Niagara-area councillor docked pay for participating in 'Freedom Convoy' protest

Coun. Harold Jonker is seen in an image from the Township of West Lincoln.

A rural Ontario municipal councillor violated his township’s code of conduct by loudly and forcefully participating in the Ottawa “Freedom Convoy” occupation, the township’s integrity commissioner has found.

Coun. Harold Jonker of the Gainsborough area of West Lincoln Township “actively encouraged, supported and participated in unlawful activities related to” the “Freedom Convoy” occupation of downtown Ottawa in Feb. 2022, integrity commissioners for the township found in a report released earlier this month.

They say that Jonker violated West Lincoln council’s code of conduct by participating in the unlawful activity, for allegedly accepting funds from the initial GoFundMe disbursement of $1 million to support the occupiers, and failing to respond to a request for information by integrity commissioners looking into the extent of his participation in the demonstrations.

Integrity commissioners found that Jonker brought 11 trucks from his family’s trucking business to Ottawa in late Jan. 2022.

He often spoke to media outlets about the Freedom Convoy and its aims, even speaking to CP24, where he did not identify himself as a West Lincoln Township council member.

The integrity commissioners found Jonker participated in the convoy even after it was declared unlawful, violating the township’s code of conduct.

The lawyers argued because the Ottawa convoy protest was eventually found to violate municipal, provincial and federal law, Jonker “owed a duty of loyalty to resident of the Township,” which he broke by participating in an unlawful protest.

They also said that Jonker did not answer when asked if he received money from GoFundMe, suggesting to them he did receive funds.

“When given the opportunity to clarify, the Councillor elected to say nothing,” lawyers wrote in their report.

Jonker told CP24 he did not receive any GoFundMe money, and “said nothing” when asked because he simply missed some email inquiries by the Aird and Berlis lawyers.

“I missed a couple emails, that’s on me,” he said.

He said he did not take any money from donations and spent his own money to participate.

“We went there as a company – my trucking company – we decided as partners we were going to participate – we lost money – as a business I lost a lot of money, I mean a lot of money,” he said.

He said the only things he received that could be considered “gifts” was an occasional sandwich at the protest site.

The integrity commissioner recommended Jonker lose 30 days pay as a result of his actions, something Jonker says will cost him about $1,300.

They also recommended Jonker “repay” the cost of any food or fuel given to him during the protest within 30 days.