Five Manitobans convicted of breaking COVID-19 gathering restrictions

Five Manitobans have been convicted of repeatedly violating COVID-19 public health orders.

Five Manitobans, including a pastor who openly defied COVID-19 restrictions, have been convicted of repeatedly violating pandemic public health orders and are to learn their sentence Thursday.

Tobias Tissen, Patrick Allard, Todd McDougall, Sharon Vickner and Gerald Bohemier admitted to breaking limits on outdoor public gatherings that were in place over several months in 2020 and 2021. Provincial court Judge Victoria Cornick convicted the five on Wednesday based on a statement of facts agreed to by their lawyers.

"All five of the individuals made a point of violating the (public health) orders in a very public way," Crown attorney Shaun Sass said.

"They encouraged others to attend (events) and break the law."

Tissen, a pastor at a rural church southeast of Winnipeg, has been one of several high-profile opponents to COVID-19 restrictions. He was fined for holding church services in excess of the allowable limits at the time, and was a frequent speaker at rallies against the restrictions.

The others organized or spoke at rallies, and continued to do so even after being ticketed, Sass said.

"The repeated issuing of tickets did absolutely nothing to deter these offenders."