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COVID-19

Freedom Convoy judge questions why Ottawa police officers had phone data wiped during protest

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

Justice Heather Perkins-McVey noted that it was ‘unusual’ that the officers knew ‘they had to have their phones upgraded and yet did not take the responsible steps to ensure that all the evidence and disclosure was preserved.’

The trial for Freedom Convoy leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber resumed Thursday this week, seeing Justice Heather Perkins-McVey note that it was “unusual” that two Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officers who interacted with protestors had their phone data wiped during the protests.  

Perkins-McVey said in court that the OPS officers “knew they had to have their phones upgraded and yet did not take the responsible steps to ensure that all the evidence and disclosure was preserved.” 

The Democracy Fund (TDF), which is crowdfunding Lich’s legal costs, noted in a Day 22 trial update that Perkins-McVey found it “interesting that two PLT [Police Liaison Team] officers had their phones wiped” of important Signal chats between them and protestors.  

“She questioned how many other officers had experienced the same,” noted the TDF. 

Last Thursday, during Day 20 of the trial, a second police witness, Nicole Bach of the OPS PLT, testified her police-provided phone was “wiped” of all information when asked by the judge if she had copies of vital information of conversations between her and protesters.  

Bach was the second police officer in less than a week to testify that their phone was suddenly “wiped” of all data. 

OPS liaison team officer Isabelle Cyr testified last week that her contacts were “wiped” clean from her phone between January 27 and February 9, 2022, which was when the main protests took place. 

She noted to the court, however, that she had some text message exchanges with Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber printed out before her information was “wiped.” 

Yesterday in court, defense counsel Eric Granger referred to an email from an Officer “Li” which was made to Bach, and suggested that by May 2022, it was evident that the “PLT officers were seeking evidence that might have been lost while highlighting the absence of an email response from Bach in the disclosure.” 

Diane Magas, counsel for Chris Barber, “reiterated her request for a response regarding when Bach was directed to update her phone and why she updated it when she did, leading to the phone’s wipe.” 

Last Friday, during Day 21 of the trial, Bach was again cross-examined which resulted in disclosure concerns pertaining to her testimony on Day 20 about her phone getting wiped.  

As per the TDF, the “defense team requested disclosure about the reasons behind the ‘wiping’ of Officer Bach’s cell phone. The Crown and defense left the courtroom together to discuss the issue.” 

Documents requested by the defense given to them in ‘blacked out’ form  

Lich and Barber’s defense has thus far only received completely blacked-out documents concerning the phone wipes of the OPS officers.

On Thursday in court, lawyers for Lich and Barber noted to the court they got copies of five internal emails they had requested, which were said to be communications between officers, but they were heavily redacted and wondered why this was the case.  

The OPS had claimed the emails were protected by solicitor-client privilege.  

Lawyer Vanessa Stewart, who was in court on behalf of the OPS, claimed that some of the emails have evidence from the Crown, which was shared between officers.  

The TDF noted that “Granger pointed out that solicitor-client privilege typically does not exist between the police and the crown, leading to discussions about the involvement of the crown in such legal discussions with the police.” 

Perkins-McVey inquired to Crown lawyers if the “Ottawa police were in a position to waive privilege, assuming privilege existed in the first place.” 

Stewart replied with a “No.” 

The TDF noted that Perkins-McVey questioned how communication “between two officers could trigger solicitor-client privilege.” 

In response, Stewart “maintained that the conversation was about legal advice received from the crown, justifying the privilege.” 

Perkins-McVey “noted that it was not clear whether solicitor-client privilege had been sufficiently established.” Stewart after this, “then made submissions on the waiver of privilege.”  

Lich and Barber’s trial has thus far taken more time than originally planned due to the slow pace of the Crown calling its witnesses. LifeSiteNews has been covering the trial extensively. 

Last week, bail-related charges placed against Lich for attending an awards ceremony were stayed by the Crown in a move that comes during her weeks-long trial for leading the convoy, which is separate from her bond charges. 

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, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government enacted the Emergencies Act in mid-February, leading to Lich’s arrest two days later on February 17, 2022. 

After the protesters were cleared out, which was done 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. 

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COVID-19

Canadian judge rejects complaint against maskless workplaces as frivolous

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

A federal judge ruled that complaints that maskless workplaces pose a danger to employees’ health are frivolous, ending the final chapter of COVID regulations.

According to information published on January 15 by Blacklock’s Reporter, Federal Court Justice Benoit Duchesne ruled that Elections Canada manager Nicolas Juzda’s complaint of feeling unsafe following the end of mask mandates in federal workplaces was unreasonable.

“The applicant’s concern about an unsafe workplace was based on his assessment that a significant number of people would return to the workplace under the return-to-work model, that any of these people may have contracted Covid-19 and that the non-mandatory recommendations and precautions relating to Covid-19 fell short of what he believes would be a safe work environment,” wrote the court.

Masks were mandated in federal workplaces from April 20, 2020, to February 14, 2023, under the direction of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. At the same time, millions of Canadians were forced to mask in public settings such as grocery stores or hospitals.

After the mandate had lifted, Juzda, a “fully vaccinated” individual without any particular health issues, complained that he felt unsafe in the Gatineau headquarters.

“I must excuse my right to refuse work that constitutes a danger,” he wrote, referencing the Canada Labor Code that allows federally regulated staff to refuse work “that constitutes a danger to the employee.”

Juzda claimed that masking “reduces the risk of contracting Covid-19 but is of limited effectiveness if not combined with other measures, particularly during prolonged exposure to unmasked infected individuals such as being nearby in an indoor office for an entire day.”

“Covid-19 is a disease that in addition to often being extremely unpleasant during the acute period poses significant risks including death,” he continued.

“Handwashing and workplace cleaning are of minimal use in limiting the spread of Covid-19,” Juzda claimed.

Indeed, LifeSiteNews has reported extensively on overwhelming evidence showing that masks are ineffective in preventing transmission of COVID and that they come with harmful effects.

Back in 2021, 47 studies confirmed the ineffectiveness of masks for COVID, while 32 more confirmed their negative health effects.

According to another 2021 report, more than 170 studies have found that masks have been ineffective at stopping COVID and instead have been harmful, especially to children.

In fact, in 2020, before masks were widely mandated, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam admitted that masks were not effective in preventing COVID.

“There is no need to use a mask for well people,” she said in the first few weeks of the pandemic. “It hasn’t been proven really to protect you from getting the virus.”

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COVID-19

Canadian parents wary of COVID, flu shots for children

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Government research has found that Canadian parents do not plan to inject their children with COVID or flu shots, pointing to the ineffectiveness of the shots and potential side effects

Canadian parents are remaining wary of COVID and flu shots for children despite ongoing publicity campaigns.

According to in-house research by the Public Health Agency obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, many Canadian parents do not plan to inject their children with the experimental COVID shots, pointing to the ineffectiveness of the shots and potential side effects.

“Continued monitoring of parental knowledge and views around Covid-19 and influenza are important to adapt public communication and education accordingly,” the report said.

“Monitoring parental attitudes is essential to predict expected vaccine take-up and guide education and awareness efforts to promote vaccination,” it continued.

In Canada, COVID shots are both approved and encouraged for all children over six months of age, despite the fact that the latest Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots for children under 12 were only granted emergency use authorization in the U.S.

The research asked parents if they planned to give their children updated COVID shots, to which only 17 percent said they “definitely will”; 26 percent said they “probably won’t”; and 28 percent said they “definitely won’t.”

Those who planned to refuse the reoccurring shots revealed they were “concerned there was not enough research on the vaccine,” questioned the effectiveness of the shots, mistrusted the government information surrounding COVID shots, or their doctor had never mentioned it.

Similarly, 19.5 percent reported being “somewhat hesitant” to give their child the COVID shot, while 21 percent said they were “very hesitant.”

Likewise, parents were hesitant to give their children annual flu shots, over concerns of it being unnecessary and potential side effects.

Parents’ hesitancy to jab their young children comes after research has proven that the COVID shots are not only unnecessary but pose serious health risks, especially to children.

Since the start of the COVID crisis, official data shows that the virus has been listed as the cause of death for less than 20 kids in Canada under age 15. This is out of six million children in the age group.

The COVID jabs approved in Canada have also been associated with severe side effects, such as blood clots, rashes, miscarriages, and even heart attacks in young, healthy men.

The mRNA shots have also been linked to a multitude of negative and often severe side effects in children.

A report from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) showed at least 21,000 side effects, with 24 deaths of American children ages 12 to 17 after COVID shots.

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