Many pandemic fines have yet to be paid, stats from Halifax police reveal
Nova Scotia may be opening up but Halifax Regional Police (HRP) are still receiving hundreds of COVID related calls.
This month alone, officers have responded to 500 calls for COVID-related issues.
"Even though it does sound like a significant number of calls, the calls for service we are having tend to be going down. They tend to follow those peaks and valleys that we see with COVID itself," said Const. John MacLeod, spokesperson for the police force.
Nova Scotia first declared a state of emergency last March. Since that time, HRP have issued 455 tickets under both the Health Protection and Emergency Management Acts.
MacLeod says the most common things people have been ticketed for include people not wearing masks when they're supposed to, failing to self-isolate or exceeding mandated gathering limits.
As of July 26, here is the breakdown for how many tickets have been issued under both the Health Protection and Emergency Management Acts in Nova Scotia.
Health Protection Act
Total number of tickets issued: 1059
- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 135
- Pending: 697
- Person deceased: 3
- Paid in full: 153
- Partially paid: 12
- Not yet paid: 59
Emergency Management Act
Total number of tickets issued : 271
- Quashed, withdrawn, dismissed, or acquitted: 59
- Pending: 127
- Paid in full: 63
- Partially paid: 2
- Not yet paid: 20
"It is interesting the large number that have been either acquitted or withdrawn," said lawyer David Fraser.
"I would be looking for a better breakdown, how many people have been found innocent, that's what an acquittal is and how many circumstances have the Crown said we're not going to proceed with this."
Fraser says he would like to see more context to go with the numbers; like what were the exact offences and how many businesses have been charged.
"Where have these tickets been issued, what do the recipients look like?" said Fraser.
Additional information about the tickets issued has been requested. The Department of Justice says it should be available by the end of the week.
In New Brunswick, there were 866 pandemic related tickets issued between March 2020 and July 2021.
Of the 539 tickets were filed in provincial court, 339 resulted in a conviction, 71 were withdrawn and five resulted in an acquittal. There are still 124 tickets before the courts.
321 of the 339 convictions resulted in finestotalling$86,794.50.
Officials say of the 327 remaining tickets, most would have been paid without attending court while some would have been withdrawn.
In New Brunswick, the minimum fine was originally $292.50 before moving to $580.50.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca