Freedom Convoy trucker Harold Jonker has been released on bail without conditions and will return to court in Ottawa on June 7.
Jonker, who runs Jonker Trucking Inc. out of Niagara, Ont., was told last month to turn himself in to Ottawa police on May 10 for a court appearance and to be fingerprinted.
He faces multiple charges, including one count of mischief for obstructing property; one count of intimidation by blocking or obstructing a highway; and two counts of counsel for an uncommitted, indictable offence.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is representing Jonker.
Jonker said his legal team is requesting disclosure. Since this morning’s appearance, his lawyer has already received 400 pages of information and is waiting for some video evidence.
The trucker described his court appearance as a “mellow dynamic” and said his family plans to stay in Ottawa for a few days to participate in the annual March For Life demonstrations.
The Freedom Convoy protests emerged in winter 2022 over federal Covid-19 restrictions, including the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers.
In February 2022, Jonker drove up to Ottawa in his semi, along with 12 other trucks from his company. He was featured prominently in the Freedom Occupation documentary about the protest, which was distributed by True North.
He’s been working with the JCCF since last summer when an integrity commissioner ruled that he broke the municipal code of conduct for participating in the Convoy while a part-time councillor for West Lincoln, a township near Niagara Falls, Ont.
In November, the Public Order Emergency Commission, which studied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s invocation of the never-before-used Emergencies Act to remove protesters from Ottawa, found that Trudeau was justified in using the powers.
The commissioner also ruled that Trudeau used inflammatory language and worsened the situation when he said protesters were part of a “fringe minority” with “unacceptable views.”
You can watch the Freedom Occupation documentary here.
