Ageing With Grace

09/10/2025

Have you been there yet?

08/23/2025

08/07/2025

Chris Barber Found Guilty! Crown Asks for 8 Years in Prison!

If you were away this long weekend, welcome back! I hope your weekend was relaxing and refreshing. It's always nice to get some down time with family and friends. I was able to connect with multiple members of my extended family for a few days.

I wanted to follow-up this week on the subject of Chris Barber, who was recently convicted alongside Tamara Lich, and who will be sentenced in October for similar "crimes".

Chris Barber was one of the courageous leaders of the Freedom Convoy and was found guilty of 2 criminal charges relating to his activities at the Freedom Convoy in early 2022. He has not yet been sentenced, but the Crown is asking for an outrageous 8 years in prison. Chris is a Canadian Trucker from Saskatchewan, and his truck Big Red, seen in the photo below was an iconic part of the Convoy in Ottawa.

Further to this, Chris tells me the prosecutor wants to seize and auction off his truck - Big Red. Chris is fighting to make sure this outrageous action doesn't succeed, and he needs your help to do so. He says they want to destroy anything that symbolizes the Freedom Convoy.

Mischief is a common, minor criminal offence, the kind of thing a teenager who spray paints an alley wall might get. Notwithstanding this, the Crown is seeking 8 years in prison - for Chris - slightly longer than the 7 years they want for Tamara Lich, as Chris was convicted of not only mischief, but also counselling others to disobey a court order (for encouraging people to keep honking!).

As I mentioned last week, Lich's lawyers characterized this sentence as the “highest sentence anyone has ever received” for the crime of mischief.

We don't know yet what sentence the judge will impose. While his lawyer is asking for a complete discharge (no sentence), it is likely he will receive either some jail time, house arrest, and/or probation. The sentence will be handed down this October. The hearing to take his truck will be in September.

What was supposed to be "only" a 16 day trial, has ballooned to over 50 days of trial. He has had to travel to Ottawa again for his recent sentencing hearing, and will need to do so once again in September and October. While some of Chris's extensive legal bills are covered, a big chunk of it falls on his shoulders, including his travel costs too and from Ottawa for the multiple legs of the trial, and additional motions - like the Crown trying to take Big Red. Chris needs your help to raise nearly $80,000.

Please click below to help Chris!

https://www.fundingthefight.ca/donate_chrisbarber

When I was talking to Chris recently, he told me that in the past year, he has spent 104 days either in trial, or traveling to and from the trial. That's one third of his entire year (almost) gone, dealing with what many believe to be frivolous charges to begin with.

Not only can he not work while he's traveling to and from Ottawa, he's incurring expenses for gas, food, and lodging.

Chris is a soft-spoken, big-hearted guy who is the epitome of Canadian friendliness and strength. What he did, along with so many others in Ottawa two years ago was heroic. That the trial (which took almost 2 years to start) is still not complete is frustrating and unfair. As with so many government processes, the process itself is the punishment.

It's outrageous he's had to give up a third of his year just to attend multiple legs of this trial. Please help Chris pay for his legal bills and travel expenses that he's incurred these last few years.

Now with the Crown asking for an 8 year sentence, and putting forward a motion to take his truck, it's going way too far.

Chris' lawyer, Diane Magas called the eight year sentence the Crown is seeking "excessive, unfit, unduly harsh, cruel, and unusual."

I couldn't agree more. Chris still needs to cover funds for legal bills, travel, and lodging. Please help Chris fight back by donating today.

Click below to support!

https://www.fundingthefight.ca/donate_chrisbarber

I have an interview discussing Chris' conviction and his sentencing hearing, along with a novel legal argument he is using to try and get the whole proceeding scrapped and thrown out. I will post that later this week.

The Freedom Convoy was a collective moment of hope for Canada and the entire world. Yet we're prosecuting these heroes as if they're common criminals. This is absurd, and we must continue to fight for political changes that will hold our politicians to account. Nonetheless, for today, let's help Chris fight his last few hearings, and end this attack on his family and our freedom.

Thanks again!

God bless,

Derek

P.S. If you prefer to send an e-transfer you may do so.

Email to: fundingthefight@proton.me
Make password: freedom

07/30/2025