Calgary photographer and 11 other Canadians held in Dominican Republic told they're heading home
It looks like a Calgary photographer held prisoner in the Dominican Republic for the past eight months is finally headed home.
Brittney Wojcik-Harrison was on a private plane, about to leave the holiday destination when she and the crew were arrested, accused of smuggling drugs.
Twelve Canadians on board have been stuck there ever since.
Wojcik-Harrison was wrapping up a brief vacation this past April when the charter plane she was on was boarded by police.
The crew called the authorities after finding drugs stashed in a cargo hold, but the police blamed them, and their seven passengers.
They spent the next several weeks in jail before being released, but were still forbidden from returning to Canada.
Until now.
Wojcik-Harrison and her family here in Calgary just found out Friday morning that she will be coming home.
“I just burst into tears, I’m so excited to see her. It is a Christmas miracle, honestly,” said Bella Harrison, Wojcik-Harrison’s cousin.
“She was crying, too – she couldn’t believe it. She found out after we found out. She is shocked, too, and is really excited to come home.”
Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic say they've been investigating the case since the arrests this past spring, but are now agreeing to let everyone return home.
The 12 detained Canadians say the conditions they were kept in were deplorable, with crowded cells, cruel guards and often a lack of food.
Their release comes months after the plane’s owner, Pivot Airlines, and the federal government began pressuring for them to be set free.
“They’ve been through an emotional journey, up and down. They’ve had great days and bad days and like anyone, they would often lose hope and got really low. It’s going to be a lifelong ordeal they are dealing with – this is with them for the rest of their lives,” said Pivot Airlines’ Eric Edmondson.
Meanwhile, Wojcik-Harrison’s family says she’ll not only be dealing with the trauma of what happened there, but she’ll also need to rebuild her life here.
“She was starting a new career and had just moved to Vancouver, so she’s lost her career, she’s lost her home, all her belongings are in storage, seven months of wages – she’s pretty much lost everything. She’ll have to come home and start right from the beginning again,” said Karen Harrison, Wojcik-Harrison’s aunt.
“We just can’t wait to hold her. That’s all I can think about.”
The paperwork is being filed and the Canadians abroad have been told they could be in the air early next week.
Pivot Airlines say they think it’ll be closer to two weeks before everyone is back, but that they’ve come close four or five times since the spring to having everyone come back before it’s all fallen apart, so they won’t celebrate until everyone is actually home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.