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OTTAWA — Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, two leaders of the “Freedom Convoy” protest, are scheduled to be sentenced for mischief on Oct. 7 in an Ottawa courtroom.
In addition to lengthy prison sentences, the Crown wants to seize Barber’s truck, which was used in the protest.
A forfeiture hearing on that matter is scheduled for Sept. 12.
Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said Thursday she wants to rule on the mischief sentence and truck forfeiture at the same time so that she does not deliver “piecemeal” decisions.
Lich and Barber were both found guilty of mischief in April for their roles in the convoy protest, which saw activists fill much of downtown Ottawa for three weeks beginning in late January 2022 to protest vaccine mandates and other pandemic measures.
The Crown is seeking a prison sentence of seven years for Lich and eight years for Barber, who was also found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order.
The lawyers for both Lich and Barber are seeking absolute discharges for their clients, which would mean neither receives a criminal record.
On Thursday, Lich’s lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told the court that Lich has already spent 49 days in jail and has been under strict bail conditions for the last three-and-a-half years.
Greenspon argued that his client and Barber took “unprecedented” steps by working with police and city officials throughout the protest to limit the protest’s impact.
“This is an individual who came to this city with the best of intentions, as recognized by the judge. She has been under strict bail conditions for three-and-a-half years. She spent 49 days in jail for the offence of mischief,” Greenspon said during the hearing’s lunch break.
“And if one looks at the positive impact that she’s had on the lives of many Canadians and the community service that she has continued to do, there’s absolutely no reason for her to not receive an absolute discharge.”
Greenspon read a brief statement on Lich’s behalf that simply said “freedom is not free.” Accused are given a chance to address the court during sentencing submissions.
Barber’s lawyer Diane Magas said Wednesday that she is seeking an absolute discharge for her client because he has been on bail for the last three-and-a-half years without incident.
Greenspon became emotional at times while reading from dozens of support letters submitted on behalf of his client. He read out messages from people who said the convoy protest gave them hope after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures they saw as government overreach.
“Tamara Lich, Chris Barber stood up for what they believed in and what many, many people — thousands of people across the country were not capable of standing up (for). And those people were inspired,” he said.
Crown prosecutor Siobhain Wetscher said during her sentencing submissions Wednesday that she is seeking stiff sentences for Lich and Barber because of the broad community harm caused by the three-week 2022 protest in Ottawa’s downtown core.
She said that she is seeking long sentences not because of Lich and Barber’s political beliefs but because of their actions during the protest.
Wetscher said that while Lich and Barber may have come to Ottawa with noble intentions, they continued to encourage people to take part in the protests even when it became impossible for them to ignore the effect it was having on downtown residents and businesses.
Greenspon said Thursday that it’s “facile and inaccurate” to say the Crown’s sentencing proposal sentence is not motivated by his client’s politics. He said Lich continually called for protesters to remain peaceful and can’t be held responsible for the actions of individuals at the demonstration.
Wetscher replied that while some people are fans of the convoy protest, it does not change the fact that it caused harm to people living and working in downtown Ottawa.
The defence raised issues with victim and community impact statements submitted by Wetscher. One of the statements came from fellow “Freedom Convoy” organizer Pat King’s case and others were sworn affidavits derived from a separate $300 million class action lawsuit filed against convoy organizers by downtown Ottawa residents.
Wetscher said that the statements are meant to capture the broad scope of the convoy’s impact.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
