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National Post

Man walks into Nova Scotia forest, walks out with $28K fine: 'I want to challenge this order in court'

A Nova Scotia man who intentionally violated the province's ban on entering the woods says he plans to fight his $28,000 fine. Article content Jeffrey Evely, a veteran and former candidate for the People's Party of Canada, recorded a video over the weekend of him first going to the Department of Natural Resources in Coxheath, N.S., and informing officers he was going into the woods to protest the ban. Article content Article content Article content 'I want to challenge this order in court, and the only way to do that is to get the fine,' Jeffrey Evely says in the video. 'So, I'm not trying to make trouble for you guys, I just want a piece of (Premier) Tim Houston and I want to be as accommodating and nice as I can be.' Article content Article content When he left the forest, he was handed a fine of $28,872.50, according to an image of the document. Article content The new policy came into effect on Aug. 5, and will remain until Oct. 15. It bans people from hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles like ATVs in the woods due to the elevated wildfire risk. People are not even allowed to enter the woods. The fine for violating the ban is $25,000. Article content Evely's fine includes taxes, fees, and surcharges. Article content 'I know it's the height of summer vacation and people want to do all the activities that we enjoy,' Houston said when the ban was announced. 'But we have to stay out of the woods. It's a small price to pay to avoid the devastation that we saw from wildfires in 2023.' Article content Article content Article content 'This law views people as the problem – not dangerous activities. This law is anti-human, and should someone find themselves on the wrong end of a charge – a massive charge, $25,000 dollar fine, for going into the woods, you can expect a constitutional challenge and a judicial review of this order,' said Marty Moore, a constitutional lawyer with JCCF. Article content 'Premier Houston would be wise to immediately review his overly broad order to avoid further legal action.' Article content Evely will argue that 'banning citizens from enjoying nature on the assumption they could start a fire is unconstitutional,' JCCF said. Article content Evely is not the only one asking for the ban to be reconsidered. The Ecology Action Centre, Dal Legal Aid and the Canadian Constitution Foundation have also said the ban should be overturned.