Ontario dad demands answers after his bank accounts are frozen in case that could strengthen the Charter rights of all Canadians Dear friend of freedom,Every day, Canadians rely on access to their bank accounts to pay bills, manage expenses, and support their families.But imagine discovering that your bank accounts had been frozen, with no explanation and no warning.Your online banking access denied. Your ATM cash withdrawal requests denied. Your pre-authorized payments blocked, jeopardizing your vehicle, mortgage, or insurance payments. Evan Blackman experienced this, along with hundreds of other Canadians.
Evan Blackman with his son Damian (Photo courtesy of Evan Blackman)
Police arrested Evan in downtown Ottawa on February 18, 2022, during the violent suppression of the peaceful Freedom Convoy protest. Though police released him that same day, he later discovered that his Toronto-Dominion Bank accounts had been frozen. “The initial impact was drastic, being five hours away from home,” he explained. “It was an absolute shock to find out my bank accounts were frozen. As a self-employed worker, it not only affected my family, but my employees as well.”
Four days after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act against the peaceful protesters resisting Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns, police arrested Evan and charged him with mischief and obstruction. The Crown’s prosecution rested on a 14-minute drone video and the testimony of a single police officer. The video footage showed Evan attempting to de-escalate tensions between police and protestors. At one point, he was even seen holding others back and raising his hand to prevent conflict. The footage showed Evan kneeling in front of officers, hat in hand, singing O Canada.At his trial in October 2023, the judge dismissed all charges against Evan. The Crown failed to produce persuasive evidence that Evan had done anything criminal. The judge found the police officer’s testimony unreliable and even described Evan as a “peacemaker.”For a brief moment, it felt like Evan’s life could finally return to normal.
Evan Blackman with his son Damian (Photo courtesy of Evan Blackman)
Regrettably, the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s Office appealed the decision, claiming that the judge had made several legal errors. Lawyers provided by the Justice Centre, however, have turned the tables. In the retrial of this case, Evan’s legal team will argue that the freezing of his bank accounts violated his constitutional rights and will seek the dismissal of his case as a remedy if he is convicted.On July 4, 2025, a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice ordered the RCMP and TD Bank to produce key records related to how and why Evan’s accounts were frozen. Evan thanked the Justice Centre after the decision was made public, remarking, “I’m delighted that we will finally get records that may reveal why my bank accounts were frozen.” Evan’s retrial is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 14, 2025. By supporting the Justice Centre with a donation, you’ll not only be supporting Evan’s case. You’ll be one step closer to protecting your own bank accounts from interference by Canadian governments.
This isthe first criminal trial in Canadian history to involve a Charter challenge against the use of emergency powers to freeze personal bank accounts. Evan’s experience remains a stark reminder of how quickly core freedoms can be threatened when governments violate Canadians’ rights in the name of public safety and national security.If you have not previously donated to the Justice Centre, please consider doing so today. You can join other freedom-loving Canadians who make it possible for us to defend your freedoms in courts of law and in the court of public opinion. Please consider becoming a monthly donor so that the Justice Centre can continue to defend your rights and freedoms throughout 2025. Yours sincerely,
Ontario judge orders RCMP and TD Bank to release records tied to freezing Freedom Convoy protester Evan Blackman’s bank accounts.
Government’s use of the 2022 Emergencies Act faces scrutiny over civil liberties violations, including bank seizures and coerced tow truck conscription.
In 2023, Blackman was acquitted of mischief and obstruction charges, but Ottawa appealed, leading to an upcoming retrial in August 2025.
2024 court ruling found Trudeau’s invocation of the emergencies law “not justified,” highlighting overreach in targeting peaceful protesters.
Legal backers seek to link bank seizures to constitutional violations, framing the case as a landmark challenge to state powers.
Evan Blackman, one of hundreds whose accounts were frozen under the law, faces a retrial in August 2025 after being acquitted in 2023 of charges related to the Ottawa demonstrations. His lawyers argue that the seizure of his funds — a decision first reviewed as lawful but later condemned by federal judges — violates Charter rights to privacy and freedom of expression. The court’s demand for transparency could unravel the government’s case while exposing systemic flaws in its pandemic-era policies.
The legal fight over “extreme overreach”
The ruling demands disclosure of documents detailing how and why Blackman’s accounts were frozen under Section 53 of the Emergencies Act, which Trudeau invoked on February 14, 2022. The law, originally designed for responses to disasters like floods or terrorist threats, granted unprecedented power to block financial transactions, seize property and militarize law enforcement.
Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury, representing Blackman’s Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), called the seizure “an extreme overreach,” stressing that the records could prove the government “illegally punished peaceful dissent.” Blackman, an Ottawa-area protester detained after participating in nonviolent rallies, saw his three accounts frozen for over a week, potentially stifling his ability to prepare a defense during the original charges.
The JCCF emphasizes that this is the first criminal case in Canada attempting to halt proceedings under Section 8 of the Charter, which bars unreasonable searches or seizures, and Section 2(b), protecting free expression. Their stance draws strength from a 2024 Federal Court ruling by Justice Richard Mosley, who declared Trudeau’s emergency declaration “not justified,” arguing it failed to balance public interest with human rights.
The 2022 protests and their aftermath
The Freedom Convoy began on January 15, 2022, as a movement protesting vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. By early February, it swelled into hundreds of tractor-trailers blocking Ottawa’s streets, leading Trudeau to invoke the Emergencies Act—a move nearly all provinces condemned.
Documents now sought by the JCCF could clarify how authorities targeted nonviolent advocates. While the government framed protests as violent, much of the event unfolded as group camping, community meals and music, according to RCMP logs obtained by the National Post. Instead, most documented violence stemmed from state actions: videos showed mounted police trampling an elderly woman and attacking journalists.
Critics argue the law’s use set a dangerous precedent. Despite a special commission later endorsing Trudeau’s emergency declaration, federal courts — including Mosley’s decision — have since eroded its legitimacy.
What lies ahead: A trial with national implications?
Blackman’s retrial in August could become a landmark test of Canada’s emergency laws. His legal team plans to argue that the federal government’s seizure of funds was retaliation for political speech, violating the Charter. If successful, similar cases by over 100 protest-era plaintiffs might proceed, reshaping how authorities handle dissent.
Meanwhile, the RCMP and TD Bank have yet to publicly comment, though the ruling binds them to comply. The outcome may also influence current debates over pandemic-era policies, as critics question the viability of invoking “extreme measures” for non-violent public assemblies.
As Fleury noted, the case “exposes a dangerous precedent where the state weaponizes financial control to silence dissidents.” For civil liberties advocates, the ruling offers a rare chance to challenge a legacy of distrust in Trudeau’s leadership — and redefine the limits of crises authority.
A new day for accountability, or an open door for state power?
The Ontario court’s demand for transparency in Blackman’s case underscores a growing reckoning with the 2022 pandemic policies. While the protests seemed forgotten to some, the legal fallout continues to reveal a government unprepared to balance safety with constitutionality — and a judiciary increasingly willing to hold it to account.
As the Aug. 14 retrial nears, Canadians wait to learn more than Blackman’s fate: whether their next crisis will be met with calm stewardship… or another round of rushed, rights-eroding reforms.
