B.C. couple pleads guilty after flying to Yukon to jump COVID-19 vaccine queue
A plea has been entered in the case of a B.C. couple accused of chartering a flight to a remote Yukon community to get their COVID-19 vaccinations before they were eligible in their home province.
Rod Baker, former CEO of a gaming company, and his wife, Ekaterina, pleaded guilty in a Whitehorse courtroom Wednesday.
The Bakers had been charged under the territory's Civil Emergency Measures Act with failing to self-isolate for 14 days and to act in a manner consistent with their declarations upon arriving in Yukon. Each has been ordered to pay a total of $1,150, a financial penalty proposed in a joint submission by Crown and defence.
The amount is the maximum $500 fine per count they've been charged with, plus a victim surcharge of $75 per count, and each was charged with two counts under the act.
The judge called their actions pre-meditated, cavalier and careless, and agreed to the sentencing submission.
Chief Judge Michael Cozens acknowledged mitigating factors during the hearing, including that no one contracted COVID-19 through the couple.
The court heard they have also each donated $5,000 to COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, a worldwide effort to ensure fair access to doses.
In an agreed statement of facts, the court heard the Vancouver couple flew to the area, claiming they were there for tourism and education.
Two days later, they took a chartered plane to the small community of Beaver Creek, located about a 30-minute drive from the Alaska border, back in January.
It is alleged the purpose of this trip was so that the couple could secure their first doses of COVID-19 vaccines early, as they were not yet eligible through B.C.'s age-based timeline.
Officials say the pair posed as hospitality workers at the time, in order to qualify for the shot. They were vaccinated with one dose each at a mobile clinic, then flew black to Whitehorse.
They were stopped at the airport as they tried to fly home, those involved in the investigation said.
Crown attorney Kelly McGill said there was a "high level of deception" involved, including that they'd pre-registered to get their shots at the clinic.
According to McGill, the trip cost the couple about $10,000.
Rod Baker, who was earning millions of dollars in his job at Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, according to a 2019 figure, resigned from the Toronto-based company a few days after the allegations were made public.
The Bakers chose not to speak during Wednesday's hearing, but their lawyer told the court they apologized unreservedly, and that they regret the impact of their actions, including psychological harm to the community outlined in an impact statement.
Janet Vander Meer, a member of the White River First Nation which makes up about half of Beaver Creek's population of 100, said some of the area's most vulnerable residents felt anxiety, thinking the clinic may not have been safe.
Prior to the incident, Vander Meer said in her statement, "It was never a thought in our mind that someone would take advantage of our situation as a small, remote community."
The allegations drew scrutiny from health officials and the general public, as well as B.C. Premier John Horgan.
At a news conference in January, the premier called the wealthy couple's alleged actions "offensive" and "about as un-Canadian as you can get."
As for when they'd get their second dose of the vaccine, B.C.'s Ministry of Health said at the time where was "no room" in its system for people who deliberately skipped the line, and that they would not be able to book an appointment in the province until others in their age category are eligible for that dose.
B.C.'s top doctor, who has been leading the province's fight against COVID-19, said if the allegations were true, the Bakers should be "ashamed."
"They put a community at risk for their own benefit, and that, to me, is appalling," Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan in Victoria, APTN's Sara Connors in Whitehorse and The Canadian Press's Brenna Owen in Vancouver
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.