星空传媒

Canada

How Tamara Lich transformed from spokeswoman to symbol of 'Freedom Convoy' movement

Share
OTTAWA -

It's a sunny July day at an outdoor hockey rink outside North Bay, Ont. An acoustic guitar player belts out a ballad about freedom. An adoring crowd sings along.

Tamara Lich, mounted on the back of a brown and white horse and waving a large Canadian flag, enters the arena.

"Love a grand entrance," the 50-year-old says enthusiastically with a wide smile and a laugh, getting hoots and whistles from supporters gathered to hear her speak, as seen in a video posted on social media.

To her fans, Lich is a proud Canadian, a lioness of the movement behind the "Freedom Convoy" protests and the target of a justice system that won't abide her anti-government beliefs. For the combined 49 days she spent in jail, first after her initial arrest during the 2022 demonstrations and again following an alleged bail breach last summer, she was in their eyes a "political prisoner." It's a title she, too, has embraced.

To the Crown, Lich is a nefarious actor who deliberately helped lead blockades that tormented residents, defied police orders, shuttered businesses and pushed the country to a state of national emergency.

For that she faces charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation. She is scheduled to face her first day in court on Tuesday, along with fellow protest organizer Chris Barber.

Lich's counsel, prominent Ottawa criminal defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, has said his client's case should not be about the convoy itself.

But those three weeks in early 2022 are exactly the lens through which millions of Canadians have come to judge Lich. Though she has become a right-wing folk hero to some, she remains a figure many others would rather forget.

Lich declined an interview request through her lawyer. But she hasn't been shy to speak publicly.

In the spring she released a book titled "Hold the Line," referring to the phrase she shouted to supporters as someone filmed her arrest on the final day of the Ottawa protest. Amazon currently lists the 220-page read at the top of its bestseller list in the category of Canadian history.

The book also appears to have had an effect on the coming proceedings.

A court document shows Moiz Karimjee, the assistant Crown attorney who was the senior prosecutor for many of the bail hearings related to the convoy, was reading the book while preparing for the trial. The document says he recused himself from the case after discovering the book mentioned him by name about 60 times, "some of them defamatory."

Lich has been travelling across North America for a promotional tour that has included book signings, fundraisers and online interviews. That included a two-hour conversation with right-wing commentator and host Jordan Peterson, who boasts an international following of millions.

Appearing on his podcast, Lich addressed the endless honking residents were subjected to while big rigs took over downtown Ottawa. She said it frustrates her to hear complaints about it, and "some level of disruption" was needed. She added she believes protesters have not been given enough credit for the lack of physical violence that broke out.

"If we had been there with an agenda to take over Ottawa and overthrow the government, we could have done it," she said.

No violent takeover was attempted, but some far-right actors attached themselves to the demonstrations. During testimony at a public inquiry last fall into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act to quell the protests, Lich distanced herself from a faction within the convoy protest that stated an aim to remove the Liberals from power.

The broader goal that seemed to unite thousands of protesters across the movement was to demand the elimination of all COVID-19 public health restrictions, particularly mask and vaccine mandates.

Convoy participant Bethan Nodwell said that seeing Lich appear on Peterson's show this summer only increased her legitimacy as a public figure who is now in the "big leagues" of what supporters call the "freedom" or "patriot movement."

"She has become a very beloved member of the freedom movement," Nodwell said, noting that the fact she is a woman and handles things in a "feminine way" sets her apart. "She has represented us so well. She doesn't lose her cool. She doesn't lose her temper."

In her book, which right-wing website Rebel News helped her publish, Lich retells the story of how she came to help with the logistics of getting a convoy of big rigs to Ottawa in the dead of winter.

She recounts relying on the skills she developed while co-ordinating work crews in Alberta's oilpatch. She had already helped bring a group of truckers to Parliament Hill a few years earlier to protest Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's environmental policies, which is when her political activism took root.

While the convoy was being organized, Lich also saw the need to raise money. Within days, the GoFundMe page she created raised $10 million for convoy participants, though the company would shut it down days after the convoy's arrival in Ottawa.

Lich has told audiences this summer that the legal bills for her court battle are being provided by The Democracy Fund, a civil liberties charity focused on helping those who opposed COVID-19 restrictions. The charity is using crowdfunding for the $300,000 it estimates is needed.

Lawyer Keith Wilson said he became aware of Lich because of videos she livestreamed from the cab of Barber's truck on their way to Ottawa. He could tell that people would gravitate toward her, said Wilson, who acted as counsel for organizers throughout the protest and still assists Lich today.

"If you look at her, you can tell she's listening very carefully to what you're saying," he told The Canadian Press. "She just has a compassionate character that allows people to be comfortable in their most vulnerable ways."

That charisma is what led Wilson to introduce her as "the spark that lit the fire" of the protest movement at the convoy's first press conference in Ottawa.

Lich writes in her book she did not set out to become the "face" of the convoy, but it happened when she was thrust into the role of addressing reporters.

She did not even know what a media advisory was, Wilson recalled. "She was capturing a sentiment and articulating a sentiment that seemed to be held by a lot of people, including myself," said Wilson.

Lich has spoken at length about the need for hope and how she saw the convoy as a demonstration of unity. She told the public inquiry last fall that she had no idea how many people would show up, and she couldn't control what protesters did when they arrived.

Still, she emerged from the crisis with a bigger profile than many other organizers, including Pat King and James Bauder, who are also facing criminal trials. And her prominent role meant many viewed her as a key figure in orchestrating the chaos faced by local residents and police.

During one of her bail hearings last summer, the court was presented with a text message Lich sent to Barber shortly after the protest got underway, after she had spoken to members of its "command centre."

In it, she said individuals had "a strategy to gridlock the city," and added: "I don't want to make those decisions on my own."

At the time, justice of the peace Paul Harris referred to the message as evidence of Lich's decision-making power during the blockades. He suggested in a July 2022 decision that he believed she ought to remain in jail until her trial based on his opinion she "continues to pose a risk for the protection and safety of the public."

Harris's decision was later overturned on review, and Lich was allowed to return home to Alberta.

During her testimony months later at the inquiry, Lich was asked about the text message and said gridlock was not something she had advocated for.

Supporter Kathy Morrison said she was surprised to receive a long letter back from Lich after writing to her following the protests. When Lich made a stop in Morrison's city of Campbell River, B.C., she said she jumped at the chance to help with book sales and meet her hero.

"She gave me hope," recalled Morrison. "I was unvaxxed ... She was light in a very dark time."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2023.

CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

  • Thousands of protesters are expected to march into downtown Vancouver on Friday, demanding more action from their government to address the growing climate crisis.

  • Members of the only organized support group for the Vancouver Canucks are feeling slighted after losing their usual space at Rogers Arena.

  • There have been more reports of a Bitcoin extortion scam seeking to exploit viewers of "adult content" in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, according to the RCMP.

  • The Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from installing new bike lanes that would require the removal of lanes of traffic, a source confirms to CTV News Toronto.

  • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

  • A field trip aimed at educating Toronto students about the plight of a northern Ontario First Nation ended with them taking part in a protest where pro-Palestinian slogans were shouted.

  • Defence counsel for accused murderer John-Christopher Arrizza argues he was in an 鈥渁ltered state of mind鈥 due to days of drug and alcohol use, sleep deprivation and not eating, when he fatally stabbed a man at a Banff nightclub in 2022.

  • Calgary pickleball players will soon have a dozen new courts to play on.

  • Injury prevention experts are urging Calgarians to ride carefully as e-scooter crashes land hundreds of people in the hospital.

  • BREAKING NEWS

    BREAKING NEWS

    Agreement to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), sources tell CTV News Ottawa.

  • Police say a man, 34, who was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot Thursday night has died.

  • The Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from installing new bike lanes that would require the removal of lanes of traffic, a source confirms to CTV News Toronto.

  • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

  • Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has invited his Quebec counterpart to the negotiating table to reach an agreement on caribou before Christmas. He noted that the province could benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to protect biodiversity.

  • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

  • DEVELOPING

    DEVELOPING

    Edmonton police are warning about traffic disruptions on Friday near the headquarters of the Alberta Teachers' Association, where a protest against the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in school curricula will be taking place.

  • A mother and daughter say they woke up to flames encroaching on their third-floor apartment near Commonwealth Stadium early Friday morning.

  • WEATHER

    WEATHER

    The big weather story today won't really be rain, it'll be the cooler and breezier conditions.

  • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes "indescribable" pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

  • Gas prices increased in all three Maritime provinces for the first time in more than a month.

  • A section of Herring Cove Road in the Spryfield area of Halifax is closed to traffic in both directions following a single-vehicle collision Friday morning.

  • The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) has made an arrest following a fire that claimed the lives of two people.

  • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn鈥檛 been seen since Wednesday morning.

  • A Winnipeg pet rescue is putting out a warning to dog owners across the city about a possible parvovirus in the province.

  • Driving into the tunnels of Nutrien's Rocanville mine, the largest potash mine in the world by production volume, feels like driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the night.

  • Regina police, fire and EMS were called to a three vehicle collision Friday morning outside the CTV News building.

  • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

  • Amber and Adam Brueckner have a pool-shaped hole in their backyard 鈥 and their wallets.

  • The missing family that was last seen in Kitchener, Ont. on Sept. 1 has been found safe, according to police.

  • A 43-year-old Guelph woman is wanted after police say she broke into a house and made herself at home.

  • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

  • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

  • Driving into the tunnels of Nutrien's Rocanville mine, the largest potash mine in the world by production volume, feels like driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the night.

  • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

  • Two people emerged unhurt after a float plane had a hard landing late Friday morning on Lake Temiskaming.

  • Today, the 71 year old is marking 50 years a paramedic. He said he never aspired to move into management or a desk job, he enjoys being on the road, helping patients too much.

  • Around 2:20 a.m. on Sept. 15, police were called to the area of Richmond Street and Mill Street for a report of an assault 鈥 a man fled the aera on foot before officers arrived.

  • A research team in London is looking into whether or not ChatGPT can be used as a diagnostic tool for medical learners and clinicians.

  • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

  • Police are investigating after they say several firearms and other valuables were stolen from a home in Tiny Township.

  • The Barrie Transit Field Trip Pass Program offers free elementary and high school transportation for students and teachers, removing the hassle of booking charter buses and managing the costs.

  • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family鈥檚 backyard pool.

  • On Thursday, just after 9:30 a.m., a man was found and taken to police headquarters, where he was released with conditions and a future court date.

  • Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) has launched a new visual journey, called 鈥淓yes on Art鈥.

  • In a rare move, the Greater Victoria School District Board of Education has been slapped with a ministerial order from the province requiring it to update a student safety plan 鈥 drawing concern around political posturing leading up to an election.

  • Getting a bed at one of British Columbia's drug detoxification facilities is like winning the lottery, the vice-president on the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council says.

  • The Union of B.C. Municipalities is asking the provincial government to make transit free for teenagers.

  • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

  • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

  • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

  • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

  • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

  • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

  • A new community health profile in the Algoma District shows the area is significantly below provincial averages in a number of health metrics.

  • North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.

  • Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.

N.L.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

Politics

Health

Sci-Tech

Entertainment

  • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

  • Viewers of Jeopardy got a chance to test their knowledge of trivia about B.C.'s biggest city Wednesday night.

Business

Lifestyle

  • They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Sports

  • BREAKING NEWS

    BREAKING NEWS

    Agreement to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), sources tell CTV News Ottawa.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

Autos

  • An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

  • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

Stay Connected
Follow CTV News