Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman “should mind his own business” about People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier attending Saturday’s downtown freedom rally, a party official says.
“It’s shameful and Maxime Bernier should be more concerned with protecting lives than playing politics right now,” Lehman told BarrieToday on Wednesday.
Daniel Boucher, central Ontario regional co-ordinator of the PPC Association, responded to those remarks Thursday morning.
“Mr. Bernier is a Canadian and the leader of a federal political party, we still have freedom of expression in this country, and has the right to go anywhere in Canada and protest with other Canadians who disagree with lockdown measures,” Boucher said by email.
“The mayor should mind his own business."
Boucher said Bernier just held rallies in several cities in British Columbia and Alberta.
“The authorities there determined that it did not violate any lockdown regulations. We are confident that this is the case here, too,” Boucher said. “The people of Barrie have a right to hear what (Bernier) has to say and we hope that many will take this opportunity to come listen to his message.”
But Lehman said, also Thursday morning, that this rally is his concern.
“I’ll mind my own business when the PPC makes the right decision and chooses to keep my residents safe, by staying home,” he said. “We are under a stay-at-home order. Does the PPC believe their actions — and even this statement inviting people to gather — is consistent with that?
“Ontario reported a record number of cases today. Our brave nurses, doctors and first-responders are pleading for people to stay at home. So are downtown small businesses. What does Mr. Bernier have to say to them?” Lehman asked.
“I trust this (attending the rally) means the PPC, as a responsible organization and like other protest organizers, has spoken with the Barrie police and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit?”
Lehman said he planned to contact city bylaw enforcement or Barrie police about the rally.
That message appears to have been received.
On Thursday morning, Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood told the Barrie Police Services Board that officers will be at the Meridian Place rally and are expected to “take a higher level of enforcement” than in past rallies.
“Those who will be attending the square, if they do choose to attend, there will be education through written materials to the individuals,” she said. “We will certainly be enforcing and laying provincial offences notices on individuals that are organizing and potentially attending the event.
“We do have significant resources to be able to respond to this," the chief added.
Bernier is to be a guest speaker at the rally, which is to take place at Meridian Square from noon until 1:30 p.m., where and when lockdown protests have been held for the last five Saturdays. Ontario moved to a shutdown effective Saturday, April 3, 2021. It limits outside gatherings to five people and they must comply with physical-distancing requirements.
Meridian Place has been the site of demonstrations protesting the provincial government’s COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown.
Barrie police said last Saturday’s gathering was attended by about 300 people and many were not wearing masks or practising physical distancing.
The rally’s organizer was issued a Provincial Offences notice for contravening the Reopening Ontario Act, which comes with an $880 fine. This was the first fine levied at these events.
The next federal election is scheduled for October 2023. In the 2019 federal election, PPC candidates tallied 1.6 per cent of the national vote and won no seats. Bernier lost his own riding — although the party fielded candidates in 94 per cent of Canada’s federal ridings and received almost 193,000 votes.
Bernier was a Quebec Conservative MP from 2006 until 2018, serving as minister of industry and minister of foreign affairs with Canadian governments, then as an independent MP from 2018 until 2019, before becoming PPC leader.
— With files from Marg. Bruineman
