WARMINGTON: Veteran ignites debate by challenging Nova Scotia's $25G fine for woods walk

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For those wondering if Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston was serious about fining citizens $25,000 for taking a walk in the woods, meet the first person to receive one of those lofty fines.

His name is Jeff Evely – and he’s extremely serious himself.

There wasn’t a challenge he wasn’t up to facing while serving with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan in 2009 and later in Iraq in 2019. He understands what it’s like to go to war and come home with scars.

The Air Force veteran, who retired as a Master Warrant Officer after 20 years of service, worked in the unarmed aircraft unit, which meant, “I would see our young soldiers die at night and watch them get loaded on planes in caskets in the day.”

Needless to say, he suffers from PTSD.

“I saw more Canadians loaded into Hercs than most,” he said. “So, I understand the price and cost of freedom.”

And when someone is being told they will face a fine for walking in the forest, he admits he does not approve.

“I fought it last time they did that and I am fighting it this time,” he said. “It’s just a walk in the woods.”

On his X account, he posted a video of himself on his own property and then later “at the ministry office eight minutes from my house” near Sydney, Nova Scotia, where he gave a heads up to the provincial environmental officers that he was going to go into the woods across from their building on Friday.

They warned Evely not to do it or he would be fined.

He did it and they gave him a ticket for $28,872.50.

“Seems there are taxes and fees and victim surcharges,” Evely said with a chuckle.

He feels the people of Nova Scotia and Canada are victims of government overreach and tyranny.

The Nova Scotia government’s “stay out of the woods order” comes across to many as Orwellian.

There was no order to not sell matches or lighters or ban chainsaws or cooking stoves or to throw the book at actual arsonists with stiffer sentences.

Just a sweeping ban on law-abiding people and their movements.

“It’s about human dignity,” said Evely, who believes banning citizens from going for a walk in the woods on the premise that they could start a fire is unconstitutional.

The JCCF (Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) agrees with Evely and he said they’ll will help him battle this out in court.

Marty Moore, a constitutional lawyer with the JCCF, maintains the woods ban ”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,” Moore said.

Having covered veterans in foreign wars, my suggestion to Houston would be to drop this case immediately and not to do to this to a veteran who has to live with the horrors of war.

It would be better to alter the message and rules to simply tell people not to have campfires or smoke while in the woods instead of effectively locking them down.

Going into the wilderness is a right of passage in Nova Scotia – not just for a Canadian veteran but for everyone.

There are ways to prevent forest fires, but taking away freedoms should not be one of them.

Evely is prepared to lose his shirt to try to make this point.

Feeling people lawfully and respectfully hiking in the woods are not going to start a forest fire, he said his goal is to fight back against “do as I say or else” authoritarian-style government that goes beyond common sense.

That’s why veterans like himself fought – and often died – in wars.

Evely said he harbours no ill will for the provincial officers who laid the charges.

“They are just doing their jobs” and “I told them it was not personal” and “we shook hands when I left,” he explained.

But Evely will see them in court.

The Houston government maintains the ban on entering forests is necessary given the hot, dry conditions throughout the province.

Evely says he believes in staying on top of leaders who overstep their authority in treating people like they are enslaved.

Either way, a fire has started in Nova Scotia – if not one in the forest, one in the courts.

jwarmington@postmedia.com