U.S. citizens: Demand Congress investigate soaring excess death rates
(LifeSiteNews) — A law firm is in the process of putting together a class action lawsuit against the Alberta government on behalf of many business owners in the province who faced massive losses or permanent closures from what it says were “illegal” COVID public health orders enacted by provincial officials.
The lawsuit proposal comes from Alberta-based Rath & Company, with lead counsel Jeffrey Rath saying the Alberta government has been placed on notice for its actions against businesses during the COVID lockdown era.
“In what world is it fair for small business owners to bear the financial brunt for the benefit of the entire province?” Rath said in a news release.
“Our hope is that this lawsuit brings justice to the affected business owners who suffered significant hardship and losses without justification or consideration by the province’s harsh and unilateral actions.”
According to the lawsuit proposal shared on X (formerly Twitter) by well-known freedom-oriented constitutional lawyer Eva Chipiuk, the class action is on “behalf of business owners in Alberta who faced operational restrictions due to, now deemed illegal, Public Health Orders.”
“This lawsuit follows the recent Ingram Decision by the Calgary Court of King’s Bench, which declared that all of Dr. (Deena) Hinshaw’s Public Health Orders were ultra vires, in other words illegal or not lawfully enacted. The Ingram Decision has opened the door for affected business owners to seek damages for the financial losses incurred due to the restrictions imposed by these unlawful Public Health Orders.”
The Alberta’s Court of Kings Bench’s Ingram v. Alberta decision put into doubt all cases involving those facing non-criminal COVID-related charges in the province.
As a result of the court ruling, Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service (ACPS) said Albertans facing COVID-related charges will likely not be convicted but instead have their charges stayed.
Thus far, Dr. Michal Princ, pizzeria owner Jesse Johnson, café owner Chris Scott, and Alberta pastors James Coates, Tim Stephens, and Artur Pawlowski, who were jailed for keeping churches open under then-Premier Jason Kenney, have had the COVID charges against them dropped due to the court ruling.
Countless others have had smaller charges against them for going against COVID mandates dropped as well. However, there are still some facing charges relating to border blockade protests. And many other Canadians who do not live in Alberta are still fighting their COVID-related charges.
Under Kenney, thousands of businesses, notably restaurants and small shops, were negatively impacted by severe COVID restrictions, mostly in 2020-21, that forced them to close their doors for a time. Many never reopened. At the same time, as in the rest of Canada, big box stores were allowed to operate unimpeded.
Indeed, recent data from the Canadian federal government shows that over 120,000 small and medium-sized businesses nationwide permanently closed because of COVID lockdowns.
The Rath lawsuit names Rebecca Ingram and Chris Scott as “representative plaintiffs who suffered significant financial harm due to Dr. Hinshaw’s Public Health Orders.”
“On February 7, 2024, the parties attended their first case conference with Justice Feasby of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta to establish the next steps. The lawyers for the Province of Alberta made it clear that they intend to oppose the class action certification. Premier Smith has yet to comment on the government opposition to compensate individual business owners impacted by Dr. Hinshaw’s unlawful Public Health Orders.”
According to Rath, the case will be an “important” one about “government actions and overreach during a time when business owners were unlawfully mandated to close their businesses at moment’s notice.”
“It will give Albertans the opportunity to hold the Alberta government accountable and seek fair compensation on behalf of the many businesses impacted by Deena Hinshaw’s many unlawful decisions,” Rath said.
The class action is open to any Alberta business owner who was forced to close by government decree and was adversely affected by the COVID mandates. Those wanting to join can register online here.
Danielle Smith took over from Kenney as leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) on October 11, 2022, after winning the leadership. Kenney was ousted due to low approval ratings and for reneging on promises not to lock Alberta down as well as enacting a vaccine passport.
Under Kenney, thousands of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare and government workers lost their jobs for choosing to not get the jabs, leading Smith to say – only minutes after being sworn in – that over the past year the “unvaccinated” were the “most discriminated against” group of people in her lifetime.
Throughout most of the COVID crisis, Canadians from coast to coast were faced with COVID mandates, including jab dictates, put in place by both the provincial and federal governments.
After much pushback, thanks to the Freedom Convoy, most provincial mandates were eliminated by the summer of 2022.
Hinshaw was Alberta’s chief medical officer through the COVID crisis but was fired by Smith in 2022.
The class action still needs to be certified before the court for it to proceed, a process that can take years. According to Rath, Alberta government lawyers are fighting against the class action being certified.
U.S. citizens: Demand Congress investigate soaring excess death rates