Kenney’s New Bill Targets Alberta Protestors & Blockades With Up To $200k Fines

Jason Kenney is cracking down. On May 28, the Alberta Legislature passed the third reading of Alberta's Bill 1, a law designed to protect "essential infrastructure" from damage. According to the bill, protesting that leads to property damage could be grounds for a six-figure fine.

According to the Government of Alberta, Bill 1, also known as the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, was introduced to "protect essential infrastructure from damage or interference caused by blockades, protests or similar activities." 

The list of what the government defines as essential infrastructure is a long one. 

As listed in the bill document, it includes places like pipelines, manufacturing plants, oil sites, pits, phone lines, quarries, railways and trains, power plants, dams, agricultural areas, gas utility sites, highways, amongst many others. 

Highways, as defined in the Public Safety Act, include sidewalks, roads, streets, alleyways, trails, bridges, driveways, and more. 

So if you're caught "willingly" messing with the "use or operation" of these places, then you could face the heavy penalties. 

If people are blocking roads and sidewalks, which count as highways, then the bill gives the government the authority to issue fines. 

If you're committing your "first offence," then you can get fined between $1000 and $10,000, get sent to jail for six months, or both. 

And if it's your second offence, then you could get fined up to $25,000, be imprisoned for six months, or both. 

If an "officer, director or agent of the corporation" gets caught "damaging" essential infrastructure, then the fines go up to $200,000.

Peace officers can also arrest people without a warrant, as mentioned in the document. 

So far, the bill has passed the first, second, and third reading in the Legislature. Since it's passed the third reading, it's now been submitted to the Lieutenant Governor.

Once the Lieutenant Governor gives their approval, known as the Royal Assent, then the bill officially becomes the law, according to Law Central Alberta. So there's only one remaining step until Bill 1 takes effect.