Ottawa Police press charges against former West Lincoln councillor for role in “Freedom Protest”

Niagara | Crime | Police | Politics |

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Published May 2, 2023 at 1:27 pm

Former West Lincoln Councillor Harold Jonkers is facing four charges from the Ottawa Police for his participation in the trucker blockage that took over downtown Ottawa in February 2022.

Former West Lincoln councillor Harold Jonker has found himself running afoul of the Ottawa Police after participating in the February 2022 trucker blockade that deadlocked the downtown corridor in the capital city for two weeks.

Jonker said in a video that he was informed by the Niagara Police that the Ottawa Police had issued a warrant for his arrest.

Filming himself, his wife and his children, Jonkers went into the Niagara Police station, immerging after he received the charges.

The former councillor, who finished third for his riding in the October 2022 municipal election, said on video that the four charges against him were two counts of counseling an indictable offence, one count of mischief for obstructing property and one count of intimidation by blocking or obstructing a highway.

The former councillor, who owns Jonker’s Trucking Inc, had supporters help him drive his fleet to Ottawa for the February protest. At the time, he told the Toronto Sun he was the first trucker to arrive in the capital city.

Former West Lincoln Mayor Dave Bylsma also attended the truckers’ blockade in Ottawa and lost his mayor’s seat in the municipal election to former councillor Cheryl Ganann.

Below is Jonkers’ video.

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