Five Manitobans who repeatedly violated COVID pandemic public health orders have been handed fines.
Provincial court Judge Victoria Cornick said during sentencing that a message must be sent that public health orders are to be respected and tickets did not deter the five after each offence.
Tobias Tissen, Patrick Allard, Todd McDougall, Sharon Vickner and Gerald Bohemier admitted to breaking limits on outdoor public gatherings that were in place over several months in 2020 and 2021.
The Crown had asked for fines of between $18,000 and $42,000, plus costs and surcharges, because the five had organized and spoken at rallies and urged others to not follow health orders.
Defence lawyers had asked that no fines be assessed.
The judge imposed lower fines than the Crown sought, ranging from $14,000 to $34,000.