Dozens fined as city moves to enforce pandemic restrictions

Ottawa bylaw officers handedout dozens of tickets to people flouting physical distancing rules on the weekend, making good on threats by Mayor Jim Watsonthat the city isready to back up its tough talk with hefty fines.

Officers issued 43 tickets on the weekend, including one to a barber shop that remained open and another to a man who tore yellow caution tape off a play structure so his children could useit.

The fines are"unfortunatebut necessaryto make sure people understand that we are allresponsible to stop the spread of this deadly virus," Watson said Monday.

"Those who do not follow these provincial orders are putting people's health at riskand prolonging this public health crisis, and unfortunately many did just that weekend."

An expensive lesson

It's an expensive lesson, and an even costlier one for those who continue to resist.

Watson gave theexample of one man who was issued fines totalling $2,010 $880 for remaining in a closed parkand a further$1,130 for obstructing an officer when he failed to identify himself and became verbally aggressive.

We were sitting on a bench.- Alexandra Plante

People are permitted only to walk through a public park, but must observe physical distancing while doing so.Play structures, benches, picnic tables, ball diamonds, skateboard parks, off-leash dog enclosures, basketball and tennis courts are all off limits.

Alexandra Plante, 23, said she's now paying the price for misunderstanding those rules. She was slapped with a $750ticket on Saturday whenshe and a friend took a rest on a park bench during a walk.

"When [the bylaw officer]said 750, my friend and Ijust broke downbecause we realized that there was just, like, no way that we could handle that. Wewere sitting on a bench," Plante said.

Watch: Here is what you can and can't doin Ottawa's parks

Heres what you can and cant do in Ottawas parks

5 years ago

Duration 1:41

Jogging? Yes. Sitting on a park bench? No. The CBCs Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco, with some help from Coun. Tim Tierney, outlines what is and isnt allowed in the citys public parks during the pandemic.

A bad time for a hefty fine

Both Plante and her friend were recently laid off from their jobs as servers at a restaurant in Orlans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plante said she and her friend were "respecting social distancing" during their walk in Aquaview Park, and sat down at opposite ends of the bench.

"I know that you need to make an example out of people, but ... we're going to suffer for this. This isthe worst financial time for anybody, like ever. Soto be giving out huge fines like this is just putting more of a stress on a stressful time,"Plantesaid.

"We were outdoors, we thought that we were going to be OK. Obviously, it wasn't my best call, and I'm definitely paying for it."

The notice shows the fine of $750plus a victim surcharge, foratotal of $880.The stated offence is'Fail to comply with order given during a declared emergency,' in contravention of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

Plante said the bylaw officer gave the two women one ticketunder Plante's name. She said she plans to contest the fine.

More warnings than fines

Anthony Di Monte, the city's general manager of emergency and protective services, notedthe fines account for only a fraction of the 526 calls to which bylaw officers responded on the weekend.

"Most of the time it was education, and we continue to use judgment," Di Monte said Monday.

The city also announced Monday it's closing all facilities including parks and playgrounds until the end of June.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association saidit's "very worried" about bylaw officers handing out large fines for something as simple as sitting on a park bench. Had the women been sitting on a bench that wasn't in a city park, they wouldn't have been ticketed.

Issuing fines in public parks not in the public interest, advocate says

4 years ago

Duration 1:34

Cara Zwibel, with the Canadial Civil Liberties Association, says issuing fines for hanging out in Ottawa's public parks may disproportionately affect certain groups of people and introduce new financial hardship.

Rules 'confusing'

"It certainly is confusing, and just the pace at which things are changing ... there is a lot for people to keep track of," said the association's Cara Zwibel.

"While 'ignorance of the law is no excuse' is the mantrain normal circumstances, when the law is changing on a daily basis ... I think it is reasonable that there arepeople who are confused about the boundaries."

Watch: Advocate says issuing fines in public parks 'not in the public interest'

Zwibelsaid she's concerned the fines will "disproportionately affect certain people," particularly those who lack access to their own outdoor space such as a balcony or backyard.

"It's much easier for someone with a large backyard to get outdoor time without coming to the attention of theauthorities. But if you're someone who doesn't have that space, or if you're someone who doesn't have a home at all to stay in, you're certainly going to be someone who may come to the attention of the police," Zwibel said.

Zwibel said her advice to people who are stopped is to be "polite and comply," and to ask which rule they're breaking, where they can find that ruleand how they can contest the fine if they choose.