News
Featured Image
 shutterstock.com

OTTAWA, Ontario, July 23, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – Canada’s federal government spent a massive amount of taxpayer money – nearly a quarter of a billion dollars – to force over 28,000 Canadians to stay at mandatory COVID quarantine hotels throughout 2021.   

While Canada’s ruling Liberal Party under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not officially revealed the costs of the program, according to Blacklock’s Reporter, estimates from Canada’s Parliament peg the total amount spent on the COVID hotels at $225,556,596. 

Privy Council President Dominic LeBlanc claimed that they made the “best decisions” they could regarding the COVID jails. 

“Other countries have done the same thing. We recognize every country has its sovereign responsibility to make the best decisions it can in the interests of protecting their populations,” said LeBlanc as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter. 

On July 19, the Canadian federal government announced that, effective August 9, it is stopping its controversial three-day mandatory quarantine hotel stay for all air travelers as part of a border reopening program. Starting that day, U.S. citizens who have been “fully vaccinated” at least 14 days before their trip with a COVID-19 jab approved by Health Canada will be allowed to visit as tourists.   

In late January, the government announced that all air travelers would have to submit to a mandatory hotel quarantine for at least three nights while waiting for test results from an obligatory COVID-19 test given upon arrival. 

Initially, the federal government footed the entire cost of the program, however starting in late February, travelers were expected to pay the cost for their three-day stay, which in some instances could top $5,000.  

Despite this, exceptions were made for some travelers who were unable to pay for their hotel stay, meaning the government footed the tab.  

Many resisted the mandatory hotel stays which led to lawsuits against the federal government. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) represented ten such clients. 

One of its clients was Pastor Nicole Mathis. The JCCF said she “was forced against her will” into a “federal quarantine facility and detained for three nights” because her negative COVID-19 test was not accepted by Canadian Public Health officials. 

However, in June Canada’s federal court ruled that quarantine hotels imposed by the government of Trudeau since January — for which travelers must pay — are constitutional. The court, however, also ruled that a pastor’s rights were violated when she was confined to a quarantine hotel against her will.  

The court's ruling came despite another federal court judge saying in April that “there can be little doubt” that Canadians rights’ to liberty and security of person are challenged by COVID-19 rules which mandate a quarantine hotel stay for those entering Canada by air. 

Canada’s quarantine hotels were blasted after reports surfaced of a lack of medicine and food, as well as limiting one’s outdoor time to only 15 minutes per day.

LifeSiteNews has produced an extensive COVID-19 vaccines resources page. View it here.