Former London, Ont. nurse fined $10K in Aylmer Church of God COVID-19 rally

A former London Health Science Centre (LHSC) nurse has been fined $10,000 following multiple protests against COVID-19 measures.

Kirsten Nagle was found guilty by the provincial court of violating Reopening Ontario Act Section 10 (1), which states “a person is guilty of an offence if the person hosts or organizes a public event or other gathering at residential premises.”

The charge followed a “peaceful rally” at the Church of God in Aylmer, Ont., on April 25, 2021.

In an Instagram post, Nagle claimed that the court attempted to have a trial in her absence and that she “was not just a participant, but lead the way.”

“I stand on my word I did nothing wrong, am not guilty and caused no harm against anyone,” she wrote. “Here we are Canada, where you can be charged $10,000 for attending church.”

Global News has reached out to the provincial offences court attorney for comment but did not receive one by the time of publication.

Nagle concluded in her recent statement that she would be appealing the conviction and charge.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced the news Monday that similar charges against former MP Derek Sloan, former MPP Randy Hillier, Pastor Henry Hildebrandt of the Church of God and private citizen Dan Stasko had been dropped after the Crown stated that “prosecution was no longer in the public interest.”

Nagle, who worked in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at LHSC, made headlines in January 2021 following a trip across the border, going against Canadian government directives put in place at the height of the pandemic to avoid non-essential travel.

A video posted to social media showed Nagle speaking at the Global Frontline Nurses Summit in Washing, D.C., and voicing opposition to COVID-19 health measures.

Following an internal investigation, LHSC revealed to Global News that Nagle had been “terminated with cause,” saying that her actions “were not aligned with LHSC’s values.”