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COVID-19

My endless date with self-isolation has led to some sobering realizations

Published

6 years ago

12 minute read

For my friends and family who haven’t seen me all week, you can watch me on CTV Two’s Alberta Primetime. Here is a link to a segment we taped Friday, March 13th. My interview appears at about the 8 minute mark. I’d like to thank the station for having me on to talk about my experience.

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It’s now day 10 of my self-isolation.  What have I learned?  Well, a few things, some about myself.

I didn’t wash my hands often enough or with enough rigor.  I do now.  And I will continue to be more diligent. It’s an essential habit for the overall good of the community at large. And I’ve learned that good old soap and warm water are your best bet. There are small bits of fat that hold this virus together and soap breaks down fat.

Oh, and clean your phone.  Just think about how disgusting that device really is.  You leave it on the counter at your local bar. You hand it to your drunken friend at the club to co-obsess over your newsest Tinder crush.  And guys, admit it, you’ve left it on the top of the urinal while doing your business.  Don’t tell me you haven’t.  A cursory search on google tells me that disinfectant wipes are safe to use. So wash your device. And your phone… (that’s humour – I’m killin’ myself – you have to entertain yourself in isolation).

I’ve learned that monkeys in Thailand depend on food from tourists for survival and am reminded of Hurricane Katrina and thinking at the time that we’re all savages after a few days without food, water, and bananas.  Like that old Joke “… Katrina was a shitshow … don’t be a Katrina…”  Hmmm … best not to think about that.

Then I got this text from a friend who was picking up Advil and Alcohol at Costco.

text from friend at Costco in Leduc on March 13th at 1:30 PM

Being early in the curve of self-isolators in our region, I’ve been able to sit back and watch things develop.  In my original artice (below), I mentioned I had destroyed 2 rims on my car when I crashed in to a massive pothole on Hwy 43 west of Edmonton on March 2nd (self-isolation day minus 1).  One March 3rd, I took my car to a shop for repairs and rented a car for a few days.  Later that day I was asked to self-isolate.  Yesterday, having not driven the car since Monday, I decided to return it.  I called the rental agency, told them my story, and knew that this would create a problem.  The polite man on the other end told me about the new directions they had just received from head office and that he would call back.

His superior called within the hour.  Went through my scenario with her.  I was informed that their new policy dictates that I would need to be tested and if negative, then I could return the car. Otherwise, I would have to keep it and pay the commensurate costs until March 19th, the day after my self-isolation is finished. When I told her that I would NOT be going for a test and taxing the health care system having been told explicity by AHS that I did not need a test unless displaying symptoms such as fever and cough. I’ve displayed no symptoms.  I said that would leave me no choice but to return the car to them and simply bring the keys into the office.

This led supervisor #1 to place a call to supervisor #2.  A better plan emerged.  I keep the car. They don’t charge me any further.  I send a photo of the odometer taken with my freshly disinfected phone, and then I can prove that I didn’t drive the car in the ensuing days.

Being early in the curve, it’s easy to see the challenges for all business trying to cope with what is rapidly becoming a socio-economic crisis of a proportion we have never experienced.

He should take some lessons from PGA Commissioner Tim Monahan about how to communicate.

I’ve had an opportunity to watch alot of TV.  Like alot! Like Wednesday evening when I watched President Trump sniffle his way through the worst presidential address ever made, and that’s saying alot considering some of his earlier attempts.  It was complete with inaccurate information (read from a teleprompter, meaning someone actually wrote that script with misinformation in it).  The misinformation was so bad that it had to be corrected immediately because it completely mis-stated important elements about the European travel ban – I mean seriously, WTF.  Who’s wrote the script for the President? I understand how mistakes happen, but NOT on the most important piece of presidential script of our life time.

Our world is changing in front of our eyes.  We have not seen a wholesale shutdown like this before.

Now this morning (Friday), the President has declared a national emergency.  It was just last week that he said the US was testing bigly and that there were only 15 cases and that they were strongly working with some really bright people and should have it pretty much eliminated really soon.   So what’s up there … lying?  Or misleading people?  Maybe same thing?  Or worse yet, he didn’t know what’s to come?  Surely that can’t be possible.  It’s the United States we are talking about. The resources at his disposal are immense, notwithstanding the budget slashing at the CDC and the elimination of science in the daily American diet.

But what if he didn’t know? Well,  then we’re all gonna die sooner than we’d like.

Keep in mind it was March 4th that he said he had a “hunch” that the WHO’s death rate of 3.4% was a “a false number”.  He just said today that “no nation in the world is more prepared…”.  So which is it?  If they’re well prepared, then why would Bigly be talking about a “hunch” just a week ago.  As someone living the the attic of the USA, I’m not comforted by his ability to capture the trust of his country.  And now he’s blaming people for the laws that are in place that delayed the testing process that just last week he didn’t seem to have any idea would be needed. This has me riled up more than the other 11,000 recorded lies attributed to this man.

He should take some lessons from PGA Commissioner Tim Monahan about how to communicate.  I learned when he held a news conference yesterday that perhaps the best and smartest work for the PGA.  #timmonahanforpresident. 

Get used to working from home.  I sent this earlier to my brother, an Air Canada pilot who just flew to New Delhi.  With each flight I’m sure he wonders if it’s a one way or if he’ll get back in the country.  Hopefully it’s more organized than that, but in a situation as fluid as this, it’s hard to say with certainty.

Our world is changing in front of our eyes.  We have not seen a wholesale shutdown like this before.  Manitoba has announced they will close all of their schools effective March 23rd.  I bet that gets moved up given that schools in Ohio are closing this coming Monday. And Washington State is closing schools until April 24th.

With all of this going on, you’d be forgiven to have missed the fact that the United States on Thursday evening launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq against an Iranian-backed militia group suspected of firing an earlier rocket attack that killed and wounded American and British troops.

And the Canadian Military is preparing for potential aggression from one of the world’s bad actors.  Speaking of viruses, what is the Rocket Man been up to lately? Probably wondering how to take advantage of a weakened world order.

A friend just called me.  I picked up my clean phone and put it to my ear.  “One of my bosses is not feeling well.  They have a fever and are coughing”.  Out my window, a school bus just went by.  I wonder if it’s the last one I’ll see for a few months?  I said in my first article that I’m lucky to be able to easily self-isolate given my work.  Now I can honestly say that I’m happy to be self-isolating.  Thanks to my friends and family who have kept me in good food and great humour over the past week.

Be nice to one another.  We’re all in this together.  And it sounds like it’s going to go on for a long time.  Estimates are suggesting that it could be months or even a year or more that we live with this virus.

Here’s my first article on this subject, written Monday, March 9th.

LISTEN: My date with self-isolation amid the Covid 19 scare – J’Lyn Nye Interview

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COVID-19

Judge denies Canadian gov’t request to take away Freedom Convoy leader’s truck

Published on December 20, 2025

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

A judge ruled that the Ontario Court of Justice is already ‘satisfied’ with Chris Barber’s sentence and taking away his very livelihood would be ‘disproportionate.’

A Canadian judge has dismissed a demand from Canadian government lawyers to seize Freedom Convoy leader Chris Barber’s “Big Red” semi-truck.

On Friday, Ontario Court of Justice Judge Heather Perkins-McVey denied the Crown’s application seeking to forfeit Barber’s truck.

She ruled that the court is already “satisfied” with Barber’s sentence and taking away his very livelihood would be “disproportionate.”

“This truck is my livelihood,” said Barber in a press release sent to LifeSiteNews.

“Trying to permanently seize it for peacefully protesting was wrong, and I’m relieved the court refused to allow that to happen,” he added.

Criminal defense lawyer Marwa Racha Younes was welcoming of the ruling as well, stating, “We find it was the right decision in the circumstances and are happy with the outcome.”

John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), said the decision is “good news for all Canadians who cherish their Charter freedom to assemble peacefully.”

READ: Freedom Convoy protester appeals after judge dismissed challenge to frozen bank accounts

“Asset forfeiture is an extraordinary power, and it must not be used to punish Canadians for participating in peaceful protest,” he added in the press release.

At this time, the court ruling ends any forfeiture proceedings for the time being, however Barber will continue to try and appeal his criminal conviction and house arrest sentence.

Barber’s truck, a 2004 Kenworth long-haul he uses for business, was a focal point in the 2022 protests. He drove it to Ottawa, where it was parked for an extended period of time, but he complied when officials asked him to move it.

On October 7, 2025, after a long trial, Ontario Court Justice Perkins-McVey sentenced Barber and Tamara Lich, the other Freedom Convoy leader, to 18 months’ house arrest. They had been declared guilty of mischief for their roles as leaders of the 2022 protest against COVID mandates, and as social media influencers.

Lich and Barber have filed appeals of their own against their house arrest sentences, arguing that the trial judge did not correctly apply the law on their mischief charges.

Government lawyers for the Crown have filed an appeal of the acquittals of Lich and Barber on intimidation charges.

The pair’s convictions came after a nearly two-year trial despite the nonviolent nature of the popular movement.

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COVID-19

Freedom Convoy protester appeals after judge dismissed challenge to frozen bank accounts

Published on December 19, 2025

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

Protestor Evan Blackman’s legal team argues Trudeau’s Emergencies Act-based bank account freezes were punitive state action tied directly to protest participation.

A Freedom Convoy protester whose bank accounts were frozen by the Canadian government says a judge erred after his ruling did not consider the fact that the funds were frozen under the Emergencies Act, as grounds for a stay of proceedings.

In a press release sent out earlier this week, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) said that Freedom Convoy protestor Evan Blackman will challenge a court ruling in his criminal case via an appeal with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

“This case raises serious questions about how peaceful protest is treated in Canada and about the lasting consequences of the federal government’s unlawful use of the Emergencies Act,” noted constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury. “The freezing of protestors’ bank accounts was part of a coordinated effort to suppress dissent, and courts ought to be willing to scrutinize that conduct.”

Blackman was arrested on February 18, 2022, during the police crackdown on Freedom Convoy protests against COVID restrictions, which was authorized by the Emergencies Act (EA). The EA was put in place by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, which claimed the protests were violent, despite no evidence that this was the case.

Blackman’s three bank accounts with TD Bank were frozen due to his participation in the Freedom Convoy, following a directive ordered by Trudeau.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, in November of this year, Blackman was convicted at his retrial even though he had been acquitted at his original trial. In 2023, Blackman’s “mischief” and “obstructing police” charges were dismissed by a judge due to lack of evidence and the “poor memory of a cop regarding key details of the alleged criminal offences.”

His retrial resulted in Blackman getting a conditional discharge along with 12 months’ probation and 122 hours of community service, along with a $200 victim fine surcharge.

After this, Blackman’s application for a stay of proceedings was dismissed by the court. He had hoped to have his stay of proceedings, under section 24(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, allowed. However, the judge ruled that the freezing of his bank accounts was legally not related to his arrest, and because of this, the stay of proceedings lacked standing.

The JCCF disagreed with this ruling, noting, it “stands in contrast to a Federal Court decision finding that the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable and violated Canadians’ Charter rights, including those targeted by the financial measures used against Freedom Convoy protestors.”

In 2024, Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley ruled that Trudeau was “not justified” in invoking the Emergencies Act.

In early 2022, the Freedom Convoy saw thousands of Canadians from coast to coast come to Ottawa to demand an end to COVID mandates in all forms. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, Trudeau’s federal government enacted the EA in mid-February.

After the protesters were cleared out, which was achieved through the freezing of bank accounts of those involved without a court order as well as the physical removal and arrest of demonstrators, Trudeau revoked the EA on February 23, 2022.

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