NEWS
Foot soldier against COVID measures blows the whistle
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CONTENTS 6
By Carlito Pablo
or nearly two years, Brian Paul has been deeply involved in the movement opposing mask mandates, vaccine passports, and other measures intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. He’s worked closely with highprofi le leaders on events, including a rally last year at Vanier Park in Vancouver. But in a livestreamed March 18 commentary on Facebook, Paul turned his sights on some of those very same organizers. In particular, he questioned what’s happened to donations from the movement’s supporters. “I’m guessing over a million dollars have probably been raised in the freedom movement [in B.C.] in the last couple of years,” Paul said. “That’s a number that I’m throwing at the dartboard.” He urged anyone watching the livestream to send polite emails to groups such as Action4Canada, Police on Guard for Thee, and Freedom Rally World to ask where their donations went. On Facebook, Paul alleged that some donations went missing but he provided no
MARCH MADNESS
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COVER
Smokehouse Sandwich Co. owner Rico Verzosa is eagerly looking forward to the first Filipino Food Month in Canada.
by Charlie Smith
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March 24-31 / 2022
Cover photo by Jeff Toledo
5
HEALTH
After the B.C. government dropped all provincial mask mandates, Premier John Horgan described COVID-19 as an airborne disease. By Charlie Smith
13
MUSIC
Burnaby’s Alpha Yaya Diallo is bringing his upbeat West African music to Coquitlam’s Mackin Park for his third Festival du Bois appearance. Brian Paul has made unproven allegations of financial wrongdoing. Photo by Facebook.
evidence in the video to back up this claim. He also made an unproven allegation about a cryptocurrency scam associated with the movement, disclosing that he’s “a few days away from calling the Mounties”. Paul’s 40-minute commentary came on the eve of another so-called freedom rally at Jack Poole Plaza on March 19. Organizers of the rally issued a news release earlier this month declaring that antivaccine activist Chris Sky has not been invited to speak. Meanwhile, Police on Guard for Thee has distanced itself from one of its members, retired B.C. sheriff Bert Mayo, for allegedly agreeing to speak at a March event hosted by antivaxxer Chris Sky, who’s been charged with uttering threats. This elicited a critical response from Paul, who praised Mayo as a good “Biblical Christian” and “one of the most integral, hardworking freedom fighters”. “Bert is actually not standing with Chris,” Paul said. In particular, Paul singled out his former colleagues Alicia Johnson, Danielle Kinchella-Pistilli, and Marco Pietro for becoming “gatekeepers of the freedom movement and protectors of the microphone”. He described Action4Canada organizer Tanya Gaw as “a warrior with misguided objectives, good intentions, novel intentions, and a failed approach”. Paul also claimed that after volunteering his time and donating money to the movement, he was “literally ousted from the inner elitist freedom circle dinners and events, even Christmas”. “They’re fulfi lling their long-life aspirations of being famous on stage right, with all the lights shining forever upon them,” he said. Last May, Paul told a Freedom Rally World event at the Vancouver Art Gallery that COVID-19 health orders were “not a Canadian problem”. “This is a global elitist parasite problem, and they are the ones that need to be exterminated,” Paul said. g
MARCH 24 – 31 / 2022
By Steve Newton
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Fairmont Hot Springs Resort CEO placed on leave after sexist remarks. East Van house sold for below 2022 assessment “needs a lot of TLC”. 40 things to do in Vancouver this week, March 21 to 25. Antivaxxer Chris Sky justifies Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine. Vancouver police arrest suspect in videotaped assault at Granville Station. @GeorgiaStraight
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