An organizer of a St. Thomas Freedom Rally more than two years ago has been fined under the Reopening Ontario Act.
Fifty-one-year-old Lamont Daigle (pictured at left) of Toronto was fined $20,000 in St. Thomas court on Thursday. The case was originally heard on Dec. 1 of last year.
In addition to the fine, there is a victim surcharge of $5,000.
An estimated 250 people attended the rally outside Memorial Arena on Nov. 14, 2020 and then marched to Veterans Memorial Garden in a protest of COVID-19 protocols.
It was the third such rally in this area in less than a month.
Following the gathering, St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge advised, “Rest assured that just because the rally is over, the investigation is not. The St. Thomas Police are committed to this investigation and will be presenting evidence to the Crown Prosecutors for review.”
Under the Reopening Ontario Act at the time, the maximum gathering limit for an outdoor event was 25 people.
A second local organizer still faces charges before the courts.
A related post on the rally held that day can be found here.
