Trial of N.B. man charged with ignoring P.E.I. COVID-19 screening rules proceeds without him

Incidents were recorded and shared to social media

SUMMERSIDE — A man alleged to have illegally bypassed COVID-19 screening measures at the Confederation Bridge twice has had his proverbial day in court, though he did not show up for it.

The trial of Jason James Caleb, 52, of Bay Du Vin, N.B., took place at the Summerside Law Courts on

Jan. 11.

Caleb did not attend the trial so the court opted to proceed ex parte without him.

The accused is facing two summary offence charges under Section 39 (8) of the Provincial Health Act, namely that he failed to comply with an order of the chief public health officer by entering the province without being screened for COVID19.

The Crown’s case called nine witnesses, including public health staff and law enforcement officers. Multiple video clips were also submitted as evidence as both incidents were recorded and uploaded to social media. Closed-circuit security cameras at the bridge screening site also captured one of the incidents.

One clip, dated June 24, 2021, shows a man (driving) and woman (passenger) arriving on the Island via the Confederation Bridge. They initially drove their truck into the queue for the COVID-19 testing station, but quickly got into an argument with staff there.

They refused to go through the checkpoint or to provide any of the information requested of them. Eventually the driver pulled his truck into an emergency lane and continued into the province without stopping at the station.

In the clip, the woman can be heard stating, “we are trying to show people how to get through places without vaccinations.”

A second video from

June 26, again shot from a vehicle passenger’s angle and narrated by a woman, shows a vehicle arriving on the island from the bridge. The driver, who does not appear on camera, drove over a grassy area and around a barricade to bypass the COVID-19 screening facility.

The woman can be heard referring to the checkpoint as “Nazi COVID tents.”

These and other related clips were widely circulated on social media channels at the time and some were broadcast live.

During the second incident, police were quickly provided with a licence plate number for the suspect vehicle and it was located a short time later in Charlottetown.

The woman, the alleged passenger, was given a ticket for failing to comply with Public Health Act and escorted out of the province.

Caleb, the alleged driver, was also charged under the act, but he was arrested for allegedly obstructing police by refusing to give his name.

He was held in custody for a few days before also being released, then he, too, was ticketed and escorted out of the province by RCMP.

Caleb entered his not guilty pleas in July via phone.

The summary offence tickets carry a fine of $1,000 each.

Judge Krista MacKay said she would be ready to give her decision on Jan. 24 at 9 a.m.