Canadian constitutional lawyer and president of the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms John Carpay is warning the public that Canada is at risk of becoming a totalitarian COVID police state.
In a video he released in early May titled "Canada: The COVID Police State," Carpay warned about how the Canadian government is turning into a police state. It is doing this through the accumulation of more and more power for itself under the pretext of keeping society safe from the coronavirus.
"Very basic, fundamental freedoms have been taken away from us," said Carpay.
The constitutional lawyer then went on to highlight examples, such as how most Canadian provinces and territories made it illegal to meet up with friends or enjoy dinner with parents and other family members during important occasions like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
He also lamented the fact that children, who are significantly less likely to catch the disease, let alone die from it, are not even allowed to play team sports like hockey, basketball or soccer. Canadian coronavirus regulations have also prevented children from doing many other activities, such as performing in school plays or piano recitals.
"Children are forced to wear masks and told that if they get within six feet of another person, they will kill their own grandmother," said Carpay.
The lawyer continued by talking about how simply being alone outside is now an offense in Canada. He mentioned that people walking their dog, exercising or peacefully protesting against lockdown measures can be issued tickets by police officers worth up to CA$1,000 ($802). (Related: Medical police state HORRORS in Australia: Young man choked out, slammed to the ground, heaved out of a restaurant for not wearing a mask.)
Watch Carpay and the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms' 15-minute documentary about how Canada is turning into a COVID police state here:
Coronavirus fearmongering having significant effects on mental health of Canadians
Carpay further warned that everybody in Canada has been taught to live in a climate of fear "24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks per year." As Canada slowly rolls back some of its oppressive lockdown restrictions, reports are coming out about how many Canadians still feel the mental distress caused by the lockdowns.
Science Sam, a science communicator popular on social media, said this is to be expected after more than 16 months of lockdown in Canada.
"Our brains have been on high alert for stress and fear, so neuroanatomical it makes sense why people may be feeling [anxious]," she said. "But the good news is the brain is like a muscle that can relearn. It's like if you keep crossing a field the same way, it slowly carves a path in the grass. But if you stop taking that path, the grass grows back."
Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, a psychiatrist and clinical scientist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said the pandemic has been a life-changing experience for many people. People who lost loved ones or experienced other life-altering events such as changing jobs might find it difficult to reassess their new identities and new roles in post-pandemic society.
Sockalingam homes people do not forget to talk about the issues surrounding mental health after lockdown. "We [must] acknowledge that anxiety is normal and we might need to slow our pace, get a bit more support and coping strategies," he said.
Claire Champigny, a doctoral candidate in developmental psychology at York University pointed out how, over the last 16 months, people's brains have been made to associate mask-wearing, social distancing and not leaving the house with safety and security. Stepping outside these supposed "pandemic-safe bubbles" for the first time in over a year can be a challenge for some.
Champigny said there will be a "spectrum of reactions" to the lifting of restrictions. There may even be a subset of the population who hold on to social distancing and mask-wearing out of fear. But many more people saw face masks as symbols of oppression and restrictions.
"The first time we had to wear masks in grocery stores felt very unnatural," said Champigny. "So it's possible we go back to that faster than we think."
Learn more about how coronavirus restrictions have impacted everyday life in Canada and around the world by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news.
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