A Nova Scotia man has filed a legal challenge to the provincial prohibition against going into the woods and a $28,000 ticket he received deliberately for not following it.
The province announced restrictions on activities in forested areas as of Aug. 5, saying that hot and dry conditions “greatly increased” the risk of wildfires. The restrictions include a ban on hiking, camping, fishing, or using vehicles in the woods, as well as a ban on using trail systems. The restrictions are in place until Oct. 15 or until the province deems conditions have improved enough for them to be lifted.
Resident Jeff Evely, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, recorded himself on Aug. 8 taking a walk in the woods in protest. He alerted conservation officers of his actions, and was handed a $28,872.50 ticket. Evely told The Epoch Times in an earlier interview that he tried to challenge a similar ban in 2023, but was told by a judge that he “could not stand” on his rights alone, that there needed to be money involved, and that’s why he sought to deliberately get a ticket this time….