HALIFAX: Nova Scotia issued a directive under the Emergency Management Act prohibiting protesters from blockading Highway 104 near the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border.
The directive also applies to people who stop or gather alongside Highway 104, the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border, or at the Cobequid Pass toll area in support of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, the Atlantic Hold the Line event, or others organized to interfere with traffic. Allowing people to gather in those areas would put themselves and others at risk.
Individuals and corporations could be fined for failing to comply with the directive. Individuals or other entities who finance, organize, aid or encourage blocking the highway could also be fined.
The directive will remain in place for the duration of the provincial state of emergency.
Quick Facts:
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended until Feb. 6, 2022
— fines for a summary conviction under the new directive will range from $3,000 to $10,000 for individuals and between $20,000 and $100,000 for a corporation
— outdoor gatherings of more than 20 people are prohibited under a Health Protection Act order
— blocking a road or highway is also an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada
— it is also an offence to interfere or obstruct snow removal operations on a highway
Additional Resources:
The new directive is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/alerts-notices/
The Emergency Management Act is available at:
https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/emergency%20management.pdf
