Five in Manitoba hit with heavy COVID fines

WINNIPEG • Five Manitobans who repeatedly violated pandemic public health orders have been handed fines ranging from $14,000 to $34,000.

Provincial court Judge Victoria Cornick said during sentencing Thursday that a message must be sent that public health orders are to be respected and tickets did not deter the five after each offence.

Tobias Tissen, Patrick Allard, Todd Mcdougall, Sharon Vickner and Gerald Bohemier admitted to breaking limits on outdoor public gatherings that were in place over several months in 2020 and 2021.

The Crown had asked for fines of between $18,000 and $42,000, plus costs and surcharges, because the five had organized and spoke at rallies and urged others to not follow health orders.

Defence lawyers had asked for no fines.

Cornick convicted the five on Wednesday based on a statement of facts agreed to by their lawyers.

“All five of the individuals made a point of violating the (public health) orders in a very public way,” Crown attorney Shaun Sass said.

“They encouraged others to attend (events) and break the law.”

Tissen, a pastor at a rural church southeast of Winnipeg, has been one of several high-profile opponents to COVID-19 restrictions. He was fined for holding church services in excess of the allowable limits at the time, and was a frequent speaker at rallies against the restrictions.

The others organized or spoke at rallies, and continued to do so even after being ticketed, Sass said.

“The repeated issuing of tickets did absolutely nothing to deter these offenders.”

After the tickets, which are worth $1,296 each, continued to pile up, police arrested the five.

Mcdougall, a citizen journalist, is on the low end with convictions on eight counts. Allard, who ran as an independent in a provincial byelection earlier this year, has the most with 14.

Defence lawyers said the Crown’s proposed fines would be unduly harsh and crushing. They asked the judge to impose a reprimand, which would not involve any fines.

“They weren’t breaking windows. They weren’t rioting in the streets,” Alex Steigerwald, who represents four of the five, told court.

“My clients stood up and protested for something they believed in.”

All five told court they have already been punished for their actions. Two said they have lost their jobs. Bohemier, 72, said the stress has harmed his health. All five spent brief periods in jail after being arrested and before being released on conditions.

“We were peacefully, publicly rejecting government overreach,” Vickner said.