aml1982

Hi, again! My family and I are currently going through the final stages in preparation for our move to Toronto, and a potential spanner has reared it's ugly head and perhaps thrown itself in the works.

If I've researched and understood this properly it actually won't be a problem, but I just need some reassurance (I find the closer we get to the move, the more panicky I get).

Yesterday morning I was driving down to the supermarket. As I got close to some lights, they turned amber, and I was faced with the old "slam on the breaks or keep going?", and of course I did the stupid thing and kept going. Two seconds later I see the camera flash in my rear-view mirror. When I got home and checked the traffic camera database, I found that at that particular junction there is a red-light camera - I'm assuming that the lights turned red as I went through.

I've never had any kind of trouble with the police or had any kind of traffic ticket before, so I just want to make sure this won't render me criminally inadmissible and affect our impending move. The penalty over here will be £60 and 3 points (not criminal) and my understanding is that the penalty in Ontario is similar - a fine and demerit points, and the violation is not in the criminal code of Canada, thus it wouldn't appear on a police report or require declaration?

Yours truly,

Idiot.

el_richo

If it was that bad, Canada would be a population of criminals.

Stop worrying.

aml1982

Lol, I keep telling myself that. I found that ever since I became a stay at home parent last year, I tend to let things settle in my mind a lot more, especially given that my son is about as well behaved as any child I've met and doesn't cause me any trouble (although I'm expecting that to change soon - kid just turned two. I'm led to believe that the forecast should now change to tantrums with a wobblers). Lots of time to overthink things when you're changing nappies and doing the dishes.

MarkG

Indeed. If you accelerate for red lights you'll be a good fit in Canada; Saskatchewan, anyway.

aml1982

Fortunately for the people of Saskatchewan we're heading to Toronto (probably fortunate for the people of Toronto, too, since we're not likely to bother with a car since we'll be living downtown and they will be spared one more driver with an apparent intolerance to traffic lights)

magnumpi

Be careful crossing the roads here then, as amber lasts for ages, and some, while everyone rushes thru to get to the nearest Timmies or Starbuck stop.

I think.....When you get your new licence here it will be clean again

aml1982

Yeah, we lived there before. I always used to find that the near misses seemed to come with streetcars, especially on Spadina. Would always see people sprinting across the road trying to beat the oncoming traffic, but they wouldn't be paying attention to the street car lines in the middle and almost get hit.

Former Lancastrian

Dont worry its not a criminal conviction over here so you are not inadmissible.

aml1982

Thanks, Former Lancastrain. Just another further question - when answering the question "Have you ever committed, been arrested for, been charged with or convicted of any criminal offence in any country?" on the work permit application, should I be putting "yes" or "no"?

I understand it is not a criminal conviction in Canada, but I believe it counts as a criminal conviction in the UK?

el_richo

Where you arrested, charged, or convicted for it

If yes, then answer yes. If no, then answer no. Simples.

aml1982

Well, admitting the offence and receiving the fine and points would count as a conviction, wouldn't it?

el_richo

Nope. You're not a convict. Relax and forget about it.

aml1982

Oh, I'm relaxed about the whole criminal inadmissibility thing, I understand that going through a red isn't a problem in that regard, I just wanted to know if I am expected to declare it.

el_richo

No you don't need to declare it

aml1982

Sweet, thank you.