Inspirational Stories

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I’ve been closely monitoring all COVID related developments since the third week of January 2020, so it was no surprise to me when the lockdown in Canada was announced in March 2020. Early data in relation to the infection and death rates supported the “flatten the curve” policy, but only as a short-term strategy to buy time to prepare the medical response. As weeks went by and updated models were released in the third week of April 2020, showing the “wave of hospitalizations” that never came and projections that no longer justified lockdowns, I was expecting the government to ease the restrictions and come up with a sustainable long-term strategy. That is what a responsible government would do.

This did not happen. Instead, elective surgeries, which include cancer and heart disease treatments were continued to be cancelled. Small business and people’s livelihoods continued to be destroyed. In horror, I was continuing to hear of more and more stories of people, including kids (!), who committed suicide as a result of the lockdowns. So many experts were sounding alarms about the devastating side-effects of pro-longed lockdown measures and collateral damage, yet the government was turning a blind eye to it. With how these measures were impacting my life and my personal circumstances, at some point I myself felt like I was nothing more than “collateral damage”, what’s worse, I was completely powerless to escape the nightmare I was being subjected to.

Around May 2020 there were a lot of discussions about Canada’s constitution, Charter rights and whether the Government of Canada can lawfully do what they are doing. The discussions concluded that with the “notwithstanding” clause 33, the government was, most likely, within their power to limit the fundamental basic rights. This shocked me. Was I really living in a “western country” that has the constitutional power to reduce me to nothing more than a slave to the state? Now, not only did I worry about the immediate future, but also about settling down and growing roots in Canada as I planned to. Watching how people’s businesses are being destroyed, for most owners this would be their lifelong savings and future retirement funds, how these people are being left with nothing, I wondered, can I really be safe to buy a house, or can the government just come in one day and take it away from me?

Given the “notwithstanding” clause 33, fighting against the system seemed like a lost cause. Even when I heard about Rocco Galati’s lawsuit against the government, I was skeptical.

Then, on September 19th I watched the interview between Paula Tucci and Lamont Daigle, and it changed my life. Paula very clearly demonstrated how none of the provinces met the criteria to make the “Declaration of Emergency” or any extensions that followed. This meant that any measures and by-laws enacted as a result of these declarations of emergency are unlawful. This was a game changer for me. After the interview, I immediately checked out the website of Stand Up Canada for more details. The evidence was clear. The government is in fact abusing its power and not only we CAN fight back, we MUST fight back! I have since, thanks to Stand Up Canada, learned about all other laws and legislations that protect us. Having this new found knowledge uplifted me, inspired me and most importantly – empowered me. I no longer feel small, insignificant and non-essential. I matter. My life matters. My future matters. It also gave me the strength and motivation to stand up and take action, to advocate for human rights, to help others and to fight for a better “constitutional” Canada.

I often hear people say “I don’t mind my rights being infringed upon, it’s for the greater good”. If you’re allowing the government to abuse your rights, you’re teaching them how to treat you. Anything that you’re willing to “sacrifice” should be done so voluntarily, not taken from you by force or a mandate. Today you may not mind your rights being infringed upon, but sooner or later, every single person comes across a situation in their life when they depend on these fundamental rights to protect them. So, it doesn’t really matter what side of the fence you are on, whether you support or oppose the government narrative, whether the COVID measures affect you directly or not, demanding that the Government of Canada acts constitutionally and that any COVID measures put in place are lawful, should be everyone’s prime concern.