Patriotic donors “will have their bank accounts marked for life.” Absolutely hundreds of Canadian Freedom Convoy supporters had their bank accounts frozen like an Arctic ice sheet. The chilling blast on free speech was noticed around the world. Rainbow sock wearing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used the Emergencies Act in retaliation for standing up to government over-reach.
Donors scarred for life
In testimony to the Commons finance committee, the Canadian Bankers Association warned parliamentarians at a recent hearing that “alongside the 257 names provided to them by the RCMP, banks relied on their own resources to flag additional individuals for freezing.”
They let the Royal Canadian Mounted Police do the heavy lifting but couldn’t resist adding names of donors they thought acted suspiciously.
According to general counsel for the CBA, Angelina Mason, “we primarily relied upon the names provided by the RCMP but there were obligations under the order separate that required banks to make their own determinations.”
“We did not rely on external information.” She admitted under oath that even when donors have their accounts unfrozen, “a permanent fingerprint would remain indicating that a freeze took place.”
It’s a case of permanent frostbite to affected donors.
That’s what one lawmaker learned when asking, “once an account is frozen and eventually unfrozen are there any permanent markers or indications on a client’s file that would indicate they have had their accounts previously frozen?” You bet there are.
Blowback on others
Not only is there something in the file of all insurrectionist donors showing a freeze had been in place, nobody bothers to reflect on who owns the joint bank accounts.
Innocent children have been caught by collateral damage. No consideration at all “was ever given to joint accounts including those that had to make child support or rental payments.”
The donors can’t be held responsible for mistakes but proving the asset seizure was actually a mistake takes time, money and lawyers.
“If in fact they illegitimately froze a bank account they would face zero legal consequences. It is clear from the legislation,” observes Conservative MP Philip Lawrence.
Donors started watching their bank accounts freeze solid starting on February 14. That’s when Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. Banks “were required to flag and temporarily seize the assets of those believed to be involved in the Ottawa freedom convoy.”
Somewhere “around $7.8 million in funds were frozen, affecting 206 individual accounts.” Crypto got hit too. “The legislation also extended to fundraising platforms and 170 cryptocurrency wallets.“
