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ONTARIO, March 1, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – Canada’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning travelers has been slammed by some Canadian politicians after a COVID quarantine officer was charged with the sexual assault and extortion of an Ontario woman at her home.
The charged officer worked for a security company hired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to enforce the mandatory two-week isolations for returning travelers.
Halton Regional Police said in a statement that a police investigation revealed that a male COVID quarantine compliance officer attempted to extort money from a woman during a government-imposed compliance check on February 18, and then sexually assaulted her after she refused to pay.
“Police investigation revealed that on February 18, 2021, the accused attended a residence in Oakville to conduct a quarantine compliance check,” reads the statement from Halton Police.
“The accused informed the victim that they were in violation of the quarantine order and demanded that a fine be paid in cash. When the victim declined to pay, she was sexually assaulted by the accused.”
Halton Police stated that 27-year-old Hemant (full name) of Hamilton, Ontario, was arrested and has been suspended from his job. Police did not disclose which security company Hermant worked for.
Hemant is to appear in a Milton, Ontario, court on March 23.
Last week, a Quebec woman forced to stay in a Canadian COVID quarantine hotel described the horror of her ordeal in which a man forced his way into her room and sexually assaulted her.
PETITION UPDATE (3/22/2021)
Pastor James Coates has been freed!
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the legal counsel which has been representing Pastor Coates, just issued a statement saying that Alberta's Crown Prosecutors have decided to drop all but one charge against Pastor Coates, paving the way for him to be released soon.
This is a great victory, God be praised!
Please READ LifeSiteNews' latest article on this latest and unexpected turn of events for Pastor Coates.
While Pastor Coates will still have to stand trial for the one remaining charge in May, he will at least be free to prepare for the hearings, and to celebrate Easter with his family and congregation.
Thank you for taking part in this campaign advocating for Pastor Coates' release!
Of course, with a trial still pending, he's not out of the woods, yet. But, this is a gigantic step in the right direction.
During his trial, we will keep you updated as to his status and we will continue to support Pastor Coates.
We will also keep fighting to ensure that Canadian people of faith like him are never persecuted for exercising their right to worship freely.
Until the trial finishes, please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition in solidarity with Pastor Coates. Thank you!
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PETITION UPDATE (2/24/2021) -
There have been two important, recent updates to the ongoing imprisonment of Pastor James Coates in Alberta, Canada.
First, Alberta's Premier, Jason Kenney has spoken out about Pastor Coates' incarceration.
Please READ LifeSiteNews' article about Premier Kenney's intervention, here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alberta-premier-who-jailed-christian-pastor-claims-he-is-protecting-fundamental-freedoms-of-religion
And second, Pastor Coates' wife addressed a crowd of supporters at the jail in which her husband is being held, saying in part:
"People keep asking us what can you do for us? Open your churches. Open your churches! Take a stand for the Lord Jesus Christ and take a stand for the people! Love them, open the doors, that’s what we need to do right now."
To read about Mrs. Coates visit to see her husband at the Edmonton Remand Center and her full remarks, please CLICK on the following news article from LifeSiteNews: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/wife-of-jailed-candadian-pastor-tells-supporters-the-best-way-to-protest-is-to-open-your-churches
Then, please SIGN and SHARE this important petition. Thank you!
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Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church in Alberta, Canada has been ARRESTED for refusing to comply with extreme and likely unconstitutional government Covid regulations that ban people from gathering to worship in their church of choice.
You read that right: Even churches aren’t exempt from Trudeau Liberals’ all-out attack on peoples' freedoms in the wake of this pandemic.
But, Pastor Coates needs to be released immediately, and MPs must take steps to rein-in the extreme Covid regulations which provincial governments are using as an excuse to trample on essential freedoms.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition and STAND WITH PASTOR COATES.
Send a strong message to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Justice Minister Lametti, as well as to all Members of Parliament and to Canadian Provincial Premiers, that this CANNOT stand.
Some government officials are hoping to make examples out of faith leaders like Pastor Coates, who refuse to comply with unreasonable government demands to close-off places of worship to their own congregations.
That's why he remains in custody to this day.
But, no Canadian should ever face jail time for exercising their God-given, Charter-guaranteed rights, and action MUST be taken.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition.
NB: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FROM CANADA TO SIGN THIS PETITION.
Pastor Coates, who leads Grace Life Church in Edmonton, Alberta, originally suspended in-person services and church gatherings in good faith and out of concern for his congregants after Trudeau’s government first introduced Covid restrictions last spring.
However, the church reopened over the summer when it became clear that Trudeau’s shutdowns were here to stay, and that congregants would be indefinitely limited in their worship size or again banned from in-person worship altogether under their guidelines.
After Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, enacted new restrictions in November that cap all faith-based gatherings at 15% of building capacity (a major blow to churches that wish to resume worship for their members), Pastor Coates kept Grace Life’s doors open to anyone and everyone who wished to proceed with normal practice of their faith.
However, this simple exercising of congregants’ Charter rights was met not only with governmental resistance, but an unreasonably disproportionate legal response.
Pastor Coates was arrested and then quickly released on February 7th for practicing his faith alongside congregants, and arrested AGAIN on February 16th for the same reason.
Pastor Coates remains in custody today for refusing to allow Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his health officer Deena Hinshaw to infringe upon his congregants’ civil liberties any further.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which calls for the release of Pastor Coates, and asks Canada's MPs to take action to ensure that Canadian people of faith, like him, are NEVER persecuted for exercising their right to worship freely.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Alberta govt jails pastor for holding COVID-non-compliant worship services' -
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alberta-govt-jails-pastor-for-holding-covid-non-compliant-worship-services
Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MPs this week demanded that Trudeau immediately stop mandatory hotel stays as a result of both the Oakville incident and that of the Quebec woman. They also called for home quarantine stays to not involve “security agents who have not been properly vetted.”
“We are deeply angered to hear reports of sexual violence are happening during federally mandated quarantines by those supposed to be protecting public health. The federal government has a duty to protect everyone in their quarantine facilities and those who are trying to follow federal regulations while at home,” reads a statement from CPC MPs, Michelle Rempel Garner, Shannon Stubbs, Jag Sahota and Richard Martel.
“The Liberal government must take action now. We call for the Liberals to suspend the hotel quarantine requirement until they have put measures in place to ensure the safety of Canadians and institute a system for verifying at-home quarantine that doesn’t involve security agents who have not been properly vetted.”
The February 18 sexual assault comes after new travel restrictions mandating a three-day hotel stay followed by a 14-day home quarantine became mandatory on February 22. The restrictions are being implemented under Canada’s Quarantine Act.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam announced in January that “security contractors” from four separate companies would be used to enforce quarantine rules in 35 cities across Canada.
According to the Public Health Agency, there are four private security companies under contract by the Canadian government: Garda Canada Security Corporation, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, G4S Secure Solutions (Canada) Ltd., and Paladin Risk Solutions.
In early January, the Canadian federal government enacted new rules which required all air travelers coming into Canada to present a negative PCR or LAMP COVID-19 test to their airline before being allowed to board their flight.
In late January, the Canadian federal government introduced further restrictions for incoming air travelers. The government announced that “all air travellers … with very limited exceptions” would have to submit to a mandatory hotel quarantine for at least three nights while waiting for test results from a mandatory COVID-19 test given upon arrival.
Before arrival in Canada, passengers must reserve online and pay for a spot at a government-approved hotel. If a negative test result comes in during the three-day forced stay, a person is then allowed to quarantine at home for 14 days.
Only four airports in Canada, those being Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, currently service international flights.
The government has said that all passengers have to pay for their stay, which amounts to roughly $2,000.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has condemned the new rules and in mid-February said it will sue the government.
“Quarantine, particularly of healthy or asymptomatic individuals, is the functional equivalent of house arrest and the Justice Centre will not allow it to continue unchallenged,” stated JCCF President John Carpay in a news February 12 release.
The JCCF have also been retained by a Calgary woman who was forced into a hotel quarantine site, without being told the location of the facility, because her COVID test was not the correct kind demanded by Canadian authorities.