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COVID-19

Freedom Convoy trucker Harold Jonker acquitted of all charges

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The JCCF noted his truck was parked along Coventry Road, which is away from the downtown area of Ottawa, and that he faced no charges or fines while he was in the city for the protest.

One of the more prominent truckers involved in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest movement has been acquitted of all charges.

On May 20, Justice Kevin B. Phillips of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice acquitted Harold Jonker of all charges. Jonker runs Jonker Trucking Inc. out of Caistor Centre in Ontario’s Niagara region, and rose to prominence for his role in the Freedom Convoy protest movement that sought to bring an end to all COVID-era mandates in Canada.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which helped Jonker in his case, noted in a press release that Justice Phillips concluded that “while the broader Freedom Convoy could be seen as a collective act of mischief, the Crown had failed to prove that Mr. Jonker was guilty of any of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”

“Harold and I are elated with the outcome of his case. We agree with the trial judge that the Crown had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury.

Jonkers stated that he is “very thankful for the excellent legal support provided by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, and thankful that the judge saw through the Crown’s weak case and had the courage to do the right thing.”

In February 2022, Jonker drove to Ottawa in his semi-truck alongside 12 other trucks from Jonker Trucking. A documentary called Freedom Occupation, which was distributed by independent outlet True North, featured him prominently.

In May of 2023, about 15 months after he participated in the Freedom Convoy, Jonker was told to turn himself over to the Ottawa Police Service to be processed for fingerprinting and to appear before a court on charges related to his association with the Freedom Convoy. He was charged with mischief, counselling mischief, intimidation, and counselling intimidation.

The JCCF noted his truck was parked along Coventry Road, which is away from the downtown area of Ottawa, and that he faced no charges or fines while he was in the city for the protest.

During the trial, held from May 12 to 14, saw the Crown argue before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa allege that Jonkers aided in organizing the Freedom Convoy.

“However, Justice Phillips found that Mr. Jonker was treated by interviewers like a ‘foreign correspondent’—someone describing events as he witnessed them. While supportive of the protest, Mr. Jonker’s words were expressions of opinion, not incitement to unlawful action,” noted the JCCF.

The second theme claimed by the Crown was that Jonkers was responsible for Jonker Trucking vehicles located in Ottawa’s downtown core.

“The Court found insufficient evidence to show that Mr. Jonker had control over those trucks,” noted the JCCF.

“Justice Phillips noted that, in Crown-submitted videos, Mr. Jonker explicitly stated that his own truck was parked in a yard, not downtown. Furthermore, the Crown offered no evidence regarding the corporate structure of Jonker Trucking Inc. that could prove Mr. Jonker had authority over vehicles belonging to the company.”

Trucker put his trust in ‘God’ after he was charged

In 2023, LifeSiteNews had reported on Jonkers, who noted at the time that the “truth will prevail,” and that he was “confident” in the face of his four criminal charges because he places his trust in “God.”

Jonker, who conducts about 90% of his trucking business in the United States, said the reason he participated in the Freedom Convoy was that he did not like the way COVID restrictions were impacting most Canadians.

The Freedom Convoy protest resulted in former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enacting the Emergencies Act (EA) on February 14, 2022, to shut it down.

Trudeau had disparaged unvaccinated Canadians, saying those opposing his measures were of a “small, fringe minority” who hold “unacceptable views” and do not “represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other.”

Trudeau revoked the EA on February 23 after the protesters had been cleared out.

Hundreds of protesters were arrested for participating in the Freedom Convoy while the EA was in place. Many had their charges dropped. However, some still have outstanding charges.

The use of the EA resulted in nearly $8 million in locked funds from 267 bank accounts. Additionally, 170 bitcoin wallets were frozen.

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COVID-19

Canadian Health Department funds study to determine effects of COVID lockdowns on children

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The commissioned study will assess the impact on kids’ mental well-being of COVID lockdowns and ‘remote’ school classes that banned outdoor play and in-person learning.

Canada’s Department of Health has commissioned research to study the impact of outdoor play on kids’ mental well-being in light of COVID lockdowns and “remote” school classes that, for a time, banned outdoor play and in-person learning throughout most of the nation. 

In a notice to consultants titled “Systematic Literature Reviews And Meta Analyses Supporting Two Projects On Children’s Health And Covid-19,” the Department of Health admitted that “Exposure to green space has been consistently associated with protective effects on children’s physical and mental health.”

A final report, which is due in 2026, will provide “Health Canada with a comprehensive assessment of current evidence, identify key knowledge gaps and inform surveillance and policy planning for future pandemics and other public health emergencies.”

Bruce Squires, president of McMaster Children’s Hospital of Hamilton, Ontario, noted in 2022 that “Canada’s children and youth have borne the brunt” of COVID lockdowns.

From about March 2020 to mid-2022, most of Canada was under various COVID-19 mandates and lockdowns, including mask mandates, at the local, provincial, and federal levels. Schools were shut down, parks were closed, and most kids’ sports were cancelled. 

Mandatory facemask polices were common in Canada and all over the world for years during the COVID crisis despite over 170 studies showing they were not effective in stopping the spread of COVID and were, in fact, harmful, especially to children.

In October 2021, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced unprecedented COVID-19 jab mandates for all federal workers and those in the transportation sector, saying the un-jabbed would no longer be able to travel by air, boat, or train, both domestically and internationally.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, a new report released by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) raised alarm bells over the “harms caused” by COVID-19 lockdowns and injections imposed by various levels of government as well as a rise in unexplained deaths and bloated COVID-19 death statistics.

Indeed, a recent study showed that COVID masking policies left children less able to differentiate people’s emotions behind facial expressions.

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COVID-19

Ontario student appeals ruling that dismissed religious objection to abortion-tainted COVID shot

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

An Ontario Tech University student is seeking judicial review after the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled his beliefs did not qualify as protected ‘creed.’

An Ontario university student who was punished for refusing the COVID shot is contesting a tribunal ruling that rejected his religious objection to the vaccine.

In a November 28 press release, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced that a judicial review has been filed on behalf of former Ontario Tech University student Philip Anisimov after his religious objection to the COVID vaccine was dismissed by an Ontario court.

“Mr. Anisimov’s objection to the Covid vaccine was deeply rooted in his religious commitment to live according to biblical precepts,” Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir declared. “He hopes the Divisional Court will clarify that his religious objection was protected by the Human Rights Code and entitled to protection.”

In 2021, Ontario mandated that all students in the province show proof of vaccination unless they had an exemption or agreed to attend a COVID jab education session boasting about the shots. The third option was not available at Ontario Tech University, as schools could choose whether or not they would offer such a program to students.

Anisimov had requested an exemption from the experimental, abortion-tainted COVID shots on religious grounds but was denied and deregistered from his courses.

He was then forced to spend an entire extra year to complete his studies. According to his lawyers, Ontario Tech University’s decision to not approve his COVID jab exemption request “not only disrupted his career plans but also violated his right to be free from discrimination on the basis of religion, as protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code.”

The university’s refusal to honor his exemption prompted Anisimov to take legal action in April with help of the JCCF. However, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario rejected his religious objection, arguing that it was not protected as a “creed” under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Now, Anisimov is appealing the ruling, hoping that his case will serve as a precedent for justice for students who were discriminated against for refusing the abortion-tainted vaccine.

“My hope is that this case helps set an important precedent and encourages Canadians to reflect on the direction our society is taking,” he explained. “My trust is that God does all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called by His purposes.”

Beyond health concerns, many Canadians, especially Catholics, opposed the vaccines on moral grounds because of their link to fetal cell lines derived from the tissue of aborted babies.

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