COVID-19 Ticket Outcomes

For the period of: April 8, 2020, to November 2, 2024

What offences and fine amounts are included in these statistics?

Provincial statute offences:

• section 99 of The Public Health Act
• Fail to comply with a public health emergency order. Fines are set at:
• Individual 1st ticket $1,296, 2nd and subsequent tickets $2,542
• Business $5,000
• Fail to comply with emergency health hazard order. Fines: same as above.
• Fail to comply with a public health emergency order, namely mask in public place. Fines:
• 1st ticket $298, 2nd and subsequent tickets $486
• section 20(1)(a) of The Emergency Measures Act
• Fail to comply with a provincial emergency order, or an emergency order of a local authority.
• Individual $1,296
• Business $5,000

Federal statute offences, all under the Quarantine Act:

• section 12 - Failure to present oneself to a screening officer at the nearest entry point. Fine: $1453.
• section 26 - Failure to comply with an order regarding a treatment or a measure for preventing the introduction and spread of a communicable disease. Fine: $5150.
• section 58 - Failure to comply with an order prohibiting or subjecting to any condition the entry into Canada. Fine: $8550.
• section 66(a) - Hinder or wilfully obstruct a quarantine officer, screening officer or environmental health officer. Fine: $2600.
• section 66(b) - Make a false or misleading statement to a quarantine officer, screening officer or environmental health officer. Fine: $1453.

What happens after a ticket is issued?

Tickets are issued under The Provincial Offences Act (POA) for provincial statute offences, federal contraventions prescribed under the Contraventions Act, and in some cases, municipal by-law offences.

The way a ticket may proceed through the Provincial Offences Court is provided for under the POA. Tickets are filed with the court no later than 14 days after they are signed by the enforcement officer, and the defendant has 30 days to respond. The response options are to pay the ticket, dispute the offence and schedule a hearing, or admit the offence but seek a reduced fine amount or more time to pay. If the defendant does not respond to the ticket a default conviction will be entered, a penalty will be added to the fine amount, and a notice will be sent out with a time to pay date. The time required for each of these proceedings varies from case to case.

Payments on fines may be received by the courts for months or years after a conviction on a ticket, depending on the amount of time the defendant has been given to pay.

The legislation states that the amount of an unpaid fine for provincial offences or federal contraventions is a debt due to the government. When a time to pay period has expired, the ticket is sent for collections action. Payments on fines as a result of collections activities may occur for months or years following a conviction on a ticket.

Terminology

Disposed – The ticket has been paid; or it was disputed and the court dismissed it; or the Crown attorney stayed proceedings; or it will not proceed due to a flaw as provided for under the POA.

Active – Not disposed. Active tickets may be in the initial response period, or the defendant may be awaiting a hearing date or be in a time to pay period following an admission or conviction.