When the highly anticipated trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber finally gets underway this week, there likely won’t be much arguing about what happened or what roles the two infamous figures played during the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protests in Ottawa.
That winter, the two led thousands of trucks and other vehicles to the capital. They rallied the protesters, and told them to “hold the line” when police tried to break up the honking crowds. They also raised millions of dollars for the movement.
Through every turn, Lich and Barber stood as leaders — documenting themselves in a barrage of selfies, livestreams and social media posts. Lich even published a book in April about her experience.
These facts won’t be disputed.
What will be, however, is whether what they did was criminal. The legal consequences of this trial’s outcome will be the stuff of many disputes to come — both on the national political stage and in smaller gatherings between friends and family.
Guilty or not, the judge’s decision will almost certainly divide public opinion.
Lich’s supporters waved Canadian flags outside the city’s courthouse in July 2022 and protested the fact she was in custody. (David Richard/CBC)
Charges of mischief, obstructing police
Lich, from Medicine Hat, Alta., has spent the days ahead of her trial relaxing with friends and supporters in a cottage in western Quebec — apt, considering the criminal accusations against her might be seen as no big deal.
In one sense, this is true.
The charges against Lich and Barber include mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation — mostly misdemeanors in another judicial setting, and certainly not the kind of court matter that would normally captivate an international audience.
Still, jail time is a possibility, and at an earlier bail hearing Crown lawyers suggested a finding of guilt could lead to a sentence of up to ten years behind bars.
Lich smiles as she stands with her lawyer Lawrence Greenspon after being released from jail in July 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
The legal ramifications may not end there. A slow-moving, $300-million lawsuit launched by Ottawa residents against Lich, Barber and others involved in the convoy looms over the group.
Lich, who will turn 51 during her trial, has already spent 49 days in jail spread across two stints: the first when she was initially arrested, then again after she was picked up on a Canada-wide warrant for violating her bail conditions.
That came about after she attended a gala last year in Toronto honouring her actions.
Lich appears in front of a judge for a bail hearing on Feb. 19, 2022. (Lauren Foster-MacLeod/CBC)
‘Mayhem’ expected at Ottawa courthouse
A sizable crowd is expected to gather outside the Ottawa courthouse starting Tuesday, and staff are preparing for the courtroom to be full.
Melissa McKee, co-pastor at the Capital City Biker’s Church, which became a hub during the convoy, said she’s expecting “mayhem” on the first day of the trial.
McKee has continued to support adjacent movements. She’s also regularly attended court proceedings to support lesser-known individuals arrested after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act to clear out the convoy.
While those courtrooms were often empty, McKee expects Tuesday will be different.
“I don’t think that’s going to be the case for Chris and Tamara,” she said. “I think it’s going to bring as many people out that can make it. And I think that there will be protesters as well.”
Melissa McKee is co-pastor at the Capital City Biker’s Church, which became a hub for protesters during the multi-week demonstrations. (CBC)
A friend of both Barber and Lich, McKee says the two co-accused are feeling optimistic ahead of their trial.
They’re expected to have the support of not only those who participated in the convoy, but also the backing of various libertarian and civil liberties groups — some of which are raising money for the defence team.
Trial of the convoy?
Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman has called the Crown’s case “very broad” and noted the offences against Lich and Barber can be charged in many different ways, with several paths to a conviction.
But Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey, who is overseeing the matter, is committed to not allow the focus to be lost to fanfare or scorn.
The trial is expected to sit for at least 16 non-consecutive days. Barring any delays, it will likely wrap in October.
“We do not expect this to be the trial of the Freedom Convoy. The central issue will be whether the actions of two of the organizers of a peaceful protest should warrant criminal sanction,” reads a joint statement from Lawrence Greenspon and Diane Magas, who are representing Lich and Barber, respectively.
A protester walks through an encampment near Parliament Hill shortly before being arrested in February 2022. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The Crown will likely focus more on the ways in which the two allegedly broke the law.
It’ll fall on the prosecution team to try and prove Lich and Barber played a role in creating the incessant honking that accompanied the convoy’s arrival in Ottawa. They’ll also have to make the case that, as leaders, Lich and Barber raised illegal money to fuel an illegal unrest, ignored police orders and refused the leave even after the government invoked the Emergencies Act.
Lich and Greenspon attend last November’s Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Convoy supporters doubt justice system
McKee said she’s anxious about the trial, but also optimistic.
The pastor said she believes convoy leaders are being made out to be “sacrificial lambs” in a justice system she feels is failing Canadians.
“Even if you don’t like these people, and you’re against the Freedom Convoy, the precedent that’s being set for all Canadians, that should be something that we’re all paying attention to,” she said.
Danny Bulford, a former RCMP officer who quit the force during the COVID-19 pandemic and became a spokesperson for the convoy during its stay in Ottawa, says Barber and Lich have become catch-all targets for those who oppose what the protesters represented.
“I don’t know what grounds ever existed to pursue criminal charges against Chris and Tamara,” said Bulford, who was arrested himself but released shortly after and isn’t expected to face further prosecution.
“I know. I tried my very best to operate within the confines of the law.”
Danny Bulford is a former RCMP officer who was on the prime minister’s security detail and quit after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19. He says Barber and Lich have become catch-all targets for those who opposed the protests. (CBC)
An exoneration of Lich and Barber in the judge-alone trial will likely be viewed by their supporters as a clear win for the entire entourage of truckers and protesters who occupied the streets of Ottawa for nearly four weeks.
“It seems like what rules the most right now is the court of public opinion,” said Bulford. “I think a lot of government policy is formulated that way. I think the police and the courts conduct themselves based on what they see as the popular public opinion.”
Bulford worries a guilty decision will lead to a deeper divide among Canadians, and a “much deeper mistrust of the current existing legal system from the people that already feel disenfranchised, that supported the convoy.”
“If we have a favourable outcome from the trial, I think that will help recover some of that mistrust.”
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
