Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Crown prosecutors want Ottawa protest organizer Tamara Lich sent back to jail to await trial, claiming she breached her bail conditions by agreeing to participate in an event next month where she will receive a “Freedom Award.”
In an application filed in advance of Lich’s bail review hearing, the Crown claims she violated the court-imposed condition that she not express support for anything related to the Freedom Convoy movement she led in Ottawa earlier this year.
At a gala organized by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) scheduled for June 16, Lich will be given the “George Jonas Freedom Award” to recognize her participation in the protest that gridlocked Ottawa’s downtown for more than three weeks.
Lich was arrested in Ottawa in February after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act. She was charged with multiple offences related to the protest, including mischief and obstructing a peace officer Her initial bail request was denied but that decision was reversed after a bail review.
After spending 18 days in jail, she was released on March 7th under conditions that require her to reside in Alberta and not travel to Ontario except for court appearance or to meet with counsel.
The bail conditions also require Lich “not to verbally, in writing, financially, or by any other means, support anything related to the Freedom Convoy.”
The Toronto gala will feature a keynote speech by columnist Rex Murphy, with VIP tickets selling for $500. Two other galas are scheduled for Calgary and Vancouver this summer.
Promotional material for the events says Lich “inspired Canadians to exercise their Charter rights and freedoms by participating actively in the democratic process,” calling the occupation of Ottawa a “peaceful protest” that awakened many to the “injustice” of COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
Unless her bail conditions are revised, Lich would not be able to attend the events in person.
“Tamara Lich has continued her support of the Convoy cause with the assistance of Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms,” the Crown’s application says,
The Crown also alleges that the Calgary-based JCCF, a registered charity that has led legal challenges of COVID measures, has a “collaborative and representative” relationship with Lich. The application says JCCF lawyer Keith Wilson referred to Lich as “the spark that lit this fire” and on one occasion identified her as his client.
Wilson and other JCCF lawyers attended the Ottawa protest and spoke on the behalf of Lich and other organizers at a press conference. They also posted videos on social media supporting the protest.
The Crown’s application notes that the organization hired a private investigator to follow a Manitoba judge presiding over the JCCF’s legal challenge of provincial lockdown mandates for churches last year.
The Crown also argues that the judge who granted Lich bail made several errors of law and asks that his decision be overturned, sending her back to detention.
The application will be heard in an Ottawa court on Thursday and Friday.
At the same hearing, Lich will ask the court to change the bail conditions that restrict her social media use and prevent her from travelling to Ontario.
Lich’s lawyer in the criminal matter, Lawrence Greenspon, declined to comment on the Crown’s application.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.