Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Feb, 2022 01:15 PM
An Ontario court has extended to March 9 a freezing order on funds donated to the recent Ottawa convoy protest, as a class-action civil suit against protest organizers continues.
Parties in the case have agreed to move some donated funds and cryptocurrency into escrow, which could be redistributed to affected Ottawa residents and business owners should the class action succeed.
Norman Groot, a lawyer representing some convoy protest leaders, says ChristopherGarrah, Benjamin Dichter and Nicholas St. Louis have agreed in principle to moving donated funds within their control to an escrow account.
Groot notes the funds that Garrah, Dichter and St. Louis have agreed to move to escrow might not account for all the cryptocurrency that was donated, and he proposed parties meet next week to take stock of what has been transferred.
An escrow agent will oversee the transferred funds, and will be permitted to change the passwords for cryptocurrency.
The class-action lawsuit seeks a total of $306 million in damages related to the three-week anti-government convoy protest near Parliament Hill that snarled traffic, shut businesses and plagued residents with near-constant honking.
One person has died and another is in hospital in serious condition after fatal collision on 16th Ave between 176 Street and 184th Street in Surrey. Traffic in the area was affected.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser delivered that message to the regional meeting in Guatemala that brought him face-to-face with the migration problems plaguing Canada's Western Hemisphere neigbourhood.
In Abbotsford, where a burst dike caused extensive flooding, he said officials have indicated they're confident in the repairs, temporary dams and sandbagging efforts. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the storm, which was expected to hit Tuesday and last into Wednesday, could be the most intense yet for the central coast.
The RCMP says in a statement that experienced officers with the new Surrey Police Service began orientation Monday, and each municipal officer would be paired with a Mountie for a few shifts before heading out to respond to calls in RCMP-branded vehicles.
There are 2,889 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 213,053 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 300 individuals are in hospital and 104 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Dr. Henry announced new restrictions for faith services heading into the Christmas holiday season with people attending and participating in those services, such as choir members, required to wear masks unless physical distancing is in place, while capacity will also be limited to 50 per cent unless every attendee is vaccinated.
