Protest held outside Chatham-Kent medical officer of health’s home
A group of people gathered outside the private residence of Chatham-Kent’s medical officer of health Tuesday evening to protest enhanced COVID-19 restrictions coming into effect this week.
The event was streamed live on social media by former local PPC candidate Liz Vallee, who posted a video on her Facebook page saying Dr. David Colby had been served with “liability papers.”
“I don’t want to show up at people’s houses and protest but you know, enough’s enough already,” Vallee is heard saying in the video.
When contacted by CTV News, Vallee said she was only there to show support to the group, and did not know the details of the paperwork presented to Colby.
“I suspect what’s happening here is they’re alleging these new restrictions are violating charter rights and it’s a hopeless lawsuit,” employment lawyer Howard Levitt said.
He said situations like these are often frivolous.
“With what cases we’ve had across the country, safety trumps privacy rights and association rights every single time,” Levitt said.
But one Chatham lawyer thinks otherwise, saying the paperwork could have some teeth.
Lawyer Steve Pickard said he doesn’t represent any of the protesters, but thinks Colby didn’t have the authority to regulate private dwellings when he renewed capacity limits.
Pickard wonders if the paperwork was a superior court order application to quash Colby’s new order, or a request that the board of health hold a hearing.
“Neither of those courses of action I believe would remove the effect immediately of his order but it would be retroactively invalid if it was found to be faulty,” he said.
Chatham-Kent police confirm officers responded to a group of demonstrators in Chatham last night. Constable Renee Cowell says everyone was peaceful upon police arrival and no one was arrested or charged.
Chatham-Kent Public Health and Dr. David Colby refrained from making comment on Wednesday, but said it will be addressed in their weekly media briefing Thursday.
Levitt adds to think twice before filing liability papers or any kind of law suit.
“Whoever’s name is attached to that statement of claim is in danger of having to pay costs even if its dismissed,” he said. “The cost could be $50 - $100,000 that they’ll be personally liable to pay.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.