This article was originally published by the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/my-critics-have-weaponized-the-college-of-psychologists-disciplinary-process-for-political-reasons">National Post</a> in Canada.
The practice of psychology in Ontario, and in many other North American and western jurisdictions, is subject to regulation by “professional colleges” — essentially governmental organizations with a mandate to protect the public from misconduct on the part of physicians, lawyers, social workers, dentists, pharmacists, teachers, architects and many others, including (and most relevant to me) clinical psychologists.
Anyone anywhere in the world can levy a complaint to these regulatory bodies for any reason, regardless of whether the complainant has had any direct contact with the professional in question. The respective colleges have the responsibility to determine whether each complaint is serious and credible enough to warrant further investigation. Complaints can be deemed vexatious or frivolous and dispensed with. When the college decides to move forward, it is a serious move, essentially equivalent to a lawsuit. The <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/ontario-college-of-psychologists-jordan-peterson-social-media">Ontario College of Psychologists</a> in fact recommends legal counsel under such conditions.
The Ontario College of Psychologists has levied a multitude of such lawsuits against me since my rise to public prominence six years ago (although none at all in the 20 years or so I practised as a psychologist before that). These have multiplied as of late, and now number more than a dozen. This may seem like a lot (and “where there’s smoke there’s fire,” or so people think), but I might point out that it is difficult to communicate with as many people as I do and to say anything of substance without rubbing at least a few of them the wrong way now and then.
For my crimes, I have been sentenced to a course of mandatory social media communication training with the college’s so-called experts (although social media communication training is not a scientific and certainly not a clinical specialty of any standing). I am to do this at my own expense (some hundreds of dollars per hour) and for a length of time that is to be determined only by those retraining me and profiting from doing so. How will this be determined? When those very re-educators — those experts — have convinced themselves that I have learned my lesson and will behave properly in the future.
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It&#39;s worse than you think in Canada <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>. Regulated professionals are now terrified into silence by their respective colleges. This means they are no longer able to say what they believe to be true. And who needs that from their lawyers, physicians &#8212; or psychologists? <a href="https://t.co/sWvIPVHU0e">https://t.co/sWvIPVHU0e</a>
&mdash; Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1610360115693060096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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If I agree to this, then I must admit that I have been unprofessional in my conduct, and to have that noted publicly, even as the college insists that I am not required to admit to any wrongdoing. If I refuse — and I have (of course) refused — the next step is a mandatory public disciplinary session/inquiry and the possible suspension of my clinical licence (all of which will be also announced publicly).
I should also point out that the steps already taken constitute the second most serious possible response to my transgressions on the part of the college. I have been placed in the category of repeat offender, with high risk of further repetition.
What exactly have I done that is so seriously unprofessional that I am now a danger not only to any new potential clients but to the public itself? It is hard to tell with some of the complaints (one involved the submission of the entire transcript of a three-hour discussion on the Joe Rogan podcast), but here are some examples that might produce some reasonable concern among Canadians who care about such niceties as freedom of belief, conscience and speech:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I retweeted a comment made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about the unnecessary severity of the COVID lockdowns;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I criticized Justin Trudeau’s former chief of staff, Gerald Butts;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I criticized an Ottawa city councillor; and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I made a joke about the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern.</li>
</ul>
I did all that “disrespectfully,” by the way, in a “horrific” manner that spread “misinformation”; that was “threatening” and “harassing”; that was “embarrassing to the profession.” I am also (these are separate offenses) sexist, transphobic, incapable of the requisite body positivity in relationship to morbid obesity and, unforgivably of all, a climate change denialist.
Every single one of these accusations (and now accepted evidence of my professional misconduct) is independent of my clinical practice — which, by the way, has been suspended since 2017, when my rising notoriety or fame made continuing as a private therapist practically and ethically impossible. Every single accusation is not only independent of my clinical practice, but explicitly political — and not only that: unidirectionally explicitly political. Every single thing I have been sentenced to correction for saying is insufficiently Leftist, politically. I’m simply too classically liberal — or, even more unforgivably — conservative.
For criticizing our prime minister and his cronies and peers, for retweeting Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the official Opposition in Canada, and for holding and for daring to express reprehensible political views, I have now been convicted by the College of Psychologists of “harming” people in some manner serious enough to justify my forced re-education. Now that I have refused, I will definitely face further exceptionally public, demanding, time-consuming and expensive disciplinary action, including the suspension of my licence. This, despite the fact that none of the people whose complaints are being currently pursued were ever clients of mine, or even knew clients of mine, or even knew or were acquainted with any of the people they claim I am harming. This, despite the fact (and please attend to this) that half the people who levied such complaints falsely claimed that they had in fact been or currently are clients of mine.
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To clarify: it&#39;s been decided: I either submit to social media communication retraining or face a disciplinary hearing and possible suspension of my clinical license and the right to represent myself as a psychologist <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CPOntario?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CPOntario</a> <a href="https://t.co/qmsje8flyN">https://t.co/qmsje8flyN</a>
&mdash; Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1610391120403468292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It may be of some interest to note that I wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week, informing him of this situation. Here is the letter, for public consideration — which by necessity repeats some of what I have just covered in this introduction:
<blockquote>Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:
I thought it my duty to inform you and your office of the following proceedings against me. 
The Ontario College of Psychologists, the provincial government-mandated and supported professional body charged with regulating the practice of clinical psychology, is requiring that I undergo a lengthy course of “media training” so that I “more appropriately” conduct my online communication. This is occurring, by the way, despite my 20 years as a research psychologist at Harvard University and the University of Toronto (with an unblemished behavioural reputation), my extensive clinical experience and my history of bringing psychological knowledge to people around the world.
Some 15-million people currently follow me on three main social media platforms, and the overwhelming majority of them appear to regard my words and the particular manner in which I formulate them as interesting, helpful and productive — some real evidence to the contrary with regard to the college’s accusations. 
I have rejected this forced re-education request, and will in consequence soon be required to appear in front of an in-person “disciplinary hearing” to bring me into line — with the threat of the revocation of my clinical licence, and the public exposure and implied disgrace that would accompany that, hanging over my head. 
It may be of interest to you to note that all of the complaints against me: (1) were brought by people with whom I had zero clinical contact; (2) have nothing whatsoever to do with my function as a clinical psychologist (except in the broadest possible public sense); and, most importantly with regard to this letter, (3) that half of them involve nothing more than political criticisms of you or the people around you (with all the remainder being complaints generated because I dared state some essentially conservative philosophical beliefs). 
As the enclosed documentation indicates, I am being investigated and disciplined for, among a few other reasons not germane to my present communication with you:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">retweeting Pierre Poilievre, the leader of Canada’s official Opposition;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">criticizing you, your former chief of staff Gerald Butts, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and an Ottawa city councillor; and</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">objecting to the Ottawa police threatening to apprehend the children of the trucker convoy protesters.</li>
</ul>
I am not suggesting or even presuming that you or any of the people associated with you had anything directly to do with this. However, the fact that it is happening (and that physicians and lawyers have become as terrified as psychologists now are of their own regulatory bodies) is something that has definitely happened on your watch, as a consequence of your own conduct and the increasingly compulsion-based and ideologically pure policies that you have promoted and legislated.
I simply cannot resign myself to the fact that in my lifetime I am required to resort to a public letter to the leader of my country to point out that political criticism has now become such a crime in Canada that if professionals dare engage in such activity, government-appointed commissars will threaten their livelihood and present them with the spectacle of denouncement and political disgrace.
There is simply and utterly no excuse whatsoever for such a state of affairs in a free country. 
Jordan B Peterson, PhD, C. Psych (for now)
Professor emeritus, University of Toronto</blockquote>
Why should Canadians who read this care? Perhaps those reading in this country (and elsewhere) might ask themselves the following questions — and in all seriousness, painful as it might be do so; requiring as it does the almost unbelievable admission that something has gone dreadfully wrong in our lovely country:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What makes you think that something similar won’t happen to you, or to someone you know and respect or even love?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What makes you think you are going to continue to be able to communicate honestly with your physicians, lawyers and psychologists (and representatives of many other regulated professions) if they are now so terrified of their regulatory boards that they can no longer tell you the truth?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What are your children going to be taught when all their teachers (that’s a regulated profession, too) are so afraid of the woke mob that they swallow all the ideological lies that are now required of pedagogues — regardless if they believe what they are saying?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Where are we going to be if we allow criticism of the public figures charged with the privilege of our governance to be grounds for the demolition of not only the critic’s reputation but their very livelihood?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How far are we willing to go down this road, without forthright resistance?</li>
</ul>
In any case: I’m not complying. I’m not submitting to re-education. I am not admitting that my viewpoints — many of which have, by the way, been entirely justified by the facts that have emerged since the complaints were levied — were either wrong or unprofessional. I’m going to say what I have to say, and let the chips fall where they will. I have done nothing to compromise those in my care; quite the contrary — I have served all my clients and the millions of people I am communicating with to the best of my ability and in good faith, and that’s that.
And to the College of Psychologists, I issue this challenge: I am absolutely willing to make every single word of this legal battle fully public, so that the issue of my professional competence and my right to say what I have to say and stand by my words can be fought in full daylight. I would and could post all the correspondence with and accusations levied by those who complained about me and the college itself public, and will do so, if the college agrees. But I can’t, on legal grounds justified in normal times but rendered specious by the dominion of the politically correct and radical. I can’t, because of this, and because it is not in the interest of the college or the complainants they are sheltering and abetting to allow it. They’ll cite confidentiality concerns for their refusal, because it’s 100 percent OK for them to come after me publicly while they and those who complained hide cravenly and cowardly behind a wall of self-serving and self-protective silence.
And this of course does little but embolden those who have learned to weaponize college disciplinary processes, and to give the accuser and his or her lackeys the upper hand, practically and legally. And such weaponization risks placing all our once justly trusted institutions firmly in the hands of those willing and able to manipulate them for reasons both political and personal.
The sad and sorry state of this once-great Dominion at the dawn of 2023 … and it’s still going to get worse before it gets better.
<a href="https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/">Dr. Jordan B. Peterson</a> is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He is the international bestselling author of Maps of Meaning, 12 Rules For Life, and Beyond Order. You can now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast">listen</a> to or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/jordan-peterson">watch</a> his popular lectures on DailyWire+.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

JP_FOR_DW_GDWOODMAN045

Jordan Peterson: I Will Risk My Licence To Escape Social Media Re-Education

Canada

Jordan Peterson

Justin Trudeau

Ontario

Readers Pass

World

Rising <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hockey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ice hockey</a> star Eli Palfreyman collapsed after playing a game with his team in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ontario" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ontario</a>, and was later pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. He was 20 years-old.
The 2nd year player with the Ayr Centennials of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League took to the ice Tuesday with his team at the Ayr Farmers Mutual Global Invitational tournament game at the North Dumfries Community Complex, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/09/01/canadian-hockey-star-eli-palfreyman-dead-collapsing-tournament-game-ayr-centennials/?adid=social-twa">TMZ</a> reported.
During the tournament’s first intermission, Palfreyman was in the locker room with his teammates and collapsed,  where &#8220;members of the community assisted the individual until emergency services attended,&#8221; the outlet noted.
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Rising junior ice hockey star Eli Palfreyman died after he collapsed during a preseason tournament game in Ontario on Tuesday. <a href="https://t.co/he3Wf2rGad">https://t.co/he3Wf2rGad</a>
&mdash; TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1565373761217503235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Waterloo Regional Police officers then responded to the scene after receiving a medical emergency call. Palfreyman was then transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An official cause of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/death">death</a> has yet to be released.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP17?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIP17</a> ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/FEOlFl0yWQ">pic.twitter.com/FEOlFl0yWQ</a>
&mdash; Ayr Centennials (@AyrCentennials) <a href="https://twitter.com/AyrCentennials/status/1565028155211096067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Ayr Centennials’ official Twitter account on Wednesday posted a message about Palfreyman showing two different images of his jersey. It captioned the post, &#8220;#RIP17.&#8221;
The team also released a statement obtained by the outlet that read, &#8220;Thank you all for the outpouring of love for our beloved captain and beautiful young man Eli.&#8221;
&#8220;Words cannot describe how much it means to his family/Cens family,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;We are all broken but feel your arms around us #RIP17 .&#8221;
Eli had recently been named captain of the team for the new season and a video on Instagram showed just how excited he was. In the video, we hear Palfreymann call it an &#8220;honor&#8221; and more to be named captain as he shared his hope for the upcoming season of hockey with his team.
WATCH:
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The caption next to the post read, &#8220;Cool moment inside the [ayrcentennials] locker room last night with [lilkawalec] presenting [eli.palfreyman] with the captain jersey! Palfreyman will lead the Cens into the 2022-23 GOJHL season.&#8221;
The junior hockey league also announced that it has postponed all games scheduled for this week “out of respect for Eli and his family,&#8221; the outlet noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-player-caleb-swanigan-dead-at-25">Former NBA Player Caleb Swanigan Dead At 25</a>

Hockey Image-2

Rising Hockey Star Collapses And Dies After Game At Age 20

Death

Hockey

Sports

A top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadas-justin-trudeau-mocked-over-new-haircut-draws-comparison-to-dumb-and-dumber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian politician</a> swallowed a bee while speaking to reporters Friday, and went right on waxing about health care policy.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was taking questions from reporters in Dundalk when the insect flew into his mouth and went down the hatch, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-swallows-bee-1.6549613?cmp=DM_Display_PopularNow_CBCToronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CBC</a>. The voluble politician laughed it off – after trying in vain to expel the honeymaker.
&#8220;Holy Christ, I just swallowed a bee,&#8221; Ford said as he coughed violently.
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Doug Ford swallows bee during live news conference<a href="https://t.co/SPPkAvmjqF">https://t.co/SPPkAvmjqF</a> <a href="https://t.co/SQVxkQoEGH">pic.twitter.com/SQVxkQoEGH</a>
&mdash; CP24 (@CP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/CP24/status/1558133274815373312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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He took a long pull from a water bottle and then quipped: &#8220;This is going to be played over and over again.&#8221;
As the audience watched with concern, Ford seemed to be in discomfort.
&#8220;Sorry guys. The little bugger got away in there,&#8221; he said.
When someone asked if he was okay to resume his speech, Ford said he was.
 &#8220;I&#8217;m OK. It&#8217;s buzzing in there,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Man, he went right down the hatch.&#8221;
Ford finally recovered and resumed his speech about health care, saying he will “get creative” in considering how it can be delivered, including potential further privatization.
After winding down, Ford still had the bee in his belly and on his mind.
&#8220;This is a good one … I can&#8217;t remember what we were talking about. I&#8217;ll be rushing to the hospital to get this bee out of here,&#8221; he said.
The bee &#8220;is working hard building a hive down there,&#8221; he added as the news conference ended. &#8220;That sucker is still buzzing away.&#8221;
The 57-year-old Ford, who was elected in 2018, is the older brother of the late Rob Ford, the colorful onetime mayor of Toronto who battled crack cocaine and alcohol addiction before dying of cancer in 2016.

Screen Shot 2022-08-12 at 3.37.01 PM

WATCH: Politician Swallows Bee While Speaking To Reporters

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday he was declaring a state of emergency in his province. Ford stated, &#8220;Today, I’m using my authority as Premier of Ontario to declare a state of emergency in our province, and I will convene Cabinet to use legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure.”
Before Ford’s announcement, protesters had opened a lane for Canada-bound traffic at Ambassador Bridge, CBC reported.
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Protesters open one lane for Canada-bound traffic at Ambassador Bridge. Protesters say move is a show of their good faith ahead of an expected announcement on the blockade by the Ontario premier, and a court hearing on an injunction application. <a href="https://t.co/0wSPYJshnE">https://t.co/0wSPYJshnE</a>
&mdash; CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCAlerts/status/1492155887615725572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Ford began by defending the actions of the government during the coronavirus pandemic, saying, “Faced with an unprecedented threat to our health and safety; faced with the very real prospect of patients being turned away from overwhelmed hospitals; faced with consequences of inaction, this virus has consistently forced us to make decisions that no one wanted to make. Looking at where we are right now and how far we’ve come pushing Omicron back, there’s no doubt these were the right decisions. There’s no doubt they protected our hospitals from collapse and saved lives.”
He tried to assuage the public, asserting, “Today, we’re on track to very soon almost remove almost all restrictions for businesses as part of our reopening plan.”
“People are frustrated, they’re scared, they’re angry,” he said. After lauding Canada’s “right to free speech,” he continued, “But, with all rights, these are not without reasonable limits. Our economy in Ontario is built on trade, especially with our partners in the United States. The Ambassador Bridge in Windsor alone sees more than $700 million of two-way trade every single day.”
After stating that jobs were at risk, he said, “We are now two weeks into the siege of Ottawa. I call it a siege because that’s what it is; it’s an illegal occupation; this is no longer a protest. With a protest you peacefully make your point and you go back home.” After referencing the truckers and protesters who had left, he told the remaining truckers and protesters, “Please go home. &#8230;. It’s time to leave.”
Ford stated, “To the very small groups who have chosen to take a different path, to those who’ve chosen to take a city of one million people hostage for the past two weeks, to those who have attempted to disrupt our way of life by targeting our lifeline for food, fuel, and goods across our borders, to those trying to force a political agenda through disruption, intimidation, and chaos, my message to you is this: your right to make a political statement does not outweigh the right of hundreds of thousands of workers to make their living. It does not outweigh our right to get food across our borders.”
“So let me be as clear as I can,” he threatened. “There will be consequences for these actions and they will be severe. We’ve already started by going after the money funding the illegal occupation.”
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Doug Ford

Ontario, Canada, Premier Declares State Of Emergency

Freedom Convoy

When armed police entered the sanctuary of the Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, last month to evict its parishioners and lock their building, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt had a Bible verse ready to read to them.
Hildebrandt and his church had been publicly tussling for some time with the Ontario government over a <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/zones-and-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">provincial order</a> restricting even outdoor religious gatherings to 10 people. Both congregants and media were therefore present on May 16 to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/may-god-help-us-ontario-christians-pray-for-police-as-they-kick-them-out-of-church-lock-doors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">record</a> when law enforcement showed up during the service with a court order to shut them down.
As the officers made their way toward the front of the church, Hildebrandt read from the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%203&amp;version=KJV" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">third chapter</a> of the Book of Daniel, which recounts the story of three Jewish men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The men, who had been raised in the courts of Babylon, refused to bow before a golden image erected by King Nebuchadnezzar, who decreed that anyone who failed to worship it would be thrown into a fiery furnace.
Reading their response to the arrogant king as his congregation cheered, Hildebrandt directed the words to the officers before praying for them: &#8220;If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.&#8221;
Before God supernaturally delivered them, an enraged Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego tightly bound and tossed into a furnace that had been heated to seven times its normal strength.
&#8220;We Have Had Real Issues&#8221;
The Church of God and its pastors face $183,000 in steadily mounting fines for continuing to congregate. After they were forced out of their building, they began to meet outside. As news of their situation spread internationally, the number of outdoor congregants swelled by the hundreds, and the church was recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ontario-fines-church-66k-for-holding-outdoor-services-after-police-lock-building" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fined</a> $66,000 on top of the $117,000 initially slapped on them.
&#8220;We have had real issues here,&#8221; Hildebrandt told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The government does not want to allow us to gather as the people of God, as the Bible would teach us to do.&#8221;
For the past 14 months, Hildebrandt explained, his church has had &#8220;constant run-ins with the government&#8221; as police have hounded them relentlessly regarding the 10-person limit in Ontario, which has <a href="https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&amp;mid=%2Fm%2F05kr_&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US%3Aen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">seen</a> 8,931 COVID-19 deaths out of a population of more than 14 million as of Thursday.
&#8220;We&#8217;re doing everything that is within our power to shut [Hildebrandt] down,&#8221; Aylmer Police Chief Zvonko Horvat <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/aylmer-church-doors-locked-1.6028000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> the CBC. As an officer flung a court summons at Hildebrandt&#8217;s feet in January, he <a href="https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/police-officer-rebukes-aylmer-pastor-who-invoked-god-while-being-charged" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>, “God’s not giving us the problems right now. You are.&#8221; When Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas finally mandated that Hildebrandt&#8217;s church be locked in May, the judge said he &#8220;hoped his ruling would be an example for the church and others who are considering breaking Ontario laws.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/premier-of-canadian-province-jailing-pastors-caught-violating-own-covid-19-rules-24-times-during-one-dinner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Premier Of Canadian Province Jailing Pastors Caught Violating Own COVID-19 Rules 24 Times During One Dinner</a>
&#8220;I think we have somewhat become the lightning rod because we&#8217;re right by the main highway as you come into town and because they dealt with us from last year regarding the drive-in services,&#8221; Hildebrandt said, referencing a <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7625972/church-of-god-aylmer-court-order/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previous battle</a> with the province. &#8220;I would say that maybe they have no choice but to single us out because we have been openly defying them, not meaning to cause any trouble, but because we were determined that we are going to do what the Bible tells us to do.&#8221;
A small town of approximately 7,500 people, Aylmer lies just north of Lake Erie, about a two-hour drive from both Toronto and Detroit. After migrating to Mexico during the first half of the 20th century, many Canadian Mennonites began to move back to Canada during the 1970s, for which reason towns such as Aylmer have a sizable population of the German-speaking sect. As Hildebrandt describes it, the Church of God is &#8220;just an evangelical Bible-believing church,&#8221; but many of its members are from the Mennonite tradition and follow its customs.
&#8220;They Definitely Have Singled Out Christianity&#8221;
Hildebrandt&#8217;s church and the tiny town of Aylmer have received international attention since their building was locked, but he notes that mainstream Canadian media are not particularly sympathetic.
&#8220;Of course the mainstream media is very much against us,&#8221; he said, though he commended conservative outlet <a href="https://www.rebelnews.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rebel News</a> in particular for &#8220;telling the story like it is&#8221; about church lockdowns. &#8220;But generally speaking, especially the media that is owned by the government is on the government&#8217;s side.&#8221;
Hildebrandt discerned that provincial governments across Canada have seemingly targeted Christians. &#8220;I would say that they have been especially hard on churches because I would have thought that they should have at least given the churches the same liberty as they would have given a Walmart or Costco or the liquor store or the donut shop,&#8221; he reflected. &#8220;But when they don&#8217;t do that, it would seem to me that they definitely have singled out Christianity or have put a lot of pressure on acting as if meeting with the people on Sunday is not a big deal.&#8221;
Conducting church services virtually is not sustainable long-term, Hildebrandt explained. &#8220;In order for us to feed our souls, in order for us to gather and to get that healing that we need from being together, you don&#8217;t do that virtually. You can&#8217;t properly do it. You can do that for a week or two, but not on an ongoing basis.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/health-official-slaps-fines-criminal-charges-against-church-elders-for-refusing-to-let-him-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Saskatchewan Health Official Slaps Fines, Criminal Charges Against Church Elders For Refusing To Let Him Disrupt Service</a>
Hildebrandt is being represented in court by Lisa Bildy, an attorney with the Calgary-based <a href="https://rumble.com/vibccf-the-government-war-on-worship.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms</a>. &#8220;Although most churches have been either following the rules, or quietly flying under the radar, there are a number of churches that have become targets for enforcement that has escalated dramatically over the last few months,&#8221; Bildy told The Daily Wire. &#8220;That&#8217;s in no small part due to vigilante citizens, corporate media, and police who are quite happy to take down a church or an anti-lockdown protest, but say not a word of criticism when a politically favorable rally or event takes place.&#8221;
&#8220;Liberty was already on life support in Canada before the pandemic hit,&#8221; Bildy continued. &#8220;Canada’s been on a steady march toward a collectivist and authoritarian mindset over the course of a decade, and the events of the last year have made the culture shift undeniable. Group rights are in. Individual rights are out. In part, that is a reaction to what is perceived as distasteful, rugged individualism in the United States. Our national identity is largely centered around not being American.&#8221;
&#8220;Our Country Is Slipping&#8221;
Regarding allegations that he is simply stirring up controversy to promote his own ministry, Hildebrandt said the issues his congregation is facing are much larger than himself and his church. He pointed to the other pastors and churches in Canada who have been punished for gathering during the pandemic, such as the Church of God Restoration in Hanover, Manitoba, which potentially faces <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-enforcement-bulletin-june-8-2021-1.6057529" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$1 million in fines</a>.
Hildebrandt recounted how he traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, to support <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-pastor-and-lawyer-defiant-after-canadian-police-raid-barricade-church-at-dawn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pastor James Coates</a> when he was jailed for 35 days in a maximum-security prison for refusing to suspend services. He mentioned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-cowards-calgary-police-arrest-polish-pastor-who-refused-to-allow-police-health-officials-to-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pastor Artur Pawlowski</a> of Calgary, who was arrested on his way home from church in the middle of a busy highway and tossed into a police van. He brought up <a href="https://www.rebelnews.com/post_jail_interview_pastor_tim_stephens_on_his_arrest_his_church_and_his_faith" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pastor Tim Stephens</a>, also from Calgary, who was imprisoned until his legal counsel argued that he was arrested illegally. Hildebrandt also went to Toronto to encourage <a href="https://nowtoronto.com/news/how-did-adamson-barbecue-guy-become-a-martyr-for-anti-lockdown-crowd" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Adam Skelley</a>, who was billed around $180,000 after police shut down his small business.
&#8220;This is about our God-given freedom,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not about me or our church.&#8221;
Hildebrandt said he is grateful to the many Americans who have turned their attention to the ordeals of Canadian Christians. &#8220;My message [for Americans] is please pray for us, that the Lord would help us; that we would stand and remain standing and that many more will join. And we thank the Americans, every single one of them who is sending messages and prayers.&#8221;
&#8220;We thank them for it and we ask that they would please continue praying for us, as our country is slipping on a slippery slope,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And it&#8217;s very, very, very alarming — not just for Christianity, but generally speaking — that our God-given freedoms can be taken away with the turning of a hand or somebody just making up a rule, and then that our God-given freedom is gone like that is very alarming.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-cowards-calgary-police-arrest-polish-pastor-who-refused-to-allow-police-health-officials-to-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Nazi Cowards’: Calgary Police Arrest Polish Pastor Who Refused To Allow Police, Health Officials To Disrupt Service</a>
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Hildebrandt ultimately trusts God to deliver his church, whose attendance has doubled amid the controversy. &#8220;People are hungry, people are thirsty, they want to hear the Word of God, and we are determined to go on,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This Friday, we are back in court. We presently have fines of $183,000 facing us for the services that we have had, and I hear that there&#8217;s more fines coming this Friday.&#8221;
The church has since started a <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/G24NM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">crowdfund</a> to help offset its exorbitant legal fees.
&#8220;So we are praying that the Lord would just somehow work it out where things can deescalate; where we can freely meet again, as we should be able to in Canada, seeing that we have religious freedom,&#8221; he added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-not-ready-pastor-andrew-brunson-predicts-worsening-religious-persecution-in-u-s-regardless-of-election-outcome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘We’re Not Ready’: Pastor Andrew Brunson Predicts Worsening Religious Persecution In U.S. Regardless Of Election Outcome</a>

Henry Hildebrandt

‘Our Country Is Slipping’: Pastor Whose Church Was Locked By Police Warns Of Growing State Tyranny

Christianity

COVID

Religion

A small church in Ontario, Canada, and its pastors are facing fines nearing $200,000 for continuing to hold services in defiance of a provincial lockdown order that limits both indoor and outdoor religious gatherings to 10 people.
<a href="https://www.churchofgod.net/aylmer-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Church of God</a> in Aylmer, Ontario, was fined an additional $66,000 on Monday for holding multiple services outside after armed police locked them out of their church building last month to prevent them from gathering, according to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7907679/aylmer-church-god-fines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global News</a>.
The church has since started a <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/G24NM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">crowdfund</a> to help offset its exorbitant legal fees.
Crown attorney Lisa Brost argued in court that the church should not even be permitted to appeal having their building locked until all the fines against them were paid in full. Lisa Bildy, who is the church&#8217;s attorney, argued that it was unfair that the “burden of all of this enforcement has fallen to the church without any evidence whatsoever that their continuing to meet has caused any outbreaks or illness, let alone death, over the last year.”
“Was there an order? Yes. Did the church have knowledge of it? Yes. Did they breach it? Yes,” Bildy said.
“They met outside in open air rather than inside their church, but still that is a breach of these draconian and unprecedented restrictions imposed on the citizens of Ontario,&#8221; she added.
In addition to the $117,000 fine they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/may-god-help-us-ontario-christians-pray-for-police-as-they-kick-them-out-of-church-lock-doors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">faced</a> last month when their doors were locked, the church faces a $35,000 fine, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt faces a $20,000 fine, Assistant Pastor Peter Wall faces a $6,000 fine, and they face $5,000 in legal costs.
Hildebrandt gave an update on his congregation&#8217;s predicament in a video Wednesday, explaining he believes the judge dispensing the hefty fines &#8220;is between a rock and a hard place&#8221; because of orders issued by health officials.
Hildebrandt went on to say good is coming from the ordeal, such as increased attendance. &#8220;I wish that all of us would look with open eyes to see what is happening. A revival has begun, an awakening is taking place, and God is using these things to kick out lukewarm Christianity &#8230; In the Book of Revelation it mentions, first, God wishes that we were rather cold or hot but not in between, and that is what God is accomplishing.&#8221;
&#8220;No wonder the Bible says do not stop gathering, do not stop gathering,&#8221; Hildebrandt continued, recounting the number of conversions that have taken place since the government first targeted them. &#8220;And we all realize right now we&#8217;re living a lie. What we&#8217;re being told, what is being advertised there by Dr. Fauci and others who are in big trouble — and we will hear more about that later — but how could we follow those people? We need to follow the Word of God and we&#8217;re doing that[.]&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Court imposes $66k fine for outdoor church service in Canada" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4McY1seSEo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
According to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/may-god-help-us-ontario-christians-pray-for-police-as-they-kick-them-out-of-church-lock-doors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> of the incident, armed police officers interrupted the Church of God’s worship service on May 16 while congregants sang hymns. As they entered the sanctuary to order them to vacate, Hildebrandt read from the third chapter of the Book of Daniel, which recounts how God saved three of Daniel’s friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden image set up by the king of Babylon.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-religious-liberty-survive-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Religious Liberty Survive COVID-19 And The New Gnostics?</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tensions-are-escalating-ontario-congregation-charged-for-meeting-outdoors-after-police-lock-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Tensions Are Escalating’: Ontario Congregation Charged For Meeting Outdoors After Police Lock Church</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-cowards-calgary-police-arrest-polish-pastor-who-refused-to-allow-police-health-officials-to-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Nazi Cowards’: Calgary Police Arrest Polish Pastor Who Refused To Allow Police, Health Officials To Disrupt Service</a>

Canada court and steeple

Ontario Fines Church $66k For Holding Outdoor Services After Police Lock Building

A Christian congregation in Ontario, Canada, has been charged with violating lockdown rules by holding several outdoor services with more than 10 people after police locked them out of their church building.
The Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, many of the members of which are from the Mennonite tradition, held two services on May 16 and May 23, in violation of the <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reopening Ontario Act</a>, which limits even outdoor gatherings to 10 people.
They were forced to meet outdoors after police locked the doors of their church upon the order of Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas, who alleged the church had turned the small town of Aylmer into &#8220;a cauldron of hostility.&#8221; No cases of COVID-19 have been traced to the house of worship.
According to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/may-god-help-us-ontario-christians-pray-for-police-as-they-kick-them-out-of-church-lock-doors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> of the incident, police officers interrupted the Church of God&#8217;s worship service earlier this month while congregants sang hymns. As the armed officers entered the sanctuary to order them to vacate, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt read from the third chapter of the Book of Daniel, which recounts how God saved three of Daniel’s friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden image set up by the king of Babylon.
“It is important that people retain the right to choose for themselves whether a situation presents a danger to their health,&#8221; Hildebrandt <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/ontario-church-charged-for-holding-outdoor-services.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> The Christian Post. &#8220;We offer drive-in, online, in-person services to accommodate all those seeking for spiritual fellowship.&#8221;
Hildebrandt said he and his church “acknowledge Christ as our king and do not recognize the authority of the state as it pertains to the services and functions of the church as prescribed by the Word of God.”
“When the state commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, we will obey God rather than men,&#8221; Hildebrandt continued. &#8220;The supremacy of God is written into our Constitution, and we acknowledge that his sovereignty supersedes that of earthly government.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/may-god-help-us-ontario-christians-pray-for-police-as-they-kick-them-out-of-church-lock-doors" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘May God Help Us’: Ontario Christians Pray For Police As They Kick Them Out Of Church, Lock Doors</a>
During a recent interview with <a href="https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/qa-aylmer-police-chief-on-escalating-tension-with-church-of-god" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The London Free Press</a>, Aylmer Police Chief Zvonko Horvat said that &#8220;tensions are escalating&#8221; regarding the backlash his police force has received from their actions against the Church of God. &#8220;Obviously, we don’t want to see anybody get hurt and, certainly, it is a concern for me and my officers.&#8221;
Horvat also said he has no sympathy for those at the Church of God who say the strict provincial lockdowns are an attack on their religious liberty.
&#8220;I absolutely do not [have sympathy],&#8221; said Hovart. &#8220;There are certain things that governments take a position on for the betterment of the community and the safety of the community and, in actual fact, they are not prohibited from having service, so it’s not a total shutdown of religious services. These are restrictions in terms of the number of people (for in-person service) based on expert opinion during this pandemic. They are allowed to do a drive-in service where they can worship and pray &#8230; so I’m not sympathetic at all toward their cause. It’s more defiance than anything else.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-religious-liberty-survive-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Religious Liberty Survive COVID-19?</a>

Santa Fe, New Mexico

‘Tensions Are Escalating’: Ontario Congregation Charged For Meeting Outdoors After Police Lock Church

A group of Christians in Aylmer, Ontario, were forced to worship outside Sunday after police seized their building during a worship service, evicted them, and locked the doors last week.
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of the Church of God in southwestern Ontario, most of whose congregants come from the Mennonite tradition, preached an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwl9KdbiIPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open-air service</a> after Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas ordered their church facility locked until the provincial gathering limit for indoor church services increases to 30% capacity or more, according to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/aylmer-church-doors-locked-1.6028000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBC News</a>.
Under Ontario&#8217;s <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/enhancing-public-health-and-workplace-safety-measures-provincewide-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shutdown order</a>, both indoor and outdoor religious gatherings are capped at 10 people.
In addition to having their church shut down, Hildebrandt, assistant pastor Peter Wall, and the church face $117,000 in fines and legal fees.
Thomas <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/cauldron-of-hostility-bubbles-in-aylmer-ont-as-judge-mulls-locking-pandemic-defiant-church-s-doors-1.6025204" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">alleged</a> that the small congregation&#8217;s insistence at holding church services had destroyed the tranquility of the town. &#8220;This whole thing has turned one small community in Ontario into a cauldron of hostility, one that has pitted neighbour against neighbour. I am deeply concerned about the toxic environment in Aylmer,&#8221; Thomas said during a virtual court hearing last Thursday.
&#8220;This congregation and these people, although different than the mainstream population of southwestern Ontario, were living in peace and tranquility in this community in the past. Now, I see a splintered community, a fractious community,&#8221; he added.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Police/Sheriff move in to lock the doors of the meetinghouse of the Church of God in Aylmer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJbEl8XWak4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
According to video, police officers interrupted the church&#8217;s worship service last Friday while congregants sang hymns. As the armed officers entered the sanctuary to order them to vacate, Hildebrandt read from the third chapter of the Book of Daniel, which recounts how God saved three of Daniel&#8217;s friends who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden image set up by the king of Babylon.
Hildebrandt and the congregation then prayed for the souls of the police, asking God to forgive them &#8220;for they know not what they are doing.&#8221;
&#8220;Very, very sad day in Canada, to see this actually happening,&#8221; Hildebrandt told the camera as congregants shuffled out. &#8220;But they&#8217;re telling me they have to do their job, so we will have to leave it at that at this point. But we know that God is in control. We know that God is on his throne and that God knows exactly what is happening. We&#8217;re looking to the Lord to help us as we faithfully serve him continually.&#8221;
&#8220;This is what happens when we let our freedoms slide,&#8221; he went on, urging Canadians to repent. &#8220;This is what happens when we are not vigilant. This is where, so fast, a country can slide down into what we&#8217;re seeing here today. But God help us that we would wake up quick.&#8221;
Hildebrandt also later preached to the media and police outside who had cut off the surrounding roads, urging them to do the right thing.
As CBC News <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/aylmer-church-doors-locked-1.6028000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Police gathered evidence that will be submitted to the court, [Aylmer Police Chief Zvonko] Horvat said, adding more charges are expected under the Reopening Ontario Act. 
&#8220;We&#8217;re doing everything that is within our power to shut [Hildebrandt] down,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We are working with the Attorney General&#8217;s office on that particular topic and with their assistance and the court processes. That&#8217;s what our options are and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re going to continue to pursue.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not a simple matter of just going in and removing everybody,&#8221; Horvat added. </blockquote>
Lisa Bildy, a lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which is a nonprofit law firm representing the church, said, &#8220;Locking the doors of churches in Canada is a poignant symbol of our democracy under threat. This was two weeks to flatten the curve and has become 60 weeks and counting. No outbreaks have been traced to the church&#8230; I don&#8217;t think we should be locking church doors in this country. Church is fundamental to these people.&#8221;
&#8220;Another sad day in Canadian history,&#8221; Hildebrandt tweeted after the incident. &#8220;This afternoon we (the congregation of the Church of God at Aylmer) were ordered to vacate the building where we have met for decades to worship our Lord. To God be the glory, He is worthy of all our praise.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Another sad day in Canadian history. This afternoon we (the congregation of the Church of God at Aylmer) were ordered to vacate the building where we have met for decades to worship our Lord. To God be the glory, He is worthy of all our praise.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithGod?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithGod</a> <a href="https://t.co/ExlqfNiX35">pic.twitter.com/ExlqfNiX35</a>
&mdash; Pastor Henry Hildebrandt (@aylmerpastor) <a href="https://twitter.com/aylmerpastor/status/1393335288160821251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Canadian MP Derek Sloan, who has publicly supported other pastors in Canada who have been punished for holding church services, condemned the treatment of Hildebrandt&#8217;s church, writing, &#8220;Police have come to the Church of God in Aylmer, forced the congregants to leave, and seized the church. We are all less free because of this despicable abuse of power. As [Hildebrandt] says, this is a very sad day for Canada.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Police have come to the Church of God in Aylmer, forced the congregants to leave, and seized the church. We are all less free because of this despicable abuse of power. As <a href="https://twitter.com/aylmerpastor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aylmerpastor</a> says, this is a very sad day for Canada.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdnpoli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdnpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EndTheLockdowns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EndTheLockdowns</a><a href="https://t.co/uci0OIZlyo">https://t.co/uci0OIZlyo</a>
&mdash; MP Derek Sloan (@DerekSloanCPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekSloanCPC/status/1393320146408779783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-religious-liberty-survive-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Religious Liberty Survive COVID-19?</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-jailed-alberta-pastor-released-on-bail-recounts-harsh-imprisonment-and-blasts-evil-canadian-politicians" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH: Jailed Alberta Pastor Released On Bail; Recounts Harsh Imprisonment And Blasts ‘Evil’ Canadian Politicians</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-cowards-calgary-police-arrest-polish-pastor-who-refused-to-allow-police-health-officials-to-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Nazi Cowards’: Calgary Police Arrest Polish Pastor Who Refused To Allow Police, Health Officials To Disrupt Service</a>

Dark Church Steeple

‘May God Help Us’: Ontario Christians Pray For Police As They Kick Them Out Of Church, Lock Doors

Ontario Premier Doug Ford emotionally apologized to residents of the Canadian province Thursday after his government had to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-police-random-spot-checks-1.5991872" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">roll back</a> its strict lockdown orders and enhanced police powers after they were met with furious backlash.
&#8220;Last Friday, in response to extremely troubling modeling that told us we could see well over 15,000 cases a day, we moved fast to put measures in place to reduce mobility, but we moved too fast,&#8221; Ford said during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA3LIchTekQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">virtual press conference</a> that lasted more than 25 minutes. &#8220;And I know that some of those measures, especially around enforcement, they went too far.&#8221;
&#8220;Simply put, we got it wrong,&#8221; continued Ford, who broadcast from isolation after having been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. &#8220;We made a mistake. These decisions, they left a lot of people very concerned. In fact, they left a lot of people angry and upset. I know we got it wrong. I know we made a mistake. And for that, I’m sorry and I sincerely apologize.&#8221;
Ford later went on to choke up remembering stories he had heard of Ontarians who, because of COVID-19 restrictions in hospitals, were unable to hold the hands of loved ones as they died.
Claiming he was deferring to the experts around him, Ford said, &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry we acted too quick on the measures. All I hear is, &#8216;limit mobility, limit mobility,&#8217; and we moved too quick. But anytime, if I make a mistake, I correct it immediately, which we did on the weekend.&#8221;
&#8220;And again, the reason I&#8217;m here and I&#8217;m apologizing [is] because we moved too quick, with having people being pulled over, per se, you call it carding, but I want to tell the people of Ontario, I&#8217;ve never, ever directed the police. I never have, I never will.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Premier Doug Ford gets emotional and apologizes for missteps" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PtYH-BoSWck?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ford and his cabinet were faced with swift public outcry after they clamped down even on playgrounds and granted police the power to stop Ontarians at random, ask why they were not at home, and demand their address. Even members of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday-edition-1.5993254/this-doctor-almost-quit-ontario-s-covid-19-scientific-advisory-table-over-ford-s-response-1.5993370" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">denounced</a> the measures.
&#8220;[T]he decisions came amid panic over the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/1.5990969">latest modelling for the pandemic</a> and fears that Ford&#8217;s approval among voters would suffer badly if he was not seen to be taking action,&#8221; according to various sources close to the government who spoke to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-ontario-covid-19-news-conference-1.5997521" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CBC News</a>.
As Yahoo News <a href="https://ca.news.yahoo.com/covid-19-ontario-restrictions-stay-at-home-order-vaccine-203418153.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> regarding Ontario&#8217;s controversial restrictions:
<blockquote>Effective Saturday, April 17, 2021:
Outdoor gatherings are limited to your immediate household only, but people who live alone can still join with one other household. All non-essential construction project are also being halted.
The province is restricting all outdoor recreational amenities, including golf courses, basketball courts, soccer fields and playgrounds, on the same date.
Capacity in big-box retailers is being reduce further to 25 per cent capacity.
Effective Monday, April 19, 2021:
Capacity at places of worship, weddings and funerals will be capped to maximum of 10 people indoors or outdoors, but drive-in services are permitted.
Check points will be introduced at all interprovincial borders, limiting access to border crossing between Ontario, and Manitoba and Quebec, with exceptions for work, medical care, transposition of goods or exercising Indigenous treaty rights.</blockquote>
Ford had earlier acknowledged openly that Ontario had &#8220;implemented the strictest measures in all of North America.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lincoln Jay travelled to Gravenhurst, Ontario to investigate the incident involving the 12-year-old boy who was shoved off his scooter by an Ontario Provincial Police officer who was enforcing COVID restrictions.
FULL REPORT from LincolnMJay: <a href="https://t.co/ByBT0aOtBd">https://t.co/ByBT0aOtBd</a> <a href="https://t.co/iJSdsInLAA">pic.twitter.com/iJSdsInLAA</a>
&mdash; Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/RebelNewsOnline/status/1385255199674089478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/protesters-who-issued-sos-signal-across-u-s-ontario-border-slapped-with-criminal-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Protesters Who Issued ‘SOS’ Signal Across U.S.-Ontario Border Slapped With Criminal Charges</a>

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

‘I Am Sorry’: Ontario Premier Doug Ford Tearfully Apologizes After Draconian Lockdown Order Prompts Fierce Backlash

Lockdowns

Niagara Regional Police (NRPS) criminally charged two Ontario residents who organized a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-canadians-issue-morse-code-sos-signal-across-u-s-ontario-border-to-protest-new-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">protest</a> against their province’s strict lockdown measures last weekend, during which they hoisted an upside-down Canadian flag and used lights to issue a Morse code “SOS” signal toward the United States.
Cullen McDonald, 30, and Alicia Hirter, 43, were charged under <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-180.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Section 180(1)(a)</a> of the Canadian Criminal Code, according to an <a href="https://www.niagarapolice.ca/en/news/update-1-criminal-charges-laid-following-niagara-falls-gathering.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NRPS press release</a> released earlier this week.
&#8220;Every person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction who commits a common nuisance and by doing so endangers the lives, safety, or health of the public,&#8221; the law says.
“Uniform officers were in attendance to ensure public safety and keep the peace,” NRPS said, further. “Since that time detectives have been continuing to investigate the gathering to determine appropriate charges.” Both McDonald and Hirter have court dates set in late June, the police also said, and further charges are expected against other attendees of the protest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Update 1 &#8211; Criminal charges laid following Niagara Falls gathering<a href="https://t.co/bjgxp2OhZr">https://t.co/bjgxp2OhZr</a> <a href="https://t.co/nDLTa8y9Bu">pic.twitter.com/nDLTa8y9Bu</a>
&mdash; NRPS (@NiagRegPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/NiagRegPolice/status/1384296626408202244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hirter <a href="https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-barber-vows-to-open-sick-of-taking-haircut" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">made headlines</a> before when she attempted to find a legal loophole in the province&#8217;s lockdown order by claiming her hair salon was a film studio in February.
On a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/alicia-hirter-legal-defence-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GoFundMe</a> page she set up to help her raise legal funds to sue, Hirter wrote, &#8220;When Ontario went into lockdown, barbershops and hair salons were forced to shut down. Film companies were allowed to continue operating, so I decided to convert my barbershop into a film production studio. This rubbed some people the wrong way. I became the victim of a witch-hunt instigated in the media by unscrupulous reporters who published misleading and false statements about myself and my business.&#8221;
Hirter claims she has been subject to harassment and death threats because of stories written about her, including one woman who left her a voicemail telling her she should be beheaded.
McDonald featured prominently in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/628370313/videos/10165345491385314/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> of the &#8220;SOS&#8221; protest that streamed live on Facebook. “We are down here in Niagara Falls, Ontario,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have a flag upside down in distress. And we are about to Morse code ‘SOS’ across the border to our neighbors. We are asking for help. We are hostages in our province now. We are no longer free to do whatever we want as our Charter allows us.&#8221;
Going on to describe Ontario’s government as “tyrannical,” McDonald claimed that public health bureaucrats are pulling the “puppet strings” of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “We’re going to Morse code ‘SOS’ across the border, and somebody even notified the Border Patrol. And they are waiting for this message. So this is what it’s all about, guys. Take action. Take action. Do more than just protest,” he adds.
The Ontario government has faced fierce backlash for recently instituting draconian lockdown measures, some of which they were forced to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-police-random-spot-checks-1.5991872" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">walk back</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Canadians in Niagara Falls, Ontario are signalling for help at the U.S.-Canada border tonight using lights to Morse code “SOS” &amp; an upside-down Canadian flag. 
An upside-down flag is a universal signal of distress.
The man in the video says “we are hostages in our province now” <a href="https://t.co/rEIx3tc8lO">pic.twitter.com/rEIx3tc8lO</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1383615870446882825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last night, Canadians at the U.S.-Canada border in Niagara Falls, Ontario signalled for help using lights to Morse code “SOS”. The group flashed “SOS” for about 3 minutes.
The group also held up a Canadian flag upside-down. An upside-down flag is a universal signal of distress. <a href="https://t.co/swS7FVNx0k">pic.twitter.com/swS7FVNx0k</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1383845310816944138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/health-official-slaps-fines-criminal-charges-against-church-elders-for-refusing-to-let-him-disrupt-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Saskatchewan Health Official Slaps Fines, Criminal Charges Against Church Elders For Refusing To Let Him Disrupt Service</a>

Modern police car

Protesters Who Issued ‘SOS’ Signal Across U.S.-Ontario Border Slapped With Criminal Charges

A group of Ontario residents protested their province&#8217;s strict new lockdown measures over the weekend by hoisting an upside-down Canadian flag and using lights to issue a Morse code &#8220;SOS&#8221; signal toward the U.S.
“We are down here in Niagara Falls, Ontario,&#8221; a demonstrator said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/628370313/videos/10165345491385314/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">video</a> that streamed live on Facebook. &#8220;We have a flag upside down in distress. And we are about to Morse code &#8216;SOS&#8217; across the border to our neighbors. We are asking for help. We are hostages in our province now. We are no longer free to do whatever we want as our Charter allows us.&#8221;
Going on to describe Ontario&#8217;s government as &#8220;tyrannical,&#8221; the unidentified man claimed that public health bureaucrats are pulling the &#8220;puppet strings&#8221; of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to Morse code &#8216;SOS&#8217; across the border, and somebody even notified the Border Patrol. And they are waiting for this message. So this is what it&#8217;s all about, guys. Take action. Take action. Do more than just protest,” he adds.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Canadians in Niagara Falls, Ontario are signalling for help at the U.S.-Canada border tonight using lights to Morse code “SOS” &amp; an upside-down Canadian flag. 
An upside-down flag is a universal signal of distress.
The man in the video says “we are hostages in our province now” <a href="https://t.co/rEIx3tc8lO">pic.twitter.com/rEIx3tc8lO</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1383615870446882825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last night, Canadians at the U.S.-Canada border in Niagara Falls, Ontario signalled for help using lights to Morse code “SOS”. The group flashed “SOS” for about 3 minutes.
The group also held up a Canadian flag upside-down. An upside-down flag is a universal signal of distress. <a href="https://t.co/swS7FVNx0k">pic.twitter.com/swS7FVNx0k</a>
&mdash; Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMarieOakes/status/1383845310816944138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ontario was met with intense backlash for its new COVID-19 restrictions. As the Westphalian Times <a href="https://westphaliantimes.com/canadians-signal-for-help-at-u-s-canada-border-using-lights-to-morse-code-sos-and-an-upside-down-flag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>:
<blockquote>On April 16, the government of Ontario initially announced strict new measures which included new provincial police powers, all outdoor gatherings with people outside your household will be banned, playgrounds closed, nearly all outdoor recreational activities to be restricted, places of worship, funerals and weddings will have a capacity limit of 10 people, non-essential construction will be halted, border-checks will be introduced at the Quebec and Manitoba borders, essential retail locations will be limited to 25% capacity, among many other new restrictions.
Initially, the government of Ontario said that police would be given the authority to ask anyone outside or in a car why they are not at home for the mandated stay-at-home order and the police may ask for their address.
However, after fierce criticism of the new rules, some rules were amended on Saturday, April 17.
Now, police will only be able to stop an individual who they have reason to believe are attending an organized public event or social gathering.</blockquote>
Canada has been drawing international attention and outrage for its lockdown mandates, especially after several viral stories regarding how authorities are treating churches.
Last week, the Provincial Court in Stony Plain, Alberta, ruled that Pastor James Coates, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-releases-canadian-pastor-jailed-for-alleged-health-order-violation-suggests-he-shepherds-his-church-poorly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">jailed</a> earlier this year after holding church services, will not be allowed to challenge the constitutional validity of Alberta’s Public Health Act during his upcoming trial. The court also ruled that the government will not have to produce scientific evidence to support the order.
Canadian MP Derek Sloan responded to the story with outrage, tweeting, &#8220;Unbelievable! After 13 months of violating Charter freedoms, the Alberta Government claims they’re unable to gather any evidence to support their actions in time for Pastor Coates May 3rd trial. Didn’t they have any evidence 13 months ago? Clearly not!&#8221;
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Unbelievable! After 13 months of violating Charter freedoms, the Alberta Government claims they’re unable to gather any evidence to support their actions in time for Pastor Coates May 3rd trial. Didn’t they have any evidence 13 months ago? Clearly not! <a href="https://t.co/8kGy6h0kot">https://t.co/8kGy6h0kot</a>
&mdash; Derek Sloan (@TrueDerekSloan) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrueDerekSloan/status/1383785022855925769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-pastor-and-lawyer-defiant-after-canadian-police-raid-barricade-church-at-dawn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EXCLUSIVE: Pastor And Lawyer Defiant After Canadian Police Raid, Barricade Church At Dawn</a>

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