Sentences for 3 protesters against Coutts border blockade to be announced in 2025

Three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the border blockade in Coutts, Alta., in 2022 are scheduled to be sentenced next year.

In April, a jury found Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos and Gerhard (George) Janzen each guilty of one count of mischief over $5,000.

Sentencing was originally scheduled for late September, but it was postponed until Jan. 9 and 10 in Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench to give Van Huigenbos time to find a new lawyer.

The three men were charged for their role in a blockade that blocked cross-border traffic between Canada and the United States at Coutts for two weeks in protest against COVID-19 rules and restrictions.

The Crown said evidence showed the men were key players and became faces of the blockade.

The maximum penalty for public mischief over $5,000 is 10 years in prison.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 17, 2024.