Lamirande became mired in a controversy on June 24, 2001, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) seized his vehicle and videotapes containing footage of members of the Native Youth Movement as they protested the development of Sun Peaks Resort, a ski resort in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, 55 kilometers northeast of Kamloops. Lamirande had videotaped part of the confrontation, which later turned violent as protestors clashed with supporters of the project.[3]
The actions of the RCMP outraged the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). CJFE Executive Director, Sharmini Peries, called the incident "an affront" to the integrity of journalists' materials, adding:
'Todd Lamirande, simply by doing his job - by exercising his right to free expression - is being sought for the product of his work,' Peries said. 'More troubling, because his footage may be used in future criminal proceedings, both he and the network for which he works run the risk of being perceived as adjuncts of the state, which they are definitely not.'[4]
Lamirande commented that he felt racism was at play in the incident, noting that he doubted that the RCMP would have tried to seize the videotapes if he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) or CTV Television Network.[3]
APTN sought a court injunction to prevent the RCMP from using the videotapes as evidence.[4]