just scratched the surface. I applaud CBC for exposing it to people across the country. It's not the first and it won't be the last.
This story saddens me. I am even more upset by the disturbingly ignorant, hypocritical, cookie cutter comments that have come from the 'god fearing and law abiding citizens' on Sam Brown's terrible fate. You try and convince yourselves you're so perfectly innocent - come back to reality. You're not and you know it. Sam made those choices to get involved yes, but he wasn't the cause of the 'loss of lives' for the drugs he smuggled. EVERYONE makes their own choices.

We will never forget the amazing person he was.

My earlier post wasn't displayed though I thought it was tamer than the stuff I see above. All I stated was that if this kid didn't happen to be charismatic and photogenic his arrest and suicide wouldn't have garnered any air time whatsoever.

So this obviously was a "charming" lad, but does not excuse law breaking just because he had charisma. You break the law and you are punished. I felt the presentation played to gain sympathy for a wasted life because he was caught. This was Sam's own choices that led him to his dismise. Let's talk about how many lives were ruined by the recipients of the drugs. Do not clamorize a drug runner, which I flet the presentation did! This is inexcusable journalism! Who's side are you on? Sounds to me you are in favor of legalizing drugs.
It also seemed to me that allowance for a "thriving" town made administrators turn a blind eye all this illegal trade, justifying it in their eyes for economic gain.
The helicopter owner is not the victim, he new full well that the machine was being used for illegal smuggling.

No one put a gun to Sam's head and he loved the money. For all those people out there who complain about weed and the law, look at the news from Calgary. COPS here are getting busted for weed also. There are alot of two faced people out there who still smoke weed and some grow, but come on here and say that the people in the episode are bad. Plain fact; If the government could tax weed, it would be legalized. Without these guys we would be in a worse recession than we are in now. They spend the money here.

> Sam Brown's dad cited fatherly love and confessed he would blame himself if, through refusing to help fix the helicopter, his son were to die in a crash. Judging by his blissful silence over the untold misery created at the end of the delivery route, one can in all fairness assume it was the least of his worries. The apple was never too far from the tree.

Well, he should start blaming himself now for lacking the manhood to help curtail his son's drug-running activities when he had the chance.
Like other commentators, I deplore the depiction of Sam Brown as anything less than a vulgar criminal out to make a fast buck at any cost. If there's a bright spot to this, it is the expeditious way he decided to end it all, thus saving us taxpayers precious resources otherwise wasted in endless judicial stalling, although I doubt concern for others was ever one of his motives. It IS about money, after all, isn't it?

Hmm... last night's show had me questioning....
what was the reason for this particular show of this young handsome man? where we suppose to feel sorry for him? Feel bad for him? he made the choice and he was not a stupid person... possible greedy...but not stupid....i really felt it was a waste of time..i think you could've come up with a much better subject than this. I for one think there are much more interesting stories to document than a young man running drugs across the boarder, getting caught and unable to handle the consequences.
Hope next week will be better~

I was definately disappointed in this show; waiting for the 'point' of the documentary about this young man right up to the ending credits. The Fifth Estate definately got my attention, however; the question asked about the 'Federal Government scaring the kid to death?" was classic. REALLY? A thrill-seeking drug smuggler gets caught and hangs himself in his cell. NEXT PLEASE. I normally would have said the only person to blame in this case is the victim...however the Father's self-confessed 'no ask, no tell' policy definately has him sharing the blame in my opinion. Hopefully his head-in-the-sand approach to parenting has had a wakeup call and he decides to start taking responsibility as a parent for the sake of his remaining kids. The Father's 'policy' convieniently works as both his excuse and his alibi for beiong a no-show in Sam's life and his choices. I also felt the folks interviewed to speak to Sam's charachter - more drug dealers / smugglers - were definately not the way to go if you were trying to provide the viewer with the facts.

Anyone remember prohibition. Whenever the government and the old guard change their policies we will be paying for losing good folks. We can never forget what an incredible athlete Sam was. He was at the top 1% of mountain bikers in the world. What I think is that we should send the judges and cops to Afghanistan. Instead of policing us here in North America maybe we can do a better job sending those officials to Afghanistan. God bless you Sam. And as for all the other critical comments about loinizing Sam well why don't you have a heart. And here's to you Mr. Linden MacIntyre (Giller prize winner and born where my mom was born), I raise a glass to you sir!

Don't waste Canadian taxpayers money on reporting stories where dope dealers got caught and could not face the consequences of there actions. Do the crime,Do the time. Around Nov 11 Remembrance Day is not the time to talk about cowardice of dope dealers, but the bravery of men who sought adventure by fighting and willing giving there lives for their country.Timing is everything and Fifth estate MISSED IT HERE.

Thank you so much for the hard agonizing work on recent stories -- the union battle, Fleury, avatar love, and now the helicopter risktaker who suicided in his cell. It IS possible in the Nelson incubator to think trafficing is a lark, despite what others have said.

the fifth is the real jewel of what CBC should stand for, not the "revamp revolution" they are touting in news. As CBC's proud moments shrink, you shine.

One story idea might be to look at the native people who are trying to get money out of the Residential School commish -- by trumping up stuff. My friend got servved with a letter from the commish, saying she was being named by someone who said she touched them at the hostel -- but no hostel had even been built in the village at that time -- the commish was ready to pay her legal bills, and pay the ex-student, without due process, all under guise of "fairness" and it would all be kept secret. My friend said nuts to that, she wants it to be public, because it is a money grab by people who are fabricating to get money. She says it is also happening where students are naming older native students as bullies and sexual aggressors. Might be worth a look.

That dad is a real piece of work... Gotta love his comments about how he didn't ask or care about what his son was really doing for a living, just that he'd rather help him fix the helicopter even if he knew he was up to no good, so that his son wouldn't die from a mechanical error. What about the people that may have died or had their life go to crap from drug addiction because of drugs that Sam supplied? What about those people's children? Maybe if the world had been lucky, Sam would have died years earlier and saved even just one person from getting hooked. It's a chain reaction, with Sam at the top, filtering down the bad effects of drug use. I say good ridance to Sam's death. He was a criminal, so don't feel sorry for him because he started out good. He knew the law and chose to break it, so there should be no more sympathy for him than there would be a drug dealer in downtown Vancouver selling pot to kids outside school yards. He got what he deserved and took the coward's way out. One less lowlife in the gene pool, thank you Sam for this last gift you gave society.

I have just finished reading most of the comments on Sam Brown and I am also from the Nelson area..I think the people should start looking at our government and lack of work and lack of help for people in need..We do not know what went on this young man's mind or why he chose to do what he did so why the judgmental comments berating him and his family..There is also an old saying "Keep your own doorstep clean".It is sad and tragic when any young person's life ends whether it be by his own hand or accidental..W5 did a terrific story of this young man and none of us should be passing judgment on anyone...May God Rest His Soul..

I watched the story of Sam Brown with great interest. It is a tragedy. The CBC seemed to portray this man fairly in my opinion. First, the people who were so angry at his actions would not have known about his actions if the CBC had not told you. If it had been slanted, they would have mentioned how wonderful he was and then that he committed suicide. They clearly stated he was committing a criminal act and that he knew most of the risks. Unfortunately, many young men of that age may "know" the risks, but they consider themselves invincible. I don't think his father's actions would have changed his perception of himself as invincible. The CBC were trying to understand why he might have taken his life...from his point of view. He felt there was no other way out. I did not see them as suggesting in any way that U.S. laws should be changed. Just that Sam could not live with the consequences. And that jail cell did not look that bad from our point of view perhaps, but that was temporary. We do not know what they told him was going to happen to him when he got to prison...rape, torture...for 40 years? I don't know so I can't judge why same thought it was so bad that suicide was better. Though it has been mentioned that there is a possiblity that it was not suicide. I can't judge that either without all the facts. We do have the fact that he had taken marijuana into the States that night. No one knows what he brought back. There is no evidence he ever brought back anything. What he might have brought back is speculation. I don't think we should condemn him to death on speculation. This is Canada. Innocent until proven guilty. Interestingly history shows Canada also provided alcohol to the States during prohibition, which also was done by organized crime. This was wiped out by law enforcement..throwing all those smugglers in jail...no. It was wiped out by legalizing alcohol. It was the prohibition which caused so much of the violence and law breaking and the rise of organized crime. I wonder if legalizing marijuana would help clean up a lot of the issues we have with drug dealing now? Unfortunately young males seem to be prone to breaking the law. Many of them drive without licenses, while drinking and speed. I don't think they all should be given the death penalty. I don't know how to control it. Most of them outgrow it. Perhaps Sam would have outgrown it as well. Perhaps not. He did make bad choices...as we all do. His contributed to his tragic end.

What a stupid angle to take in this documentary. CBC, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You have actually tried to garnish sympathy from your viewers for this drug dealer. How embarrassing if any of our friends to the south of us watched this program. You made the law in the US seem too harsh and it was because of the potential of a long jail term that the "poor soul" hung himself. We should be adopting the same penalty up here! This was a drug dealer CBC! Not a mistreated or misunderstood individual!

Very well presented. Quite thought provoking. Although Sam's plight was portrayed in the forefront, the program touched on many social issues. The drug culture, the "generational mindset" of our youth, parenting, prohibition, organized crime, the federal gun registry, the legal system, regional economics, international relations, law enforcement, earning income and disposable wealth, materialism, taxation,...ouch,...my brain hurts. And this thought process brought about by good old BC Bud. How ironic.

A special thanks to Sam's family for allowing his life to be used as an example. Hopefully, we all learned something.

I am certain that the family must be in a lot of pain over the loss of this young man. I do not feel sorry for this young man however and I feel that the interveiwers attempts to paint him sympatheically, as the victim of someone else "dropping the ball" is unbelievable. Sam was concerned about the welfare of his friend in jail but not concerned by all the lives he was affecting through his drug running? Sloppy, beleeding-heart journalism....

He was bringing cocaine back into our country, instead of feeling sorry for him, what about the distruction he was bringing to the families of addicted kids? Face it he was costing the taxpayers of this country in the policing,health care,drug addiction clinics etc.He was nothing more than a common criminal, surely not someone to feel sorry for.
The CBC seems to continue to support the criminal element of our society any chance they get.

It almost sounds like a bad Trailer Park Boys episode. Julian gets pinched in a job, so Ricky does an even bigger job to try and get him out, only to get caught himself.

Surely sharing a jail cell with Bubba the man whore would have been an incredible adrenaline rush keeping you sharp, alert, and on your toes at all times.

OK, CBC and Linden et al, have any of you actually reviewed the many comments on this show and the rather dubious "values" that it promotes? Have you actually learned anything? Will there be any followup? Or are you all still the smug, entitled purveyors of truth-as-we-see-it to the ignorant masses? If so, then you shouldn't be surprised when so many of us are fed up with this dubious programming being foisted on the public with our own money.

As a member of the law enforcement community who is deeply familiar with the drug subculture, I feel I do have firsthand knowledge of the impact of drugs on our society, specifically marihuana and cocaine, which at times felt as if they were being portrayed in this documentary as harmless substances.

I have never interviewed/arrested a robbery suspect who was doing the crime because of marihuana. However, they were doing the crime almost 100% of the time because of cocaine. If not cocaine then they were engaged in violent illegal activity because of illegally obtained painkillers ("Oxy-contin", Dillaudis etc.), heroin or Crystal Meth. These “harder” drugs are pure evil and ruin countless lives after it turns one our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers etc. into what most people see as a common drug addict.

Sam Brown contributed to the demise of many of these "drug addicts" by deeply involving himself in the drug trade and once caught and faced with the ramifications of his actions, he unfortunately chose to take his own life.

Give you heads a shake, he was operating a helicopter to the U.S. delivering a load of BC Bud and was bringing cocaine back to flood our drug subculture here in Canada with a far worse drug. This was not a guy who just became involved recently in drug trafficking. This is not the 18 year old college kid who makes the unwise decision to take a quantity of Anabolic Steroids or illicit drugs across the U.S./Mexican border, during spring break. Sam Brown was a meticulous and calculated drug dealer who thankfully got caught. Thank You to the U.S. for actually having the strength to stand behind their drug laws.

While Sam was alive he enjoyed the illegal profits of his illegal ventures. According to his sister, he was always surrounded by great looking girls. He enjoyed the beautiful girls who associate themselves to the drug trade (because of their exterior beauty coupled with their own addictions to whatever substance guys like Sam Brown are feeding them in order to keep them around while they posses that exterior beauty). I have seen it time and time again, guys like Sam Brown who take advantage of these young girls. Well these addictions left unchecked always result in a downward spiral for these girls. Whenever I have compared a before and after mug shot photograph taken let’s say 5 years after this young beautiful girl first gets addicted to cocaine as an example, the girls are no longer beautiful on the exterior, rather they are the complete opposite.
Just a question, do you think the "Nice Guy" Sam Brown would be hanging out with that "ugly" drug addicted girl who has lost her youth and good looks, due to drugs? Well from past experience I can tell you "No Way". That girl is now rejected by the “Sam Browns” of our world and passed down the line to the lower levels of the drug subculture to be dealt with as seen fit by the drug dealing/using bottom feeders .

In the end Sam Brown got caught and couldn't face the music. Therefore he chose to take his life. Granted it would not have been pretty to see what some of the sociopath criminals in the U.S. criminal system would have done to a little man like Sam Brown. I am pretty sure he would be someone’s "b#@!%" in no time. He most like foresaw that and made the painful decision to end his life,

Let it be known and repeated that we as Canadians are far to forgiving and easy on these criminals, and Yes when it come down to it Sam Brown was a criminal who chose his path and in the end was responsible for his early demise.

Maybe CBC should do a story on the drug addicted victims I spoke about earlier who are thrown away by the top dogs in the drug subcultures. Show Canadians the sad stories linked to this particular aspect of the world of drugs. Those people I have more compassion and sympathy for rather than the non-drug using sociopaths like Sam Brown who do nothing but contribute to the aforementioned.

As a wife of a police officer I'm appalled at the direction the Sam Brown story took. Yes, he was a good looking guy who enjoyed the thrill of life but he was no stupid guy he knew what he was getting himself into. He was a criminal pure and simple contributing to the drug trade, gang violence, prostitution and theft. To epitomize him as a hero is wrong, no on is to blame for what happened to his life but himself and he took the cowards way out. Instead why not tell the story of the victims that he has affected one way or another.

It seems most of the viewers were waiting for the conclusion of the show to include some kind of Mayerthorpe style Mr. Big conspiracy scheme making the authorities look out of line for using the kid, but that just wasn't the case. All the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of this individual that made his own choices for his own life. I don't even understand how his friends and family can insult other people posting comments in this article. Sam played you all for fools. Why don't you direct your anger towards him? His sister said she always saw him with expensive trucks and hot women. Am I supposed to feel sorry for that? I have known people just like that in my life. They flaunt their money and extravagant lifestyle in the face of others (even to local police thinking they are untouchable) while the rest of us go to work and earn our money the hard way. I would never feel sorry for any of them if something happened. They made their choice. We hear the same thing from the victims families/friends far too often in the media after shootings and murders and soured drug deals, "Oh, he was such a good boy." Yeah, a good boy who broke the law big time.

Sam Brown made his own choices...to take his own life and to smuggle drugs. Nobody is to blame but himself despite others' attempts to place blame which is so common in our society. I'm disappointed that CBC didn't also consider or mention the lives and broken families affected by the drugs this greedy and foolish kid was smuggling across borders. Nothing romantic or cool about what he was doing. It all comes down to greed and trying to make a fast buck.

This story was an insult to journalism. First we get an hour long sob story about a free spirited young man invovled in the "harmless" pot industry. Only later is it revealed that he was actually trading in COCAINE!!!! Tell this sob story to child prostitutes on east hasting hooked on crack cocaine and see how they feel about it. CBC shoud be ashamed of this terrible glamorization of a criminal lifestyle.

While I really enjoyed the program, I felt it was really trying to victimize Sam Brown and make me feel sorry for a young cocky kid living an expensive life in the fast lane. It is sad and tragic, but he knew exactly what he was doing and made that choice for himself. The fact that he didn't consider himself a drug dealer and would get pissed off at the mention of it said it all. Maybe he wasn't as smart as his friend's and family thought he was since he was so oblivious to the US anti drug laws. What did he think was going to happen? If life were that easy we'd all be doing it.

I think its absolulty disgusting how all these people can look towards the family and so forth to put blame! How dare you condemn the parents in anyway! You should all be disgusted in yourselves and only hope that something like this will never happen to your family or yourself then and only then you will feel the scorn, you are directing towards a YOUNG man who made the worng choice and his family and freinds! Your all a disgrace and I am sad that this is what canadians have turned into! He was a young kid ! and for the record being a mtn biker doesnt make you rich! Its a Passion that none of you would ever understand cause your all to lazy to move from your ocmputer screens and see what this world has to offer us! like Sam and so forth yes he made a mistake yes it was wrong but the scorn you are delivering in this page is absolulty DISGUSTING you should ALL be ashamed of yourselves! he was a person regardless of what wrong choices he made in his life let him rest in peace and for god sakes STOP disrespecting the childs name! You are all sad sad people and really how can we put blame to him and his family without being willing to accept the blame ourselves as well! You all need to get a grip on reality in a serious way!

The story was well balanced. Linden was very fair and accurate and I hardly think that there was a intention to create sympathy for this kid or glamourize the industry? Start to finish in a short 24 years, Linden developed what this kid was all about? Sam was a die hard thrill seeker. A product of Gen Y. Live for the now and the instant gratification.
It was a 45 min documentary and didn't have time to develop discussion of:
-the financeers,the contacts,the distributors,the whole issue of drug consumption on BOTH sides of our border.
Plain and simple this kid did know the risks, he accepted them and took his life knowing damn well that Uncle Sam was going to take him down. In a very sick way,,,he was even more courageous that we thought? As for the jailers, he was a complete suicide risk at the county jail. The fact this kid is dead now is sad.
Look at the affidavits in the documents section of the website they are worth the read.

Waldo Berg, you need to calm down. Tobacco smoke will never be fully gone from this world. Should alcohol and every other thing that has a potential for harm be removed? I use medical marijuana and i believe when used responsibly and in moderation, its not bad at all. Many cultures smoke different plants and substances, many of which are legal. In a country like Canada, should we really try to stifle out everything that can be unhealthy if not respected? It is too bad what happened to the young man, I just hope he didn't end his own life because some officer went on a rant saying he was the bad part of the human species like you just did.

As a big fan of the Fifth Estate and of Linden MacIntyre I was really disapppointed/confused with the tone of Sunday's show. Sam Brown may have been a nice guy to hang with but as many have noted here already - he doesn't deserve to be lionized.

And to all those who signed themselves as friends of Sam - calling his critics "judgmental and hurtful" - are you delusional? This was not a simple error of judgement - this was a person participating in a major criminal enterprise which hurts many lives and someone who knew exactly that the risks were.

Sam was not evil - he was simply a selfish, self-destructive, immature, naive 24 year old criminal who liked the money and the excitement of the bud business and wasn't smart and/or lucky enough to avoid arrest.

Stop blaming his family upbringing, the US authorities or his pet dog... he was a 24 year old man who chose to end his life rather than endure jail time.

Proof that prohibition does not work. It is a failed policy that is destroying the world more than drugs themselves. Look at Mexico as an example. Why don't we lock up the owners of McDonalds as their food actually causes more death than marijuana with heart disease. California has a bill on the agenda this year for complete legalization. It is going to happen as 60% are in favour of it. Watch people, it will happen. Oh... and guess what. I don't use any drugs.

Whether Sam Brown was charming and full of vitality is completely aside from the point.

Whether his family and friends loved him is aside from the point.

He chose to be part of an "industry" that destroys lives-- does it matter whether he did it for the excitement or for the money? Either way he was satisfying his own desires at the cost of others. He not only threw away his own life, he quite possibly diminished the lives of others whose lives intersected with his "industry".

I am sorry your coverage of this painted him in such glowing and attractive terms.

Wow that is some response to a piece I thought was rather balanced and thoughtful. I wonder what compels someone to submit a comment to complain about the sympathetic portrayal of Sam Brown after it has already been said about 500 times on the same board?

Makes me think that most of the people posting their staggering anger and hatred here might not be reading what other people are saying at all. I mean I think you might have to be pretty ignorant to feel not the slightest compassion for this person.

Those are some pretty irresistible temptations. Are you so sure you would have been so immune if you had access to the skills and opportunity to participate in the kind of life Sam Brown lead? Especially at that age --I mean-- come on! And what other opportunities are we offering our youth these days? What hope have we really left them for the future? The way we all seem to be acting like there is no tomorrow I am not surprised when young talented people develop "f--- it all" attitudes.

Does anybody here like The Bible? Doesn't it say something about "let he who is without sin cast the first stone"? Shame on you!

I am not trying to defend the cocaine industry or drug smuggling. I understand that it causes the deaths of innocent people in nearly all of its aspects. (and if we are so against death than why not this one?) But what I haven't heard asked is why is cocaine exchangeable for marijuana? For one reason only... its illegal status makes it extremely valuable. Here in BC marijuana grows pretty well apparently, I can't see it being so valuable if it were grown as freely and openly as tomatoes are. By banning this substance we create a powerful criminal currency which is exchangeable for the things that we really don't want in our neighbourhoods like guns, cocaine.

Don't agree that marijuana is an acceptable neighbour? Let's compare: Your neighbours smoke marijuana...hm their yard is extremely untidy sometimes. Your neighbours use cocaine and keep guns...Look Out! These items come with entirely different set of problems. When we place plentiful and relatively harmless plants in the category of extremely dangerous all we accomplish is spreading danger.

The Kootenays were once a place where peace loving people gathered to live out their peaceful pursuits -- like gardening and art. War on drugs ramped up at home and what once was the domain of Doukobours and Draft Dodgers gets taken over by greedy gangsters with little respect for the people or the plants that grow here. Thank you Ronald Reagan or whoever is really responsible for this stupid plan. Marijuana prohibition is the avenue through which coke and high stakes smuggling opportunities are entering our nice family friendly area.

Of course the prohibition of marijuana is not entirely responsible for Brown's tragic death but it was certainly a factor. Wherever you stand on the issue, I think it is pretty clear that Brown was a bright young man that got USED by people who he probably thought were his friends. People who he might have never met, had marijuana been legalized when he was a teenager. He may have never been tempted by all that money and stuck with the mountain bike. Too bad!

Another factor is the prison system. Seems strange to me that someone with such a lust for life would end it so suddenly. I wonder what really happened in prison that made his future seem so unbearable that he would end the thing that was so incredibly valuable to him: his life. It was his first offence, he might have gotten out in 5 years, which might seem like an eternity at 24 but, but still. What was so horrible about what Sam experienced after in custody that extinguished all hope and will to live?

So many have expressed that Sam Brown got what he deserved and think that criminals deserve to die. I do not believe that anyone deserves to die. This is to strip someone of their humanity, their dignity. All people deserve to be treated with a certain level of respect if only so we avoid horrible deaths such as this one.

I am so sorry that this happened. My condolences to the family but my hope is you aren't reading this because you shouldn't have to be exposed to such insensitive crap while you are grieving.

I think there is more to this story, I would like to see "The Fifth Estate" get hold of the video's of the interrogation of Sam and see where that story leads. I am willing to bet the DEA had that poor kid so scared for his life and the reprocussions of losing "Someone else's DOPE and a 750 000$ chopper " with a simple way out... ROLL OVER and we'll put in a good word for you with the accusers and the other option would be to deal with the backlash of losing the dope IN PRISON . I understand the theory behind the "Do the CRIME... Do the time" phylosophy. But the thought of JAIL may not have been the only thing that kid was worried about.

So the kid couldn't man-up and took the easy way out. Feel very sorry for his family.

I think your researchers and writers have been watching too many mediocre CBC produced cop dramas. To even imply that Sam Brown was a victim is ludicrous. What's next? Is the Association of BC Drug Runners going to get sued by his family for recklessness in sending him on a drug smuggling mission and thus causing his arrest and subsequent suicide? Boy, it must have been a slow news week if this is the best you guys can do. Your show is normally very good but your treatment of this story was very disappointing.

I was bothered by the tone of this broadcast. It seemed to lean to glorifying this drug smuggler. It is a shame that he committed suicide, but what about the number of people that would have also been affected by or died from the drugs he would have brought back to Canada. You made this guy sound like he was some unfortunate hero. He wasn't and you can bet he has been replaced already by another sucker. Come on CBC, if you are going to report, report responsibly.

What a waste of an hour. Looks like Sam Brown was a greedy coward. He loved money and the lifestyle he could afford with it. Didn't earn the money. When caught and forced to pay for his actions he took the easy way and chose suicide.
What is wrong with the CBC? This was a perfect example. The idea for this documentary should have been turfed before it was off the ground unless they wanted to use his story as a cautionary tale showing that eventually you always get caught. Crime tends to lead to jail or a grave. You're choice kids.

This is further to my comments posted on November 14 at 2136. It is refreshing to read understanding comments about Sam, and especially by those people who knew him personally. Such comments by you who knew him affirmed my own positive thoughts of him. Linden MacIntyre and the CBC portrayed the story well with appropriate sensitivity. On the other hand, to those of you who jump to negative conclusions about this young man, may I point out to you that it is not unheard of that young people who go astray, in time later turn around to do exceptionally good. I prefer to believe that Sam was such a candidate. He had to be, as evidenced by his attitude, the work he put his hands to, and the skills he acquired. You've heard the old saying, there are three sides to every story: my side, your side, and the truth. In favor of the truth, I am willing to give any benefit of doubts to Sam who lost his life far too soon. As to harm to users of the stuff he transported, that is entirely another story at the other end of the spectrum. Vast unchecked "legalized" toxicity of all kinds (inclusive of propaganda) is transported and used by fools in this society around the clock. Sam was not the beginning of this no brainer business, nor is his end the end of it.

At the end of my previous comments I hinted as to whether Sam's ultimate freedom was by his own hand. How do we know but that others may have done this to him? Who or what could benefit by doing such a thing to him at the very start of a crowded prison term?

Maybe CBC can do a follow up piece on the 2 men gunned down in Mexico last month.I belive that they were involved in the BC drug trade as well.They probably thought they were invincible to.

Fifth Estate: It seems to me that this very young Canadian adventurer really did got caught in a very dangerous web. Unfortunately that web consisted at the other end no risk at all for the drug cartel dealers.Of coarse the DEA agency that is mentioned in the programme are there to do a job.That is to arrest drug smugglers no matter whether they are from United States or Canada especially near the border area.They mentioned that, Sam was not stupid but, to enter into this high percentage risk at your end of the game,the age factor, has to bring in the fact he was naive of failure at the other end. They don,t care what happened to him.This was a very selfish game that is impersonal on a black berry and a g.p.s device.That is exactly what they want no matter what happens.The end result was not factored in by Sam.Involvement means bad ending because of the percentage factor.

I thought this was a sad story because the young man was so talented and could have had a bright future and then he just threw it all away. In a way he was quite innocent and didn't really think he was involved in criminal activities. It should be a lesson to others thinking they can get away with breaking the law.

SAM DID NOT COMMIT SUICIDE! What a crock of bs reporting! None of his friends nor family believe so and the reporter suddenly assumed he did, without ANY other opinion - because he was 'a bird too wild to be caged'? Lazy, weak reporting! What about the many other so-called suicides in the same jail? What about the gang connections? What about the UN gang's heli smuggling and the number of deaths from their slayings this year alone?

Sam was murdered so no one else up the line in the organized crime ring would get caught. The UN gang has been reported to have a helicopter/plane drug smuggling operation and these are the same ones in the Vancouver gang war shoot-out earlier this year. Life is cheap to them and if you are a mule and have been told there is help for you if you get busted, don't be surprised if the 'help' is a noose.

The so-called War on Drugs has created this. Treat drugs as the health issue that it is rather than as a criminal issue. Making pot legal would deny organized crime of 75-80% of there income (google it). Harper is creating Al Capones and gangsters by giving them an illegal commodity to deal and our children are getting swept up in it.

I was disappointed in the story but also in Sam's fathers attitude. Sam lifestyle was learned behavior and his father should take some responsibility for his son's death. "You teach what you are taught" and Sam didn't have a chance. To many people have this attitude that if their teen is only using pot it could be a lot worse. Marihuana is a gate way drug and nobody can tell me any different. I agree that the judicial system is handling the marihuana problem badly and that we need to do more in regards to education.

Good for the US trying to put a stop to all the pot heads and drug dealers. Canada should note and maybe we could curb some of our drug problems. The fifth estate is very biased against the police. I'm surprised no mention of the RCMP and some blame geared towards them for not catching this clown in Canada.

Like many other comments - Don't do the crime if your too pretty to do the time. I notice alot of potheads who make this society as screwed up as it is, especially in Nelson and B.C. have commented. What is wrong with you people. Sam could of got a job like most people and would of still been alive today. Shame on you pot heads and coke heads that made this a lucrative market.

I just want to comment on an uncovered topic.I was horrified to hear the Nelson lawyer Don Skogstad's comments about Nelson and the marijuana industry.Hasn't he already made enough from growers and the marijuana industry?Did he have to put the community in danger to drum up yet more business!He has put his greed ahead again and put every one in the business at risk.Did he not learn the lesson from this tradegy?Does he care that his words put quiet people in peril?Why not point the world to the once peaceful Nelson area and give out pot maps.. oh yes he did.
Please people stop blaming Sam's grieving father and upbringing.Sam's life was short but he experienced more than most people can ever fathom.A coward is not someone who flies a helicopter solo through a snowstorm!Judge not lest you be judged..

as usual you guys have done a great job of telling a good and factual story !!! that's just one of the many reasons i enjoy your shows.....

like most of the other people who have commented, there is no sympathy in this household for anyone who is in the drug world and gets caught !!! as any good parent will advise their children, "if you can't do the crime then don't do the crime." that seems to be the general feeling from reading many of the other comments.........

hopefully anyone who has seen the show will learn not to stand by while others do wrong deeds, no matter how much then love them !!! and if this story sways even one young person from following in the same steps then it will have been worth it !!!!!!

keep up the great work.... (((((-;

This story was out of line. I have no sympathy for this guy and am proud of US law enforcement for catching him. Please catch more of these guys down there so they do real, scary jail time. If you want to have "thrills" why not put a uniform on and serve your country in Afghanistan - hey your salary there is tax free too!

I find myself somewhat confused and angered by this story. Despite the tragic loss of a man who seemed well liked and affable, the spin of this show left me with the feeling that I was supposed to somehow have inordinate amounts of sympathy for a man who chose to become a drug runner. We're supposed to feel badly that an undercover operation meant to arrest drug smugglers actually worked?

Firstly I am wondering why you are doing a story about a drug runner? Sure he may have been a really nice guy but some people thought Jeffrey Dahmer's was a really nice guy!
Plain and simply he was a criminal who was probably indirectly responsible for the death of many people from drug use and the destruction of many families by not only taking drugs across the USA border but also bringing them back to Canada. How many people that live in Nelson are thrill seekers and extreme sports enthusiast but are not "lured" by the criminal aspect of drug running?
It is unfortunate for Brown family that he died, but the moment things became a bit tough for him he took the cowards way out and committed suicide not much of a man in my books.
Watching this episode I failed to see what the point of this story was? As stated earlier he was a criminal and sure he may have had a future planed but first he would have to pay for his past.
Your story should have read: Over the Edge, What happens when a small town thrill seeking drug runner finally gets caught and how his only concern is for his own well being and commits the most selfish act anyone can do.

I was perplexed by this week's show, "Over The Edge". What exactly was the point of this documentary? A wonderful young man chose to take his own life - it was tragic and needless but, without meaning to be harsh, I'm not sure why that warranted any coverage by the Fifth Estate. No crime was committed beyond the drug smuggling; no-one was complicit in Sam Brown's death. Linden McIntyre repeated the same information several times and added as much superfluous detail as possible, seemingly trying to pad the skimpy details available to justify the topic for a full hour. The story could have been told in a factual, straightforward manner better befitting a news program in about 15 minutes! I'd like to ask that the Fifth Estate be more judicious in selecting serious and enlightening subjects for future shows - maybe the 'David' green movement in Alberta battling the 'Goliath' tar sands? Or the loss of our prime agricultural land to urban sprawl? Or a view to the impacts on Vancouver in preparation for the Olympics? Anything useful and informative please... thank you.

Thank you CBC.

That particular jail has had an abnormal amount of suicides and was under investigation for such reasons.

Legalize, Tax and Regulate Drugs and end the violence crime and risk associated with them.

He most definitely saw marijuana as no more than a plant, like many of us do.

Jail belongs to violent offenders, not for drugs.

As tragic a story have to wonder the drugs this person
was transporting killed the unknow people. Drugs kill!
This man should have been locked away for life but he choose not to own up to his faults, he bailed!
He "deserved " to die.........

Why does this documentary make the police out to be the bad guys? This man made choices and those choices landed him in jail, he had nobody to blame but himself. Its a good thing a drug smuggler got caught, however it is tragic how he decided to deal with it.

Sam Brown was not just a criminal. He was a stupid criminal who went greedy on his way in a storm where he was not afraid to die for money to run soft drugs into America and trade them for hard drugs for Canada. He made his mistake and realized he couldnt face reality as a man and do his 15 years. If it looks like the reporters are making some sympathetic gestures its to appease the majority. Sam should have actually called his people instead of relying on a sms for hes destination after his contact disappeared and even the reported pushed the fact. The moral of the story is that narcotics kill people everywhere.

is a trill seeker ,adventurist.he love nature .i did not deserve to kill it slef.end for the family im her ts for your lost those people that say bad ting .most of them smoke pot one time their life ...double face pepole sam was young ,end he dint no wat the involvement the implicate ...now a young man is dead because of it .pot will be legal one day it not worst. then buzz prescription thas worst n legal.the family should make a memorial on face book.yes i fell sorry for im .money is powerful

I was somewhat disappointed by the BC Marijuana story, Over the Edge". The tone of the story very clearly nudged us toward feeling sorry for Sam Brown and thus by association, toward supporting the BC marijuana "industry". Yes, the story of Sam Brown is tragic, and his life was a tremendous waste of youthful potential for good. However, he was involved in an illegal and highly destructive activity. Present-day culture is on the cusp of experiencing the benefits of a tobaccoless society. Do we now want to enter the far more destructive world where narcotics are legal and go through the whole process that we went through with tobacco again, except this time with much, much more destructive results? Why does our culture seem bent on its own destruction? Aren't we more intelligent than that? Can't we learn the lesson of tobacco without having to go through the whole process again?

Your program on Sam Brown had a tone that I find offensive. It was almost as if you were trying to pin blame on someone for the untimely deasth of Sam Brown. He alone is responsible for his choices in life and his choice of death over paying his debts. If you do the crime be prepared to do the time. I have no sympathy for anyone who is caught in the drug trade as they have no sympathy for thier victims.
SHAME ON YOU , CBC, FOR A PROGRAM THAT EXPRESSES SYMPATHY FOR ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THE DRUG TRADE. IS THIS WHAT MY TAX DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR?

Someone might owe a thankyou note to the US authorities. Did the CBC miss some salient point, or were the DEA the only people actually working to stop Sam's self-destructive career?

Sam Brown was a criminal and a drug dealer. He was bringing cocaine into Canada. Even those that think marijuana smuggling should not be a criminal offence must surely understand the devastation that cocaine has caused to countless innocent people, parents, children, spouses, and siblings of addicted cocaine users.
Sam Brown is no hero! He made his choices and got what he deserved. He made choices that have killed many others and ruined countless lives. He was an adult and made adult choices�lots of them! Not just one or two bad choices. He endangered other�s lives with his reckless ways. He should not be glorified.
I am disappointed that such a disgusting criminal would be portrayed as simply making some poor choices. Shame on you Fifth Estate!

I've got to say i'm not one to write to tv shows however: I spent the first 45 minutes of this show feeling sorry for this boy. I was watching the show knowing something horrible and avoidable would happen and wishing this boy had someone to help save him. I was shocked and disappointed that CBC chose to end the program as a anti-US law piece instead of focusing on how this boy's choices lead him to a place where he felt isolated, lost and alone. As a lawful Canadian citizen I am upset that a television show, I was raised to watch and learn from, would twist the lesson from illegal acts have consequences into poor drug smuggler could not face the consequences of his actions. Would the t.v. producers feel so forgiving if they saw the impact of cocaine on their own children not just the faceless nameless BC children and society. You gave up an opportunity to teach a lesson - shame on you for giving it away.

I have been called an advocate for young people at my job. However I was shocked to see how you romanticized this story! This young man was a criminal transporting drugs. These drugs he was involved with I am sure hurt many young people. As stated by persons interviewed in your show, he was after the money, the adventure. How can you romanticize this young man? He knew right from wrong and chose crime. I am shocked at how this young man was presented. Of course his suicide was sad but the message you sent the public with story is very worrisome.

I don't understand the goal of this documentary. It is sad to see young individuals spiralling down into The inferno of drug dealing but The documentary, I feel, is trying to find a culprit other then the drug dealer. . The documentary had a heavy undertone of " he is guilty of nothing". While there is some individuals associated with him that should take part of the blame, it is not like it was his first time delivering drugs. He was a drug dealer, a mule carrying hundreds of pounds of marijuana or cocaine. Sad that he committed suicide but I dint buy the undertone of him being pure and a "free spirit" and guilt free. It was a disappointing documentary..

Not having read all the comments here, I apologize if a similar comment has already been published. I don't understand, with all the current events that could have been covered, why an entire hour was dedicated to a criminal, who chose to participate in illegal activity, and when faced with the consequences, chose to take his own life. Why is this news worthy? Why do I need to know about Sam Brown? What exactly was the message of this documentary? Like others here I perceived this documentary to portray Sam Brown as a victim and I take offence to that notion. He was a criminal.

I was friends with Sam, while he attended school in Clearwater BC for a year. He was an awesome person, always had a smile and knew how to enjoy life to the fullest, experienceing more in his short time on earth than most do in decades. When I heard what had happend I could hardly beilive it, it was like something out of a movie. I thank CBC for telling Sams story, that tells the tragety of the failed drug war. Humans through out history have experimented with mind altering substances and this will continue as long as we are here. Fighting against drugs is like fighting against religions, it is done because of control and misunderstanding. It is the drug war that creates gangs and violence not the other way around. Do you people really think we should spend thousand of dollars arresting and imprisoning people as well as destroying lives based on there involvment with a certian plant. If so you people are sick and should be ashamed. I hope I will live to see the day when this drug war ends. I encorage CBC to contact me if you would like any information that I can provide. Rest in peace Sam, I feel honored to have known you. My condolences to your other friends and family.

No sympathy at all for this guy. None. He was bringing cocaine back into this country, drugs that ruin other people's lives. The conjecture surrounding the notion that he was getting out of the business is bollocks. People like Brown are addicted to the lifestyle, the rush: people are kidding themselves if they think this guy was going to change.

The only reason this story gets to air is because he was a charismatic, photogenic kid. If he's an average to bad looking guy with zero personality and without the sexy, cool lifestyle, this suicide doesn't garner any interest at all.

R.I.P Sam
I would have never experienced the thrill of true drifting if it wasn't for you. You always knew how to make a person smile and entertain them to the core. I have probablly never laughed harder or been more physically tired in my entire life, and for that I want to thank you. Tequillia in one hand and a Lucky in the other....cheers to you Sam Brown!

This shameful attempt to portray this sleazy drug dealer as an example of youthful exuberance that ran up against our unreasonable drug laws falls flat. Yes, too bad for his family etc, but this is not a victimless crime, and he was way up the pyramid with the big boys. Not just tons of BC bud, but cocaine too, of course, both associated with personal and social chaos. Why get a real job and actually have to get up in the morning and go to work when you can fly a helicopter and get rich quick. Ah, the tragedy of it all, he might have been a Giller prize winner! Too bad his flaky parents didn't provide him with a few values while they were all communing with nature. There was good old dad, with his "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Of course if the young lad loved adventure he had the whole world to explore for a legitimate job. A crusader for the legalization of pot? Nope. Just another dead drug dealer, albeit much more charming and handsome than most. A disgrace.

I can't believe you're trying to make a hero out of a drug smuggler. He broke law and got caught, why try to blame someone else? If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Don't make the Americans out as the bad guys, at least they are enforcing their laws.

I have no sympathy for anyone who uses or deals drugs. They deserve what they get! This kid included. His "father", however, warrants a special mention! He is a waste of time 60's hippie who presented the kid with no boundaries, and no consequences. He furthermore enabled the kid to drug-run by "preventing him from harming himself with an unsafe helicopter" rather than turning him in, when he clearly knew what was going on!!!! The CBC are even more left-leaning than usual if they think they are going to garner sympathy for drug-dealers as "mis-guided thrill-seekers" who are undeserving of jail time if they get caught! I would go so far as to say that the slant given to their coverage of the story is "counselling to commit a crime" as they essentially argue that the BC economy would be harmed if drug-dealing was stopped, that rather than trying to stop it, we should embrace it! I hope the story producer faces the music on this one! Throw the book at him!

Well what can you do. How many people are maybe hooked on drugs because of this person and the drugs that did make it through. Like the TV show said, "you do the crime you do the time"

Disappointed with the Fifth Estate in trying to make a martyr of a criminal. He was an immature kid who thought he was invincible and couldn't take failure. His family condoning his lifestyle C-; CBC = F; Law enforcement A plus.

Why was there no interview with the US agents who lured him into a trap during the course of their price support activities on behalf of the drug trade?

It always seems like the CBC are anti-police...why is it that it's always the fault of the police. There are consequences in this world and the police need to enforce it. what would this world be without police....it would be like Afghanistan....society controled by drug lords!!!

Too bad to see all of the negative comments here, interesting that the vast majority are coming out of Alberta. To those that think this is a sympathetic portrayal of a drug smuggler, it is. But is that necessarily an evil thing to do? I for one really enjoyed this story, and I really didn't get the impression that CBC is trying to promote this lifestyle by publishing it. The kid ended up dead at the end of this story.
Sam seemed like a really nice kid, and his death (although his own fault) was tragic. The real victims here were Sam's friends and family, and I thought this documentary clearly showed that.
Thank you CBC for producing a compassionate and thoughtful piece on a wasted youth.
And for those who do not enjoy compassion maybe Fox would be more suited to your tastes, you get that in Alberta right?

Of course he was a nice guy, fun guy, loveable guy and didn't deserve to die...but he was going to go to jail for a long time and he wasn't just smuggling pot he was also smuggling COCAINE. He probably could have RATTED somebody out and received a GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card but he chose to take his own life. There of course will be sympathy for him but he knew ALL the risks. It's not like he was trying to smuggle a bag of weed into a holiday destination and was caught in some foreign country. This should be a lesson for all the BC smugglers...The drug inforcement agencies know who you are they are just waiting for the perfect chance to nail you...so don't think you are tricking anybody.

I watched the show and I must say, I don't get the point of it. A criminal was caught engaging in criminal activities... couldn't do the time and killed himself.

It seems to me that the thrust of the arguement is that Sam should've been given a break because he was a free spirit. I wonder how many other cool guys are in jail? Should we let them out? Maybe the parole board can start releasing people based on their mountainbike abilities.

I couldn't believe that you protrayed Sam Brown as a really nice guy who got into a jam which wasn't his fault. What he did was illegal plain and simple. How many men, women, child lives did he destroyed by making sure the drugs were delivered? How many families are crying cause their child was shot over drugs? He knew what he was doing and did it for the money. In my opinion, he didn't take the responsibility for his actions and took the simple way out.
No parent wants their child to get into bad situations or harms way. I feel for the family.

If he didn't chose to be a drug runner.....he would be alive today. Next time you do a story on illegal criminal activities don't protray it as you did with this story. What is next? The poor understood serial killer/rapist who should have weekend passes since his freedom is also taken from him?

OUCH... Some of these comments are nasty. I think there is room for compassion here. I knew Sam as a child and he was an exceptionally delightful one. Family disfunction, cultural hype, immaturity and tragic life choices in the realm of organised crime, how sad. Thank you for this story W5. The higher purpose of it's telling is to serve as warning to all. Organised crime recruits and preys on youth. It goes on everywhere. Keep your children close and reach out to those that are navigating on their own without parental guidance.

Dear Sam, We love you. Rest in Peace

I did not know Sam personally, but recognized his smiling face from town. I am heartbroken that he was the young man that has been the topic of so many discussions.

I am also disappointed by the comments above. How disgusting for you to attack this family. They have lost a son, brother and dear friend. What a shame. Yes, he was a criminal, but he was also a kind, exuberant young man who enjoyed the many beauties of life. His vast contribution to the Nelson Mountain bike trails are enjoyed by so many families. An action that promotes healthy outdoor living and keeps many kids from taking the wrong path.

How dare you judge his father so harshly, do you really know what you would do in that situation. Are your judgments any more than his own regrets as a father that has lost their son?

This towns grows drugs for so many of you and your friends, yet you sit there with such harsh opinions. So many of our children are a product of a society created by you!!! I have known more people in this town that do not smoke pot than any other town I have lived in Canada.
And really people, it wasn't crystal method or heroine! How many of you survived the 70 or 80's without smoking pot or dabbling in cocaine?

We have all done things in our life that we are not proud of, and while our moral compass may not be aligned with his, have you really no sadness for this young man?

The real story should be why we live in a country that is allowing this to happen!! The government turns a blind eye to the Nelson drug trade. You can't tell me that more couldn't be done. Sam is the product of a fallen system that cares more money than people.

well it seems the majority of the comments fail to see the point of this doc, if pot was in the same catigory as alcohol and tobacco Sam along with others would not be lured into the pot game for the money. yes agreed chemicals are bad, but pot come on its no worse that the liquor or smokes we buy at the corner store.

yes he made his own choices and broke the law, but if the law was not there, there would be no benifit's of breaking it, in fact more of society would bennifit from the revenues of regulated marijuana. imagine the bennifits of a 7 billion dollar industry being added to general revenue (b.c. alone, across canada who knows but deffinetly enought to house and feed the poor)

people need to step back and not look at the obvious, (the laws he broke), but look at the reality of the real world. pot is here, it is not going anywhere, instead of negativity because of a propigandi past that make it illegal because it was hurting the pocket books of a few. And now those few control all of our lives through the central bank system, and until humanity is free of the central banking system we will all countinue to be slaves.

some may say i need to go smoke another one, but i say smoker or not you need to be aware of the reality of how our lives are being controlled.

the bottom line is we are all doomed because we do not have the balls to unite and change a failing system

I have often watched, enjoyed and appreciated your program. However, after watching your episode on Sam Brown, I was quite angry and felt compelled to write (something I have never before done.) Essentially, I fail to understand why, given the broad range of topics and issues that could be covered, you chose to broadcast a show that, for all intents and purposes, paints Sam Brown as a victim. He was a drug smuggler! He CHOSE to participate in illegal activites and he CHOSE to end his own life. If he could not face the consequences of his actions, perhaps he should have chosen a different career path!

Having lost close family members myself (one, I might add, being lost to severe mental illness caused by drug use)I can empathize for Sam's family and I sincerely wish them well. However, I am very angry that you paint a picture of this drug smuggler as nothing but a poor and innocent victim. Sam came from a decent family...he had options. It's not like he was thrust on the street to survive at age 12! In any case, my sympathies will remain with the MANY victims of drug related crimes and even the addicts who, often due to family circumstances, felt no choice but to self-medicate with drugs.

This broadcast is dangerous. I understand that behind every criminal lies a person with family and friends, but frankly, when I look at my young children, I don't much care. I want the world they grow up in to be as safe as possible and if that means that there is one less drug dealer out there, so be it. I know this sounds harsh, but I'm afraid that your broadcast has sent a dangerous message that the justice system was just too hard on poor Sam Brown! Give me a break!

well all bs aside those who dislike this story or those who like it, I think it shows that there is a need for change in the system, if we tolerate alcohol and tobacco why not tolerate weed, tax it. take something that people will obviously not give up and make it a benifit to our system, think of the money saved and earned that could be put to better use, like feeding and housing the poor. the war on weed is useless, and it is time for a change
i am rolling right now and will smoke this one in memory of those fallen.

So most of the comments are Sam Brown is a drug dealer. Well Sam Brown might be a drug dealer but the WORLD SAVED because Sam Brown got caught. So Sam Brown was the little guy! SO WHERE IS THE BIG GUY'S?

I have never posted my comments on this type of outlet before, because I think they are mostly for cowards who would never say any of these things to anyone in person, but for whatever reason grow huge B---S when they are sitting in the safty of their own homes, hiding behind their computers!
Unlike obviously most of you on here, I knew Sam personally. He was everything the story described him as and more! All you "perfect" people, who feel like the rest of the world needs to read your jibberish, about how dissapointed you are with CBC, and how Sam was just a "Drug Dealer" who, should you all feel sorry for? Come on......... I feel sorry for you! Sitting there judging a person who you dont even know. Talking about him like he was a waste of skin. He was beautiful. Inside and out. He was a son, a brother, and an awsome friend. The world was a better place with him in it, and if all you pathetic people with your pathetic comments had had the privledge of knowing Sam, you would see how awful you really sound.
Im sure we've all heard the old saying "He who lives in a glass house, should not throw stones". Well I believe we ALL live in glass houses. If flying a heli loaded with weed over the boarder, is the worst thing Sam ever did. Then I'd say he was a far better person than most of you. I know this Sam wouldent have sat at a computer and spewed out a bunch of bullshit,after watching a hour long show,on a topic he knew nothing about!
R.I.P. Samual Lindsey Jackson Brown.

Living in Nelson, being surrounded by the Sam Browns of the world - the men and women that are the glue that makes the entire world of addiction, and distruction of lives is a paradox of worlds.

A beautiful place, with beautiful people that are doing such horrendous crimes. It is difficult not to look at many of these beautiful people that drive nice vehicles, dine out at the many restaurants, and seem to think that what they are doing is exciting, adrenaline seeking and cool. When in fact the paradox of the destruction of the lives that occurs to those that participate in the culture of drugs is so raw,negative, and so painful to watch.

If only all the Sam Browns in the world would watch their children enter the world of drug addiction, destroying their lives, body's, and minds. A parent hopes it will never happen to them, but it does and it happens often in Nelson.
So much for choosing a great little town to raise your family - where corruption is so accepted. What a paradox we live in, what a painful place to live in as the Sam Browns in the world sought a 'rush' in getting away with the drug trafficing - and ended with devistation. What a paradox that Sam's life ended like the children, youth, and adults that bought his products.
I am sorry to the family, he seemed like such an amazing young man - so are the children, youth, and adults that get addicted to the product that Sam sold.
What a paradox of a world we live in.

May all the drug trafficers RIP

KootenayMum

Poor little thrill seeking drug runner dies at own hand after arrest. He was wanted the money, the adrenaline, the lifestyle, and I'm supposed to feel sorry for him?!?! No way.
By your account Sam Brown had all the skills and tools he needed to make a success of himself and earn the same big money legitimately, but HE CHOSE to flirt with death at every opportunity, whether on a mountain bike, behind a chainsaw, driving his truck, or smuggling dope. In the end he faced death head on and let death win. Good riddance. Thank-you to American law enforcement for a job well done!
We also heard that there is no recession in Nelson, the drug trade keeps on trucking - or flying - or snowmobiling. You missed the real story - why is 'BC bud' such a thriving industry?

PS - I'd be curious to know how much income tax Mr. Brown paid while living so well.

The fifth estate show on Sam Brown was well balanced and in no way glamorized the drug trade. $7 Billion a year in sales and an insatiable appetite for guns and drugs is unbelievable. How more Sam Browns are there out there willing to fill his now vacant shoes? The most laughable part of the documentary was when the Helicopter owner said "Sam did not have permission to take it that night!, what a joke, are we that gullible, I don't think so!. The helicopter owner should be the next one going to crowbar hotel.

I just now watched the story on the internet and have to say that there are too many negative comments by people who obviously do not understand. Sam came across to me as a rare person. He appeared to be extremely creative, hardworking, intelligent, gifted and sensitive. Seems to me he possessed the good sense to "know" the true joy of freedom in an otherwise rotten world. To maintain his freedom and to share it with others he jumped onto a corrupted easy money "bandwagon setup" which existed long before he came into the world, and still carries on strong now that he is gone. He did not create the corruption but was merely taking advantage of it, for a time. That is easily seen as his downside. But I also see in him a huge counterbalancing upside: He seems to have been the type of person who would, and could, go through fire and smoke (and snow) to rescue and save someone; to take that rare risk to save a life that few others take. He pushed the limits for himself, yes, but he would have done it, I'm sure, for someone else, too. He was loaded with talent. Able to fly that chopper over the tree tops in a blizzard, then safely set it down by instruments. Given time, the bad that people now see in him would surely have turned around to good. His time was cut short by a very flawed and corrupt system of madness. He was born a free bird and when hopelessly caged, is he the one who saw to it that no one would steal that freedom from him?

I was wondering what the point of this peice was as well. I didn't feel sorry for this guy. He was bringing drugs back into Canada, flying without a license, drinking and driving...Um, he was young and good looking...is that why we were supposed to feel sorry for him? I usually love Fifth Estate, but I had to come comment on this particular program because it was so badly done.

Stop glorifying the drug trade! Cocaine has ruined many thousands of lives in this country.

You call Sam Brown the poster boy for life itself. He is a hero to the people at CBC. Other men and women his age are in Afghanistan making Canada proud. Brown exported BC bud, imported coke, stole police cars and helicopters. Would you have done the story if he wasn't a good looking white boy.

No wonder so many people aren't voting for CBC.

Congrats on your Giller Prize Lindon.

With all the injustices happening in this country I am simply shocked that the cbc would do this story.

Why not do a documentary on what drove the guy to take hostages at the wcb building in Edmonton?

Painting a drug smuggler as a victim ? good grief what is this world coming to.

While I have huge sympathy to the Brown family on the loss of their son/brother, the fact is he was running drugs across the border with no thought to the consequences of his actions. To imply that the U.S. procsecutor scared him to death is ridiculous. You tried to paint a picture of a do-gooder doing this one last bad thing to help out a friend--if this young man was from Mexico and trying to run drugs to earn money to feed his family would there have been an hour long show devoted to him? And one more thing -- he stole the helicopter, that made me laugh!

Actually Jo, what they started out with was alcohol. From there they moved to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Park your fairy tales.

i'm still shaking my head as to the story of sam brown,he was probably a nice kid,he decided to break the law and was caught,so instead of manning up he kills himself after 4 whole days in jail,4 whole days,the inhumanity strikes at the very fabric of our mountain biking,surfing and drifting society.i'm glad that when i was jailed at 16 yrs old on trumped up charges because i would not rat out another person,i did not kill myself after 4 whole days incarcerated with hardened criminals in general population,not individual cells like this pretty boy was locked up in.it's sad commentary that people stand up for this spoiled P.O.S when soldiers younger than sam are dying in afghanistan,not crying about doing a nickel in an american jail.

I would like to know how many of the people who have posted comments have lived a life of absolute. Really.

First to accuse the CBC of displaying sympathy. Where in this documentary did you see the lens of the camera capture a single tear?

Have any of you read the full story covered in Rolling Stone magazine? Do any of you live in Nelson? Do any of you have children that have not done drugs, drink booze, lie to you, have sex before a certain age?

Do you do drugs? Of course you are too pure to do illegal drugs so you go to the Dr and get a prescription. You run to your doctors for presciption after precription. Uppers to make it through the day and downers to sleep because you cannot face being alone with you. You cannot be in your aloneness.

Do you not think your children indirectly absorb this and then one day act it out?

I used to work in media and I know the # killer of people is prescription drugs. Have any of you thought of what is in current vaccines? Who is profiting? Who created this when the economy started to slip?

People take the rafter out of your own eyes. I used to date an investment advisor who lived in what is perceived to be on of the wealthiest areas of Canada (West Vancouver).e told me of the many key swaping parties where all kinds of drugs were brought in by people that make the rules, that have no time for their kids. Then their children have to look good in preppy schools and be something other than they really are. These kids are forced to do too much to soon. They are forced to do things before they are ready. They are violated through being forced when they are not ready. They act out their parents truth something other than their truth in order be accepted.

The number of unnecessarily brutal attacks at Sam and his family is sickening. Think of what the family has gone through trying to make sense of this all. I hope they don't read any of your heartless comments. Imagine this happened to a family you know; would you say comments like that to their face? No, I doubt you would. Hide behind the anonymity of your computer you cowards.

Ive got an idea; Let's ban everything! No drugs,no booze
no cigarettes. One law for everyone equal and just. But alas that would be too fair and think of all those poor people out of work. I believe people should ultimately be
responsible for themselves just like many of the posters
on this subject seem to be. For all the idiots who choose
to drink, smoke and do drugs; it's nobody's fault but your own...OWN IT! And that go's for all the parents of
children that have gone down the wrong roads in life.
Everyone is so quick to blame the father of Sam. Where
is all your responsibility for your own. This guy raised
one hell of a son! If more kids were raised like this
there probably wouldn't be half of the problems we see today with today's youth. If Sam would have lived I have
no doubt he would have grown into an exceptional productive man. He was just a kid and he was already a force, what a waste. You can paint it any color
that aligns with your political beliefs.I am also surprised that no one has noticed anything odd with the way Sam died. I hope CBC has the courage to finish this story with all the facts as un-politically correct as it may be. What good is journalism if it doesn't provoke
thought from all sides? I guess most of us would prefer to be spoon fed.

We all make mistakes in life and we all want to feel alive, This story really touched me and I only wish I had the opportunity to meet Sam. My love goes out to his Family & Friends. By the sounds of it our child hoods were very similiar and it is easy to feel alone at times. It's just so sad he had to choose this path, unfortunately there are so many people living his mistakes - hopefully they can learn from his tragic fate. What an amazingly talented young man! So sad! Thankyou for telling this story xxx

I feel no sympathy for this drug smuggler. He chose his lifestyle and was responsible for his actions. He not only was exporting drugs to the U.S. he was also importing cocaine and instead of standing up for his actions he chose the cowardly way out. The U.S. legal system is not the reason why he is dead, bad choices, poor parenting, low morals and greed are the reasons.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!

The whole tone of this story was laughable. Many others have pointed this out already so there is really no neeed for me to reiterate that aspect.

I found the early setup of Sam as this devil-may-care Super DAve Osborne hilarious and bordering on parody.

The kid had a death wish. As a young teenager I had a few friends like him. The consensus opinion amongst their friends was to stay well away from them. When they finally crash and burn on their vision quest, you don't want to be anywhere near them lest they take you out as well.

My dad would have appalled by Sam's dad for aiding and abetting his son's "career" which led to his eventual death. Talk about a bad parent..sheesh!

Freedom seems to be defined in this piece as wanton disregard for your own and others well being. That's not what life is about. And I learned that at a very early age. ACtions have consequences and you must live with them.. Sam was a child who wimped out at this moment of truth. Nothing to admire in that whatsoever...

Thank you CBC for this story. Many of the uneducated negative comments above offer no value at all, rather they are focused on judging the person they did not know and praising/supporting the system they know nothing about. I knew Sam for a brief period of time and he was a free spirit, a kind and gentle person and truly full of life. His choices may have been questionable and perhaps he got caught up in a lifestyle that is much too accessible in our area but nevertheless his life ended in tragedy. My heart goes out to his family and many loved ones who knew the real Sam.
I work in the system and know of way too many problems with it, including underhanded and illegal things the police do to justify catching drug dealers.
There are many questions surrounding Sam's death including that it may not have been a suicide at all.
Before you post your negative comments and judge a person you did not know, remember that he is no longer here to share in the laughter, the joy and make memories with his loved ones, a much bigger part of his life and legacy he left behind all too soon.

All drugs are just painkillers. People are always going to use painkillers because they are in pain no matter if they are illegal or not. The choice of the government is to decide how to regulate the flow. By making painkillers illegal you are giving massive amounts of money to organized crime. In Amsterdam where people have the choice to buy drugs legally the percentage of people doing these drugs is lower than the US. If people want to harm there own body than so be it but by allowing organized crime to profit from regulating these substances than everyone in society feels the harmful effects. The war on drugs and the mentality behind is ridiculously ignorant and it's failure has been proven study after study worldwide. Everyone agrees that harm reduction works time after time with proven test studies.

This documentary was played to build sympathy for the young man involved. We were told that he was bright, and always well aware of the risks in any situation. The message the documentary sent was that he was a victim. But, he knew exactly what he was getting into.

We also saw it from only one side - the tragedy of a young man's death. We didn't see it from the point of view of law enforcement - the lives destroyed by drug use.

He made the choice to run the drugs that day. He didn't have to do it.

What I wonder, and what was not explored in this documentary, was if he could have truly walked away from the drug trade. His friends thought he wanted to get out of it and go into a legitimate business. Was that actually possible? Was he free to walk away and not do that last drug run, or would have he faced problems from those he had worked for? That would have been interesting to explore.

It's totally surprising to me how hatefully brainwashed our society has become due to government propaganda promoting fraud where drugs are concern.

At there own peril, which causes exponential increases in lawlessness, Canadians believe in a police state to control harmless people's diets. That is why we have left this country of oppressors and moronic slaves behind.

not For our words to the people of Canada contained in the record of parliament, google "Chief Justice Bud the Oracle"

-Most of these comments sound like they are coming from a bunch of old ladies! Yes, Sam knew what he was doing all right when he "stole" the helicopter.
-Did all you viewers forget it was reported that Sam was concerned about one of his accomplices and tried this stunt to help bail her out? Yes, pot is (still) illegal in Canada, cocaine is something that destroys lives, and having a role in cross-border drug-trade comes with inherent risk.
-Likely, Sam would be asked to turn in his contacts for a reduced jail sentence. All of his Canadian connections would probably be extradited to the U.S. since that is what seems to happen these days. How do you think he would have felt knowing that? By the way, can you name another country, besides America that doles out multiple consecutive life sentences? I would have taken my own life too. What sort of penalty would Sam be facing for flying (unlicensed) into American airspace in a "stolen" helicopter, making an illegal entry into the States, and yes, the dope...You can bet all of those american law-enforcement agencies were having a great time with this, since this is the sort of thing that big promotions are made of. Don't you think those cops were patting themselves on the back? Those are the same police agencies that allows "mexican" cocaine get all the way from Mexico to Washington State!
Sam made some very poor choices; he and his family have paid the price. Let's hope this serves as an example of what can happen when you are in over your head.
-Thank you CBC for running this story, international smuggling is not only a regional issue, but a national one.

I was disheartened to see so many condemning judgements about Sam Brown.Who has the right to say this man desevered what he got after watching a short summary of his life,what about innocent until proven guilty?I think the real tradegy here is the absolving attitudes and lack of understanding and compassion.To dismiss his life as he knew what he was doing and deserved to die is an outrage.Did any of you know him?I live in the same community as Sam and I don't know of any ruined lives from his activities.I do know of many ruined lives from alcohol,bad food and tobacco,however this is legal so it's alright for the deaths,disease and violence this causes.There seems to be too much envy of anyone different from the 9 to 5 carbon copy job that seems to have a more lavish,fun,free lifestyle.Society is driven by money and the aquirement of it yet when someone seems to have more than them there is bitterness and jealousy-however the wealth is achieved.If blame is to be doled out it does not belong to his father,rather the corrupt drug laws that benefit the evil.Research it please..wherever drugs are legal usage declines.Isn't it convienent that with his death there can be no trial or investigation and with his permanent silence his last shipment is left in his captives hands..? God bless Sam Brown's adventurous free-spirit and my condolances to his family

At first I was upset that CBC was portraying a drug runner as a hero. I am sure Sam was a wonderful person who was miss guided in his life. Too bad his family did not care enough about him to talk about what he was doing with his life. Clearly his upbringing has a lot to do with his moral standards. He knew what he was doing was illegal, and if it was legal, he would not of had received a thrill by doing it. There are other things thrill seekers can do, but then again, he could not of made a living at it.

This reminds me of the "Balloon Boy" family, thrill seekers without a clue. I feel sorry for the children raised in such an environment.

There is a whole generation of young people who share much in common with Sam Brown. Rather than judging him and his family, or CBC for this programme, maybe people could attempt to try and understand why this life style has such appeal to so many of our youth. Good kids do make bad decisions (even the kids of those of you who are so judgemental) and unfortunately sometimes the consequences are tragic. If you must find blame, look at our society and yourself, because we are all responsible. Perhaps the real issue here is to examine what is lacking in our society for today's youth. Judgement and blame are simple responses which do nothing to look at the real issues. This is a family who has lost their son. We have many youth who are struggling to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Let's try and understand our youth and learn from Sam's choices. I do not agree with many of the choices that Sam made; I am adamantly opposed to drugs BUT I would never agree with using this as a reason to dismiss the pain and tragedy of this story. We all have lessons to learn. One can only hope the cost is not the life of more of our children/young adults.
Thank you for reminding us that all of us who are parents share a vulnerability and responsibility.
My sympathies to his family and thank you for sharing your son's story with us.

It's devastating to read all of these horribly judgemental comments about my friend. My friend who I loved very much. And Sam was a good person, with a good heart, who made a mistake. The world was a better place for having Sam in it, and it's sickening that all of you small minded people feel the right to judge. I wish Sam's story stayed private so that his poor family wouldn't have to read all of these hurtful comments. Just be glad it's not someone that you know and love. This was a tragedy.

Ok - so this was an interesting piece done by CBC
However, come on, the kid flies to his Dad's machine shop in a helicopter for repairs would you think the Dad would ask a couple of important questions like:
1. How did you learn to fly this?
2. What are you doing with it?
And the other guy notices his helicopter missing from right in front of his shop after two days -
another come on!!!!
CBC would have served the audience better by doing a graphic piece on how these young people are seduced by the thought of big money and high living not fully understanding that they are playing with very dangerous people in a high stakes game and what can happen when it all goes wrong. I find alot of the young people of today want everything by the time they are 25 - the house,the cars,the toys. Stuff that took their parents many many years of hard work to obtain. Its all about the money and thinking they are invincible. My nephew was arrested for drug smuggling in another country - it devasted his parents but he owned up to his poor choice and is doing the time - sometimes life lessons are hard ones to learn.
It appears that Sam opted out - his choice
I feel sorry for his mother she seems to be the only family member that was out of the loop on this

Spoiled kid becomes criminal.Not man enough to face his punishment.Other than his loved ones,who cares?Why not do a story on a Toronto gangster hooked on drive by shootings?At least gangsters can do time.Is The Fifth Estate hard up for serious reporting?

Typical CBC yellow, bleeding heart journalism. A drug trafficker gets caught and Its always someone else's or societies fault. Poor Sam,so his drug running buddies blew the "deal" and Sam the innocent victim pays the price. Thats what criminals do. Its all about the money. Sam seemed to have grown up in an environment that suggests if it feels good do it. Consequences be damned. He seems to have been a wreckless risk taker. Sooner or later it catches up with you. To have the CBC suggest that he was so carefree and took so many risks without fear and then he gets caughts and scares himself to death? Nice hypocrisy.Oh yeah, I'm sure he was just about to turn his life around.This was going to be his last smuggling run. Yeah right.He could have started to turn his life around by paying his debt to society. Antoher bad one sided episode from the Fifth estate and CBC in general.

I don't watch television, I know the world is a messed up place. I don't want to be bombarded on a daily basis as to just how shitty and corrupt things have become. I did however watch Sam's story because I knew him years ago pherhaps before he got involved in all of this. He was a nice kid. There is only one way to sum up this whole mess it is a tragedy. The comments posted here are angry and sad. I am wondering what good it is doing to blame his father or to say that if he was not a good looking guy pherhaps his story would have not been documented. Fact of the matter is people get involved with things that are not good for them, and there are serious consequences to pay. All the people bashing Sam,consider if that was your child? Would you judge him so harshly then? I am not saying that i approve of, smuggling, but there is a bigger picture here with many variables, many more people involved, and many other shoulders that share the blame. So maybe a little empathy could replace the hatred. I am saddened by this story, but ultimately feel a deeper sorrow for those who feel the need to bash, or blame......open your eyes, it is not all black and white, there are many shades of grey!

This kid had quite a life. He was loved by all and was admired for his life risking activities. And lived his life moment by moment.
But the last risk he took - well, he was young, beautiful, etc. all was going for him. And he smuggled drugs. Whether you are young and beautiful or young and ugly or any combination - drug smuggling is against the law and one must pay.
Unfortunately, the young man couldn't see far enough into the future for a life after jail and thus being free - and sought freedom through suicide.

Rest in peace Sam, I wish I had your courage to be what I want to be and do what I would like to do.
I would love to live the life you had.
Although your life was too short you did things only thought of by the rest of us.
Rest assured there will be more Sams out there.

I'm not sure what the point was of this show. It seemed to portray this fellow as a tragic victim. But if your flying drugs back and forth across the boarder as an unlicensed helicopter pilot you know what your doing is illegal and that these actions have consequences. He made bad choices and then made another choice to not live with the consequences of his actions. It brought to mind the old saying 'if you can't do the time don't do the crime'.

Having grown up in that location, I can only say one gets accustomed to the lifestyle that is presented to ones' self. The story was not a "waste of taxpayers dollars", but a human tradegy. People who think that this program glorified this young man didn't get the whole point of the story. This story is about the real lives of people in this region, and this was a realistic portrayal about what happens there. This is a story about youth and inexperience, and what happens when people think they know everything. The backdrop of the story in drugs was minor in comparison to the real life consequences a boy has to make enroute to being a man.

I can't believe CBC would portray sympathy toward the drug trade. The owner of the helicopter company claiming the helicopter was stolen. What a Joke! I'm sorry for Sam that his upbringing directed him into that kind of life. Shame on you Dad! The drug trade runs rampant in this valley, but law enforcement's hands are tied because of rules in place preventing searches. Why not do a story about our legal system, how lawyers and judges have made it impossible for police to get the drug trade stopped.

RIP Sam you were a great kid. Now lets all have a few beers get behind the wheel and kill someone... what a bunch of hypocrites!

You choose to play with the big bad guys and you have to take the consequences. Sam Brown was a criminal who deserved to get caught. The fact that he wasn't prepared to face jail and chose suicide was a cowardly way out.

jesus was a capricorn he ate organic food
he believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes
long hair beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends
reckon they'd just nail him up if he came down again

because everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on
who they can feel better than most anytime they please
someone doing something dirty decent folks can frown on
if you can't find no body else then help yourself to me..

kris kristoferson
'jesus was a capricorn'
from the album me and bobby mcgee

The story touched my heart. Thank you CBC.
Its too bad so many of the comments are so negative.
Do any of you know the feeling of pure freedom?
Sam Brown was a legend that touched the heart of many.

RIP Sam Brown

For all you CBC bashers, go watch something else if you don't like it. There are a lot of other things our gov't spends too much money on that return far less than the CBC. The CBC is pure Canadiana and appreciate many programs.
Yes, legalize it.
He reminds me of many of my employees past and present who are near the same age. It is their age and generational mindset, this lack of accountability and consequence. It shouldn't simply translate into harsh judgment of them or in this case classifying Sam as a criminal.
It is sad had quick to judge we have become and how easily we dismiss the hypocrisy here.
I agree he was acting as a criminal here but he was not a drug dealer.

The people who say Sam Brown was ruining lives are hypocrites. You allow poisons like Alcohol and Tobacco to be sold in every street, and use them yourselves because they are socially accepted, yet they've been both shown to kill large numbers of Canadians. No one has died from marijuana except people who are victims of the prohibition of marijuana like Sam Brown. Why do 4029 people have Authorizations to Possess under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations in Canada, if the substance ruins lives, why do 4029 doctors in Canada recommend it to their patients. Probably because its harmless and enhances the quality of their lives. This is why their is such a large demand for it because people want the ability to relax naturally without governments approved poisons like alcohol and tobacco, which both make you sick and lead to death.

I agree with many of the comments above: Sam knew what he was doing. It was his FREE choice. He was a criminal and the criminal must be in prison.
CBC made the story which was a waste of time and taxpayers money. Because they made a victim from Sam.
And this is WRONG! It teaching young people to be not responsible for themselves: let's always blame someone else. The older generation, for example. They build such a good life in Canada that young people got bored... Or the government, or the police, or... But not "poor Sam".
The real problem is that some people in Canada started to like to make victims of themselves. I came from another country and can really see that:
Somebody fell down on the street. He do not think that he should look where he is going. He is blaming the people who did not clean the road in time. So is the "Over The Edge" show.
Canada is a wonderful country (so far) and the majioirity of Canadians are wonderful people, but if we will stop being responsible it will be not doing any good. Not for us and not for Canada. And Sam is the example.

I have lived in the Nelson area for 35 yrs. I am saddened deeply by a fellow Koots death. Drugs and dealing are a big part of "the life" here and unfortunately it is getting out of hand, Bringing harsher drugs to the area. Yes Sam was technically a drug dealer but most of your comments on this page were disgustingly disrespectful for his family.

all u have to do is just legalize it and tax is and all of this will end
when was the last time u heard of people brewing beer or making wine and then smuggling it..........not since usa prohibition
lets stop filling up our jails for this crap

While it was a good educational piece, I had a feeling that two things were off the mark or missing. First, you made it sound like the handlers from the US law enforcement were at fault by bringing Sam to the point of suicide. He rode the highway to hell and that is what you can expect at the end of it. He was not even a man enough to stand up to his deeds. Secondly, I think you should stress the cocaine/weapon import factor more. While you mentioned the big drug business on the fringe, you did not make the hard connection between the marihuana business and those high school kids that are getting addicted to hard drugs, not mentioning dozens of people killed by American guns - both "products" received in exchange for the BC bud.

Finally, this kid knew what he was into and was careless, as shown by his disregard for this society's law (from truck drifting to actual smuggling of hard drugs). He may not have been the readily denounced deviant psychopath but his deeds were up there, too.

Sam Brown was a hedonistic young man who lacked the imagination to envision what could happened if he were caught. He threw his life away and did his part to help wreck the lives of drug users and bring harm to innocent victims of those addicts. He was a good looking kid - I doubt that the Fifth Estate would have produced sympathetic show about an ugly, half-witted and vicious smuggler. Sam's self-centered father is much to blame for the way the young man turned out.

Very disappointing CBC, I think you missed the point. Where is the other half of the storey? I should say where was the storey period?
The fact of the matter is that Sam Brown was a drug smuggler. Sam Brown and his pals spent years smuggling BC Bud into the US. Your report mentioned briefly that Sam would bring cocaine back into Canada after dropping off BC Bud in the U.S. You failed to mention the vast amount of cocaine, cash and arms that were likely brought back into OUR country on a regular basis. I can't help but wonder where all of that went. This is a product that keeps BC gangs flourishing and the BC homicide rate at the second highest in the country. It would be a very nieve thing to believe that Sam Brown et al are simply taking the local crop to Washington every now and then and bringing back a few cash dollars to buy a pick up truck or two. These guys are serious criminals with serious ties to BC gangs.

It was very disappointing to watch this very lop sided episode of the Fifth Estate.

I think the CBC owes people a little more than that.

remember when booze was illegal.the risk of bringing it over the canadian/us border? people did not stop drinking and they will not stop smoking pot. if this beautiful plant was made legal again this crazyness would stop. prohibition does not work. the laws need changed.

I agree with those who found this item to be poorly produced. Many important points were given the wrong emphasis: knowingly (and unecessarily) chosing a criminal lifestyle that likely caused harm to others, etc.

Some other points that should have been pursued:

- did his sisters attempt to change his ways?

- why did his father turn a blind eye, does he feel at least partly responsible for the sad outcome? "Don't ask, don't tell" are the words of a weak-kneed weasel

- why was it OK for his father to repair helicopters? Is he a licenced AME with a licenced Maintenance Operation?

- why was it OK for Brown to pilot a helicopter without a licence? More examples of "doing it my way".

Brown was a risk taker who caused others grief and harm through his self centred pursuit of glory and money. Those who could have helped him apparently didn't. That's the real story.

does anyone really believe the guy who says he stole his chopper? this guys still facing a smuggling charge from the 90's

Too bad so sad hopefully it will deter any future wanabe gang,stars down the road.
More to it than money and glitz in the real world the harsh reality should set in before not after he got caught.

Seeing the show and knowing the person are two seperate stories. YES, Sam made some bad choices in his life. Don't we all? YES, his poor choices were more severe than most of ours (cutting off people while driving, lying to loved ones, cheating on spouses, etc), but shouldn't this be a lesson to learn rather than a story to critisize to the bitter end? There are many poilitics involved in the story and much to ponder upon. Why critique a person that you didn't know? Why must we judge someone and point the finger to someone that is unknown to us? Why can we not just learn from the story, educate those around us (young or old) and use this as a learning tool, rather than a story to ridicule? There is a family at hand that is in mourning that loved a son and a brother. Lets give credit to those that were brave enough to tell his story in order to envoke AWARENESS in a positive manner. Sam was not a hero in the matter of code, nor conduct. He was still human and did make mistakes. Let's remember who he was and what he stood for. In his non-criminal life he was a stand up guy with much drive and virtue. More than what I can say for those that simply judje and don't sit back and think and consider all angles before they speak.

I kept watching through the hour, wondering when this program was going to get to the point. Adventurous kid with promise (nothing unusual there, unless it is more laxity in parental parameters than is the norm) becomes an adult and decides to engage in illegal activity, perhaps as a way to continue his adventure seeking. So, that's his choice (there are lots of other legal adventures he could have chosen). Perhaps he was influenced by what was easily accessible to him (not very noteworthy--a Canadian community free of drug connections, now THAT would be noteworthy). It appears he may have been considering leaving the illegal behind for ethical reasons, but first wanted to help out a fellow criminal who had the misfortune of getting caught, perhaps as a result of Sam's actions (please don't try to pass this off as noble; ill-gotten gain was not his only recourse for providing financial help to his colleague, though no doubt it was the easiest way to get a bunch of money quickly). And what's with the surprise that some fellow criminals apparently had more regard for the money they could make than for the safety and success of our man, Sam? So poor sucker Sam who's lived such a charmed life to this point gets caught and deposited in prison (not unusual for someone caught breaking the law). In prison, Sam manages to take his life (and that IS very sad, indeed; it would suggest that he saw suicide as the easiest/best way to deal with the consequences of his actions). So now I've just rehashed the story in under an hour...does anyone see a point?

THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERYTHING WE DO!!!!
I can't believe that 'Sam' was portrayed an an innnocent boy who was misled by bad people. And what the hell was his own father thinking: 'Ask no questions???' Didn't he love his son enough to find out WHY he needed help yesterday???? Didn't it occur to anyone to give him some constructive guidance as a kid? Don't tell us about being high on life, living on the edge, etc. What a load of crap! What about all his victims' lives and families he ruined by his pursuit of money for his own selfish and useless lifestyle????? He knew damn well what he was doing!!!!!!!!! And if he couldn't live in jail he should have thought about that BEFORE he turned criminal.
By the way, your portrayal of 'drifting' was also disgusting......by drinking and driving he could have easily taken the life of someone else.
Thank God for American tough justice! If only Canada would have the same balls to stop being so wishy-washy.

Too bad so sad hopefully it will deter any future wanabe gang,stars down the road.
More to it than money and glitz in the real world the harsh reality should set in before not after he got caught.

This story was a pathetic effort to raise public boo hoo for a criminal who in the end showed what a coward he was. I am disgusted that a supposed professional media group like the Fifth Estate would take this approach in covering a story like this and promoting a bleeding heart approach because the deviant was cute, and a nice guy. What crap journalism... shame on you...

Two nights ago city police shot a guy in his car at a location that is used by drug dealers and drug addicts. Oh did I happen to mention its outside a large city park and just outside my backyard. Your report is an affront to those people that put their lives on the line to stop the criminal activity that 24 year old waste of skin helped support. Oh and to comment on the guy in your interview that said that to the guys running the drug organizations sometimes forget that people are running their drugs for them and that it's not about the money.... Here's a secret Einstein ... it's all about the MONEY and you're just a dumbass mule just like the filth in the story. you think the drug bosses would be doing it if it wasn't about the money. they sure don't do it because they like they way it makes people feel. Personally, if more smugglers and drug runners lost their lives in or out of custody the happier I'd be and the safer Canadian communities would be. Next maybe invest more time reporting and less time smokin the bud.

I was pleased to see that most of the other people commenting were not convinced by the portrayal of Sam Brown in the episode.

Brown was depicted as an intelligent person. one would thing that he would have been aware of the punishments he faced in the US for smuggling. Also, if the theme of the story holds, he was into smuggling because of the high risk. He was not smuggling ounces of marijuana; he was flying in 200 kilograms of marijuana by helicopter. This shows quite a bit of premeditation. Then he had the gall to plead not guilty. He learned this lesson from his impaired driving charge, which he managed to sneak out of after escaping lawful custody.

As many others have already commented, he chose his actions but did not want the consequences. The only thing that makes the extreme sports, which Brown loved so much, extreme is the risk of personal injury. He could not handle the consequences of his actions in the drug trade, and he decided to kill himself. Every part of what happened to him was his own doing, and it is refreshing to see that other people recognize that.

What else can be said? I'm impressed to see so many viewers seeing this show for what it was, a criminal/ drug dealer who met his demise after he made choices to enter this destructive and risky life-style.
Any loss of life is tragic, but when one decides to take these risks with little regard for others, it is difficult to symathize with them. In Sam's case, it's as though everyone around this drug dealer was blind to his activities and now blame others for the end result.
The City of Nelson should be ashamed of its reputation for thriving due to the apparent drug trade in their city. Its success is at the expense of many other communities and social groups who pay for the hardships brought on by drug abuse. Crime,drug addictions, social issues, and in this case the loss of a life (certainly one of many). It was disgusting to see the lawyer smiling, as though proud, of his City's ability to thrive on the drug trade. Perhaps, there should be a greater presence of law enforcement in Nelson (unfortunately, one of many communities)to deter this type of criminal activity. This may potentially save more lives and lessen the hardships placed on loved ones who lose family and friends to the affects of drugs. Not enough can be said on the tragic affects illegal drugs(marihuana, cocaine, heroin, etc) have on our society. No illegal drugs are accepted by the vast majority of our society, why do we tolerate it?!

Whew...My husband and I were hoping we weren't the only ones that were angry about this poor drug smuggling kid story.So what? Okay all you kids watching if you get into the drug industry and through it all you get busted there will be a whole lot of people that will really feel sorry for you. You won't have done anything wrong just made some bad choices and then the big bad authorities might force you into killing yourself by wanting to lock you up. This show came across 100% as a pity party for Mr. Brown. I do not feel sorry for the people whom are saddened by his choices, his drug dealing buddy who's helicopter was "stolen"s broken heart or the father that repaired his helicopters sadness ..fix his helicopters so he could deliver his illegal and harmful goods.???. He might have considered making them unflyable and "ground" the kid for goodness sake.
No matter what point the CBC was trying to make this show was an indication of how society is losing it's understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

Not fond of this program and the slant it portrays "young drug smuggler gets caught, kills himself - we should all feel bad about that". What a load of unmitigated BS. There was a talented young man who probably could have made a decent living by honest work and chose a different path instead. I do feel bad for the family he left behind. Trafficking drugs is illegal for good reason - I could walk you through any downtown core and show you people on the streets who started out with a little harmless weed. I somehow doubt that those people were on his mind when he hung himself. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. I am surprised that the fifth estate let this story come across in the manner it did. It was a horrible waste of a life - too bad he made the choices he did.

Why do we always hear that crimials were just about to change their lives around right before they get caught, killed or commit suicide?

I am a retired Customs Oficer who was stationed on the BC border for the better part of 20 years. Your story protraying the life and death of Sam Brown bordered on sicking. This young man chose to smuggle a substance that was ruining other people's lives. This man was not not the pure and innocent little kid having fun in the mountains of B.C. He was a drug smuggler whose handlers were probably connected to organized crime. Your protrayal of this money hungry criminal as someone who was driven to suicide is laughable. He does not deserve this kind of national coverage.

##

I wish I could tell you how alcoholism ruined my brother's life, and the lives of the rest of his family. How alcoholism ruined by father's life, and the rest of us, his family. How it fueled rage, beatings, rape, sexual abuse, poverty, depression, more alcoholism and so much despair. Lost and desperate lives.

All legal. All supported with your tax dollars, all the booze pushers considered fine and upstanding members of the chambers of commerce.

This kid surely needed more guidance from his father. But he is not worse than the vast majority of you are, picking up your weekend booze, getting tight that's alright (lyrics from a prize winning East Coast song). Some drugs are celebrated all across Canada, by even the CBC! Here's a fine Keith's for ya me boyo.

Hypocrisy is soooo comfortable.

Congrats to the law enforcement of BC and the US for teaming up to crack down on drug smuggling, I think we saw the cost of "relaxed" parenting that comes from the laid back feeling you get from using so a called harmless weed. My sincerce condolences to sam browns family I hope those beautiful girls are able to get through their loss. But he made his own decsions right to the end.

What a terrible piece of reporting. To state that the poor drug smuggler was a "poster boy for life itself" makes a mockery of the fact that this guy was a high level criminal. Why was there such a sympathetic angle on this guy? Thank goodness that there is somewhere in the world that treats drug smuggling seriously.If he was caught in Canada he would have been running drugs again by now. This guys death is nobody's fault but his own.

The activity was criminal but my sense is that Sam Brown was not. He didn't seem to partake in the drugs, his high was the thrill. Nobody knows what he was truly like or what his morals were. Unfortunately he wasn't concerned of benefit vs. consequence. Perhaps his conscience drove him to take higher risks, to pay the legal costs for his friend (as the story portrays). I have lived in that area of BC and understand the counter culture. The marijuana use is as common as drinking coffee. Sadly, like anywhere else, cocaine use is growing and is harmful. His unorthodox upringing is not the cause of this tradgedy. Marijuana laws are not to blame for this tradgedy. Money is the cause of this tradgedy. All crimes stem from and lead to money. Money kills and so does our capitalistic society.

So long, Sam! Have a good one.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for you. None. You could pretend you were such a man and even hoodwinked those around you, you crossed the border illegally, flew a helicopter without a license and smuggled cocaine into Canada, but when you got caught, you couldn't face the consequences of your actions.

You decided you no longer wanted to play, now that it wasn't going your way...

My husband and I felt very frustrated watching "Over the Edge" during and after the show as it appeared to us that viewers were supposed to feel sorry for Sam Brown... Did the prospect of heavy jail time "scare him to death"? Did police cause him to risk his life by setting up a sting in a snow storm? Did the others involved in the operation not watch out for his best interest?

Sam Brown made decisions that lead to him getting caught. Sam Brown chose to get involved in illegal and risky behaviour that caused him to become a target in a police investigation. Sam Brown hailed the bad weather as "just like we like it". Sam Brown was about to suffer the consequences of his actions and he decided that it was too much for him to handle.

The fear of bad weather didn't stop him. The fact that this was his first trip alone didn't stop him. His buddy's "claim" that had to steal the helicopter didn't stop him... Sam Brown continued to make one toxic decision after another in the name of the "rush" and almighty dollar.

I hope that young people didn't watch this show because it appeared to attempt to glamourize the drug running industry, the lucrative rewards of the "business", and then blame everyone else for Sam Brown's choices. Sam Brown made his own bed. He may have calculated all of the details in his scheme but obviously didn't calculate the fact that his actions were illegal and he could get caught.

Furthermore, when Sam Brown was caught by police earlier during the impaired driving incident, his lawyer convinced police not to charge him. This didn't do Sam Brown any favours; it likely convinced him that he was invincible.

There are a lot of "extreme sports" that are legal and drug smuggling isn't one of them. The thrill of drug smuggling isn't a "rush" that anyone will benefit from in the long run. It shouldn't be glorified as a "sport", unless you want to play basketball wearing orange coveralls on a daily basis.

I feel badly for Sam Brown's sisters but I am unable to feel sorry for anyone who was involved or assisted Sam Brown in continuing his obviously "risky" and illegal behaviour. Enabling people to continue in addictions and illegal activities only leads to negative consequences in the end.

Although Fifth Estate delivered many very interesting facts about this story, the slant of attempting to blame the system or Sam Brown's cohorts or the "heavy" jail time for drug smuggling was very frustrating and left me extremely agitated in the end.

The message I would have welcomed at the conclusion of this story is that, "All actions have consequences in the long run. How tragic that a young man with such potential ended up choosing such an illegal, toxic, and damaging path."

Instead, I was left with, "Poor Sam Brown. Look at what happened to the nice kid who lived in B.C. and loved the outdoors and now wouldn't be able to do what he loved because jail would take away his freedom. What a shame that he was caught... The system was so harsh that he was unable to face the consequences of his actions."

The fact is that when you make a harmless, beneficial substance easy to procure, more valuable than gold, to certain mindsets it becomes an attractive lure. This is especially true since it is less harmful than alcohol, and even an ethical, intelligent youth can convince themselves that they are benefiting society in a heart beat. Those idiots who wish to control other people's healthy diets are responsible for catching this fly in the Drug enforcement web. A good job security scam for talentless tyrants, lazy lawyers and TASER wielding goons, but the cream of the crop, the adventurous, intelligent, entrepreneurial minded, creative people who see no wrong in making money out of a government's police state idiocy, are driven to a place that is accepting of their types. Humans have always needed a bit of the jungle/frontier to test them in their formative years. How nice of our boot licking government to provide our youth with such an adventurous and rewarding carrot and create general lawlessness as our collective reward.

I'm sorry, i'm from nelson, I've grown up around these people, and i've come to realize that some of these people are not criminals but people struggling to make a living..they are only trying to provide for their family's although Dan didn't have a family of his own, he was still loved by many, and was obviously portrayed in an inproper fasion..Peace all of you judgemental people..you have to look at this differently

...Regarding the story, I'm shock as every other normal person is that the CBC wasted money on this story. There are so many other more deserving stories other there besides greedy sucidial drug dealers. BTW, I doubt he had plans to quit by opening up a helicopter company. It sounds like he was going to ramp up business for a bigger cut if the "weed pie".

"Good job" on last week's story... "boo" for this week!

The Lower Main is in chaos and a guy that traffics drugs is a drug dealer (transfers drugs for items such as money or cocaine)...

This was a very disappointing episode to say the least.

-we should feel sympathy toward sam brown?
-showing how he was a good kid until suddenly he started drug trafficking, what he didn't know what he was getting into the risks of being caught?
-and his father did nothing to try and stop him from drug smuggling even helped him get the helicopter repaired
-what sickens me even more is at the end you make it sound that the US authorities minimum sentence threat was part of the blame for his death
-it would have been better if you showed the people that got their lives destroyed by sam brown

I felt very frustrated watching "Over the Edge" during and after the show as it appeared to me that viewers were supposed to feel sorry for Sam Brown... Did the prospect of heavy jail time "scare him to death"? Did police cause him to risk his life by setting up a sting? Did the others involved in the operation not watch out for his best interest?

Sam Brown made decisions that lead to him getting caught. Sam Brown chose to get involved in illegal and risky behaviour that caused him to become a target in a police investigation. Sam Brown was about to suffer the consequences of his actions and he decided that it was too much for him to handle.

I hope that young people didn't watch this show because it appeared to attempt to blame everyone else for Sam Brown's choices. Sam Brown made his own bed. He may have calculated all of the details in his scheme but obviously didn't calculate the fact that his actions were illegal and he could get caught.

I feel badly for Sam Brown's sisters but I am unable to feel sorry for anyone who was involved or assisted Sam Brown in continuing his obviously "risky" and illegal behaviour. Enabling people to continue in addictions and illegal activities only leads to negative consequences in the end.

Although Fifth Estate delivered many very interesting facts about this story, the slant of attempting to blame the system or Sam Brown's cohorts or the "heavy" jail time for drug smuggling was very frustrating and left me extremely agitated in the end.

More CBC crap funded by tax payers. It's time to sell the CBC off and make it private.

This guy wasn't a victim, he was (are you ready for this CBC).. a drug trafficker. He knew the consequences. Get caught, go to jail. Drugs ruin families and he was a contributor...

I, too, was shocked at the portrayal of this kid as a sympathetic figure. Are we supposed to be angry at the police for doing their jobs? They should have stopped him much earlier than they did. This is an illegal activity, and the risks are not even high enough to deter people from engaging in it. How liberal can the CBC get?

"AND DRUGS THAT CAN KILL PEOPLE"

Not hard to tell you are American with a comment like that. Let me guess, you're kicking back drinking a beer? Hypocrite.

Well why wouldnt I say the same to say the womans family craig mctavish killed driving drunk?
I could care less about a cop dying, its their job to put their lives on the line for us(not the other way around).
Im not saying anything agains coke herion, ecstacy or any other man made/refined drugs, im talking about a plant that has no porpose being illegal, no one has ever died as a direct result of consuming pot. In fact id be willing to bet its helped allot more people than its harmed.

Dont come up with the"this person smoked pot and they did this" They did that because they are loosers, if it wasnt pot they would have messed their lives up on scratch and win tickets or cough syrup or something else.

Herion is legal In the lowermainland has its plundged into chaos?

I laughed when the drug-smuggling helicopter owner said that there are some in the drug industry who don't look out for the "Sam Brown's" and those who do all the hard work. Who knew folks in the drug biz could be so tyrannical!

However, I am sorry the family lost a son and brother. That young man could have given so much to society, instead of profiting from the misery of others.

I viewed the show as informative to our youth and hope ones that did watch it realize the consequences in what illegal activity can do to ones life. I enjoy watching the Fifth Estate and know not everyone views the shows the same but everyone does have there own opinion. As far as saying we should all feel sorry for him, I don't think that was the message. I believe they were conveying to the viewers that it was sad that this young man made the wrong choices in life.

Hey Tyler tell that to the family that lost there parents by a smuck driving while under the influence of drugs, or the family of a police member that got killed because some drug dealer had to make a quick buck. As far as I see it �If you deal drugs you are no better that pond scum and should be treated that way�.

The guy was a drug dealer and dealing in the worst of drugs - exchange mj for coke! He was a good looking guy and I'd bet this contributed to the positive slant of the story. I've never been so disappointed in your coverage of events, he didn't deserve to think that he should kill himself and I feel for his family but he was a big boy and the gist of the story should not be that it was someone elses fault, he made some pretty bad choices in life and that's what did him in.

You present this story as if it were some sort of great tragedy, of a simple, thrill seeking, fun loving BC kid whose life was cut short by the evil Americans and there war on drugs. He was a "DRUG SMUGGLER", he participated in the ruining of countless millions of lives. It may sound callous of me, but I have absolutely zero sympathy for Sam Brown, or his father who through his don't ask philosophy condoned and supported his sons activities.

Unbelievable that the CBC would have us feel compassion and sympathy for a kid that had everthing going for him and chose to throw it all away on the easy money smuggling dope. I'll save my tears for a kid that really has no other choice.

Kids die on the street everyday over drugs. Kids that don't have any other choice. Maybe you could tell a story on that.

Linden, you have broken my heart following your success earlier this week.
This kid made his own decisions. I might ask his father why he would support the situation without question.
Consequenses exist for every decision. Why would you glamorize such a situation.Ingnorance of the law and the consequences rest with the perpetrators.
I can not believe you feel sorry for such an individual.
To live is a wonderful thing. This young man was not taught the benefits vs.the consequences...

I am a retired Customs Oficer who was stationed on the BC border for the better part of 20 years. Your story protraying the life and death of Sam Brown bordered on sicking. This young man chose to smuggle a substance that was ruining other people's lives. This man was not not the pure and innocent little kid having fun in the mountains of B.C. He was a drug smuggler whose handlers were probably connected to organized crime. Your protrayal of this money hungry criminal as someone who was driven to suicide is laughable. He does not deserve this kind of national coverage.

He was not a drug "dealer" much the same as a guy who delivers furniture is not a funuture salesman. While i dont agree with bringing back cocain.There is nothing wrong with marijuana, anyone that smokes, drinks or even takes advil is no better than someone that smokes pot.Chances are they are so filled with american drug war propaganda that they dont even realize what huge hypocrits they really are.

Stop the war on pot, LEGALIZE, REGULATE, and TAX, not only would you save the 2.4 billion a year spent on fighting pot but you would have an income much the same to spend on public services

Whats wrong with you, making this kid out to be a victim? He is no better than a dealer that puts a needle full of cocaine in a child or guns down a cop! You make me sick.
When will you people wake up and smell the roses, because of guys like this there are gang wars, murders, people that try to life there lives by following the rules and get hurt because of scum ball drug dealers like him. How many people died because of the drugs this person smuggled? Wake up!!!!!!!

The CBC depicts this young man as a poor victim. He was a international drug smuggler and I am sure he knew the risks when he went into this. "if you cant do the time, dont do the crime" He could have just as easily caught a bullet from some of the competition.
The Cbc seems to always depict these people as poor souls who didnt know what was happening and it wasnt their fault. get real

I feel sorry that this young man, Sam, for committing suicide in a US jail, such a waste. But according to the show he was a drug dealer, simple as that. I don�t understand why the interviewer and the interviewees on the program behave as if this is some how �ok� behavior, sort of �Oh, he�s young, so he cam break the law. He�ll straighten out later�...right. We all know the saying, �If you are going to do the crime, be prepared to do the time�

I am simply flabbergasted by this episode of the Fifth Estate regarding Sam Brown! My tax dollars are being spent on a program that is about Sam Brown who committed suicide because he was not willing to face up to the consequences of his actions! Sam Brown was a criminal. His acts were criminal! And for the Fifth Estate to imply or rather to subtly imply that the American Government had something to do with his sad demise is just - plainly wrong and very childish. The CBC is just being so childish to even suggest this! It is sad that Sam Brown committed suicide but to suggest the American judicial system is to blame for his premature death is simply ridiculous and childish. Shame on you Fifth Estate!!!!!!!!!!! Your show is a joke. You think this is investigative journalism. I could do better. What a joke?

I think the program was a typical liberal CBC view of crime and punishment. A young man who should have known better and who was warned of the consequences of the illegal and highly risky lifestyle that he was entering did indeed step over the edge... to his own death. It wasn't the sentence that he was facing that caused his demise, it was the willful persistence in following the lifestyle of the wealthy and infamous that resulted in Sam being incarcerated and dying while in cells. I'm just very sorry that he wasn't prevented from his downward slide by those who have already suffered serious consequences by flaunting the laws meant to keep us alive and well.

WOW! I can't believe that the CBC has attempted to sympathize for this drug dealer. Described and emphasized as a charismatic, intelligent individual, it seems to me as though he was quite capable of making proper life decisions. Unfortunately he made poor choices and paid the price. The CBC should have spent more time on the complexities of the canadian drug trade, in particular how 'BC Bud' is being smuggled and exchanged with the United States for cocaine. This cocaine then makes its way into our communities and fuels such things such as gang wars. Gangs kill for drugs/turf/money all as a result of product making its way into our country by people like Sam. I can't help but to think of a girl by the name of Jane Creba who died in a gang shootout which was fueled by the drug trade. That's a sad story. Little kids getting shot in Toronto crossfires makes for a sad story. Not this loser who selfishly decided to kill himself. I'm sorry CBC, but this story was a little too one sided and is not exactly news.

This episode was one sided and portrayed Sam Brown as the victim. The unfortunate reality here is that he was breaking the law and was knowingly doing so. There are many people out there who are young, adventurous individuals, who know the consequences of their actions, and know better than to commit illegal activities. By portraying Sam Brown as a victim in this show, you have failed in reporting on the extensive dangerous and ILLEGAL actions he was committing! I agree that it was an unfortunate end in this story with the death of Sam Brown, however, CBC should instead have focused on the the entire story instead of creating a one sided opinion that may influence many viewers into ignoring the real problem our country faces.

Come on fifth estate put your good reputation on investigative reporting to more pressing issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im surprised this is worthy of the fifth estate. Basically this is a drug runner who got caught and didnt want to do the time. Im sure he was fully aware of the consequences when he was doing the crime, everyone knows how stiff US drug laws are. Im sure he was making a killing doing this and that outweighed the risk to him. CBC is making a sob story out of this, how many other drug runners in the stats are kids looking to gt out of the ghetto or poverty, are we going to do big stories on these kids. Give me a break!!!

I thought when I was watching this it was some kind of joke. He was a drug dealer....yes he was arrested and made the choice to end his life which is very tragic for the family that is left behind. But we still can forget that he probably caused loss of many lives by selling the drugs that he dealt.
You should be ashamed of yourselves to sensationalize this story. I enjoy my Canadian Television but this was a disappointment to me. Please try harder next time.

How is this newsworthy? A young man made poor life decisions and paid the ultimate price. I guess sympathy is in order for his loved ones, however I question the "news" of this.

Who owned the helicopter?
Had it ever been used to smuggle hand guns into Canada?

YOUR STORE WAS UNDERSTANDING, BUT OTHER THAT THE FACT THAT SAM BROWN WAS AT HIS YOUTH HAD THE DESIRE TO BE A RISK TAKER AND WAS SMART YOU FORGET ONE MESSAGE IN YOUR REPORT. SAM BROWN SMUGGLED DRUGS INTO OUR COUNTRY, DRUGS THAT ARE ILLEGAL, AND DRUGS THAT CAN KILL PEOPLE. I AM SURE SAM BROWN KNEW THE LEGAL RISKS, HE ALSO SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE HUMAN RISK, CHILDREN AND ADULT. SAM HELPED A ILLEGAL INDUSTRY, WHICH KILLS. I THINK THAT SAM BROWN THOUGHT IN THAT CELL, NOT HOW MANY YEARS HE WILL SERVE, SAM PROBABLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MANY YEARS HE HELPED TAKE AWAY FROM OUR YOUTH. TOO BAD, SAM PROBABLY COULD HAVE MADE MORE MONEY WORKING ON THE TRACK HE SO LONG FOR AS A YOUTH, AND PERHAPS HELPED OTHERS STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS. TOO BAD SAM, WHAT A WASTE!

What? I'm supposed to feel sorry for a drug dealer? Lots of young people are thrill seakers. This guy was a criminal.

If he was unaware of the harsh sentances for narcotics South of the 49th, then he was none too smart now was he.