Provincial property taxes of nearly $600,000, levied on Irving Oil's deep-water crude-oil tank farm back in March, was an error that did not signal an end to a four-decade-old tax exemption on the site, according to the New Brunswick government.

Instead, the exemption has been reactivated and the tax bill retracted.

In a series of emails explaining why provincial property-tax amounts charged to the tank farm appeared in March, but have since disappeared, the director of communications for Service New Brunswick said the property briefly lost its tax exemption classification in an inadvertent internal computer incident. 

"There was an activity to the property account that reset the classification," wrote Jennifer Vienneau.

"It has been manually reset to the original classification."

Service New Brunswick operates the province's property registry and says an error caused Irving Oil's Canaport oil terminal switch from 'provincial rate excluded' to 'fully taxable' in its system in March. (Karissa Donkin/CBC)

In March, the province issued property tax bills to all landowners in New Brunswick and for the first time in 42 years, it charged Irving Oil for provincial property taxes on a number of parcels that make up its Canaport crude-oil terminal.

All commercial and industrial properties in New Brunswick, from corner stores to nuclear plants, pay two property taxes, local and provincial, unless specifically exempted by legislation.

The tank farm pays full municipal property taxes to Saint John, but in 1981 it was awarded an exemption from paying provincial property tax by the former government of Richard Hatfield.

The facility sits on Mispec Point, next to Repsol's LNG terminal at the edge of the Bay of Fundy. 

It has a storage capacity of six-million barrels and receives shipments from ocean-going tankers that arrive from around the world multiple times each month. The tank farm feeds the crude to Irving Oil's Saint John refinery, about eight kilometres away by pipeline.

The property-tax exemption was meant to help Irving Oil weather a significant drop in North American petroleum consumption, caused by the 1979 oil crisis. Those troubles resolved themselves long ago, but the tax exemption has persisted.

    In March, Service New Brunswick posted a combined provincial and municipal tax levy of $357,070 on one Irving Oil property containing four crude-oil tanks at its Canaport terminal. Provincial taxes have since been removed, and the tax bill has dropped to $213,915. Other properties at the site have undergone similar reductions. (Service New Brunswick)

In its most recent 2021 accounting of the cost of exempting Irving Oil's crude-oil tank farm properties from provincial property taxes, the New Brunswick Department of Finance valued it to be worth $674,929 to the company. 

However, since 2021, provincial tax rates on business properties in New Brunswick have been reduced, and the value of the exemption in 2023 is closer to $580,000.

According to the finance department, the exemption's purpose remains to "support the competitiveness of infrastructure that is important for economic development."

Richard Hatfield was on record opposing special tax treatment for Irving Oil's Canaport oil terminal, but the former premier's government granted it a property-tax exemption in 1981, as sluggish petroleum markets in the U.S. caused the company financial trouble. (CBC NEWS)

There have been calls for the exemption on the tank farm to be terminated in the past, but action has yet to be taken.

In 2016, then opposition leader Blaine Higgs said the exemption should be reviewed and potentially cancelled, since the crisis it was created to help Irving Oil survive resolved itself in the 1980s.

"A lot of policies in government start for a good reason, but they never end," said Higgs.

"There's no exit clause, so it just doesn't hit the radar again."

In 2018, the New Brunswick Green Party put the cancellation of the property-tax exemption on crude-oil storage tanks into its election platform, but has been unable to effect that change in the legislature.

In March, Green Party Leader David Coon applauded what appeared to be the end of the exemption, when Service New Brunswick began showing full taxes being charged at the site. He said he is disappointed to hear that has been undone.

"It's surprising," said Coon in an interview this week. 

"It seems unlikely they made a mistake, but maybe it was. It's time for Irving Oil to pay their fair share on all of their properties."

    In this December 2016 interview with the CBC's Harry Forestell, then opposition leader Blaine Higgs said he would support ending a provincial property-tax exemption on Irving Oil's Canaport oil terminal, if a review showed it was no longer needed. (CBC)

Irving Oil did not respond to a request for comment about the tax change and whether a property tax exemption at the tank farm is still required by the company.

Irving Oil does not publicly report its financial results, but in 2022 oil companies across North America posted record financial returns.

Refiners like Valero Energy Corporation, which operates refineries in both the U.S. and Canada, and PBF Energy Inc., which refines and sells petroleum into eastern U.S. markets, each reported pre-tax profits in 2022 close to $3,000 US per barrel of their refining capacities. 

Results like that, if duplicated by Irving Oil, would have produced more than $1 billion in pre-tax 2022 earnings. 

Green Party Leader David Coon and MLAs Kevin Arseneau and Megan Mitton say Higgs has clearly lost the confidence of his caucus and should resign. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

Green Leader David Coon said earlier in the day that the extraordinary move by those Tories means Higgs must resign.

"He clearly has lost the confidence of a sizeable part of his cabinet. He needs to go."

Liberal Leader Susan Holt said her party was ready for an election and her MLAs would support any no-confidence vote against the government.

"I think what we've seen today is this government is not up to the challenge of leading our education system, and not up to the challenge of leading a cabinet or a caucus," she said.

Another PC caucus member could take over, Cardy says

Former education minister Dominic Cardy, who resigned last October and was ejected from the PC caucus, said an election isn't necessary to remove Higgs from office.

He told reporters that if the premier visits Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy and asked her to dissolve the house, she should instead ask the PC caucus if another of its members could take over and lead a government with majority support in the legislature.

Cardy acknowledged that move, while possible in the parliamentary system, is rare but not out of the question.

"The lieutenant-governor's job is to ascertain whether there's anybody else who can command the majority of the house," he said.

"I'm saying there are very clearly people who could do that job. The premier has shown today he can't even command his own caucus, his own cabinet."

The results of the review of Policy 713, which outlines minimum requirements for a safe environment for LGBTQ students, will be announced Thursday at a 9:15 a.m. news conference, which will be livestreamed by CBC News.

Harini Sivalangam, director of equality programs at the association, said they are especially concerned because of the rise of anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans sentiment in the country.

"We're also concerned about the domino effect that this may have across other jurisdictions," she said. "These policies were developed in consultation with stakeholders, and unilaterally making any changes to them is deeply concerning."

Harini Sivalangam, director of equality programs at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, says lawyers will be closely reviewing any changes to Policy 713. (Submitted by Canadian Civil Liberties Association)

Sivalangam said many provinces have almost identical policies to New Brunswick's. The move to review such a policy is unprecedented in Canada, she said, but has been seen in the United States.

"We don't see any governments trying to alter a policy that is working and is meeting the needs of students and school communities, which are trying to provide an inclusive space."

In Quebec, a group of parents, teachers and activists sent a letter to Quebec's minister of education asking him to take the same step as Higgs. They're asking to make it mandatory for teachers to tell parents if a child changes their name, pronoun or gender presentation. 

In Prince Edward Island, flyers have been popping up in people's mailboxes and windshields urging parents to keep their children out of school to protest LGBTQ-protection policies. 

What's under review

Two of the sections under review affirm students' rights to choose extracurricular activities and use washrooms that align with their gender identity.

A third says a principal must get the consent of a child under 16 before contacting parents to get their permission to make a name change official on school records. 

Premier Blaine Higgs and Education Minister Bill Hogan have both said the rights of LGBTQ children will not be rolled back.

Concerns 'echo the claims' of anti-LGBTQ groups

The New Brunswick Women's Council has called on the province to suspend the review partly because the concerns cited are similar to those shared by transphobic and anti-LGBTQ groups.

Premier Higgs has said it's inappropriate for children in younger grades to be exposed to drag storytime. The policy does not address drag events and curriculum, and it's not clear if any school has ever had drag events as part of class.

New Brunswick Education Minister Bill Hogan says the results of the review will be announced this week. (Radio-Canada)

Hogan has also said one of the concerns driving the review is "the rights of female students and whether or not they're comfortable going into a washroom with a biological male."

The right to use the washroom that matches a person's gender identity has been protected by both the federal and provincial Human Rights Act since 2017. 

Hogan began reviewing Policy 713 on April 21, suspending funding to training sessions and preventing department staff from giving presentations about it.

On May 5, a group of protesters appeared outside a New Brunswick Teachers' Association career-day event, holding signs calling educators "perverts" and sharing debunked conspiracy theories about children using litter boxes in schools. That's when the province confirmed it is reviewing the policy because of "misinterpretations and concerns."

When Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock asked the province to provide all correspondence that shows these concerns, he received copies of three emails. All three contain anti-LGBTQ sentiment, with one calling LGBTQ education "marxist ideology," and another denying that trans people exist and mentioning debunked conspiracy theories.

Sivalangam said hate against LGBTQ people has been on the rise. Just this week, the federal government announced $1.5 million for pride organizations to increase their security during events.

Protecting children from abuse

Gail Costello of Pride in Education helped implement the policy. She was a teacher for 30 years and said she's seen children kicked out of their homes, living on park benches and abused because their parents found out they were queer. She said this is why the policy says the school should check with the child before involving parents in the conversation.

Higgs cited "rights of parents to know" if their child is using a different name and pronoun in school. When asked if that means even homophobic parents, he said "I'm not distinguishing one parent from another." 

The premier has also said he's questioning whether allowing transgender girls to play on girls' sports teams would affect "fairness" for non-trans players. The New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletics Association, which represents all school sports, has previously said there have been no concerns about fairness, and it's received zero complaints about trans kids in the last decade.

After weeks of controversy, New Brunswick's minister of education unveiled three changes to a policy protecting LGBTQ students in schools, including no longer making it mandatory for teachers and staff to respect the chosen names and pronouns of children under 16 without parental consent. 

Bill Hogan said this will allow teachers to "maintain professionalism," and not have to "do something contrary to parents' wishes." 

The review removes a line that says the school must get the student's consent before trying to get a parent's consent to change the child's name on school records. It now says if a child doesn't consent to involving parents, they should be referred to social workers or a mental health professional. 

"We have no intention of telling parents about a child's gender identity if they don't wish us to do so. We're going to encourage them to speak with supportive professionals if they wish, and that's how we're going to proceed," Hogan said. 

Policy 713 was enacted in 2020 after consultations with stakeholders and experts. Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock, who previously said the entire review process was broken and "incoherent," said he is reviewing the changes and won't be making a public statement Thursday.

"I will provide a Legislative Analysis to the Assembly as per normal practice on legal changes affecting children," he said on social media.

Students from several New Brunswick, high schools, such as this one in Quispamsis, rallied in support of Policy 713 after the review became public knowledge. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

Hogan said this change addresses the issue of "keeping things hidden" from parents, a concern expressed by the premier after the review was announced.

Name changes on report cards a focus

Most of the changes pertain to what happens when a child requests an official name change on report cards and school systems.

The new policy has no guidelines for what happens when a child under 16 asks to go by a different name or pronoun unofficially. There is now no obligation for a teacher to use a child's chosen name in class, but no clear obligation to tell parents either.

The previous version made it clear that teachers must respect all children's chosen names and pronouns. The new version makes that obligation only relevant for students over 16.

WATCH | Education Minister Bill Hogan says it's 'fundamentally wrong' not to share children's gender identity changes with parents:

When asked about the ambiguity this introduces, Hogan said the province won't go on a "witch hunt" and check into classrooms to see how teachers are referring to students, but this change means teachers don't have to "do something contrary to parents' wishes."

He said he understands how not using a child's chosen pronoun or name can cause "trauma," and "may not be preferred by the child," but he said there will be professionals available to "work through that while respecting parents' rights."

Gender identity reference removed

Also now gone from the policy is mention of gender identity when it comes to sports and other activities. The revision says all students will be able to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities that are safe and welcoming, removing the phrase "consistent with their gender identity."

Hogan said the organizations that govern sports and extracurricular activities already have guidelines on this and there's no reason "to get into the middle of that."

The premier had questioned whether allowing transgender girls to play on girls' sports teams would affect "fairness" for non-trans players. The New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletics Association, which represents all school sports, has previously said there have been no concerns about fairness, and it's received zero complaints about trans kids in the last decade.

Private washrooms

The third section under review affirmed students' rights to use the washroom that aligns with their gender identity, and says each school must have at least one gender-neutral washroom. 

The new policy specifies that those universal washrooms be "private."

The minister also added a line that says: "Private and universal change rooms will be available in all schools."

Hogan said the results will come into effect on July 1.

- Mayor Daniel Guitard

The draft policy states that all oral and written communications from the municipality, including public notices, information documents, social media posts and the town's website will be solely in French. It also says the working language of government will be French. Public notices will be bilingual when it concerns health or public safety.

Belle-Baie's residents are 92 per cent francophone, so the town has no obligation to provide bilingual services.

Under New Brunswick's Official Languages Act, only a municipality whose official language minority population reaches at least 20 per cent is required to offer services in both English and French. Cities are also required to provide bilingual services.

'Very unwelcoming'

Before the creation of Belle-Baie, the former Town of Beresford published public notices in both official languages as a courtesy to English-speaking residents. In the 2021 census, 17.5 per cent of Beresford residents reported English as their first language, putting it just short of the 20 per cent threshold. Out of the 650 anglophones, 305 reported knowledge of English only.

Ashley Aube, an anglophone resident of Beresford for 15 years, said people first started raising concerns about French-only notices after a boil-water advisory was posted only in French. She said the warning was for an area adjacent to a daycare for anglophone children.

"It was always in French and English, even the town sign was in French and English," she said of services before the merger. "I don't know why when we became Belle-Baie that all of a sudden it had to become a French community."

Ashley Aube says she's concerned anglophone residents of Belle-Baie could miss important notices from the municipality. (Zoom/CBC)

Aube, who grew up in Ontario, said she speaks basic French but does not consider herself to be fully bilingual. She's concerned unilingual anglophones will be left out of cultural, recreational and community activities.

"Just assuming that they would understand French, to me, is very unwelcoming," she said.

In February, New Brunswick's Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages confirmed it had received complaints about the language policy in Belle-Baie.

Aube said she understands the desire to protect the French language, but said excluding an entire group of citizens from public notices is not the right approach.

Policy promotes French, mayor says

Guitard said Belle-Baie's transition committee, which was created to work on the amalgamation, decided the new municipality would operate in French given its linguistic composition. 

He said after launching a review of the policy, a committee of councillors consulted with experts, politicians and the province's Commissioner of Official Languages.

The municipality is currently serving residents in both official languages at its office and is personally communicating with individual residents in English when requested. Public notices and Facebook posts have only been made in French.

Guitard said anglophone residents will also be able to make presentations before council or ask questions in English. He said places like Belle-Baie are important for the francophone and Acadian linguistic minority community in New Brunswick.

He said his town accepts anglophones with "open arms" and will strive to offer quality services in English when requested. He said the "vast majority" of citizens he consulted with told him it was important to protect the French nature of the community.

"We had to come up with rules to make sure we serve our population, but we promote the French side of our community," he said.

"We're not a bilingual community, we're a French community. But we will provide services to citizens in English if they require it to be in English, in certain circumstances."

Belle-Baie will hear feedback on the draft policy at a public meeting on Tuesday.

The Progressive Conservative caucus rebellion against Premier Blaine Higgs may not be over yet.

Seven PC ministers and MLAs were back in their seats Friday morning, voting for government legislation.

But there were signs of continuing fractures over the government's changes to Policy 713, which sets out how schools must provide safe, inclusive spaces for LGBTQ students.

Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West PC MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason blasted a government bill that she said contradicted the premier's logic on revising Policy 713.

Among other changes, the new version of the policy removes any clear obligation that teachers have to respect a child's choice of a new name and pronouns within the classroom.

Higgs says this is aimed at putting parents at the centre of decisions about their children's education.

At the same time, Bill 46 will restrict the powers of elected anglophone district education councils to playing an advisory role.

"I find it really ironic that we are standing here today and have had so many conversations about the importance of the role of parents in the lives of their children in the education system," Anderson-Mason said during a committee debate on the bill.

"And this new legislation has the effect of almost fully eliminating the input of local communities on their children's education. … If that is the issue with 713, then explain to me how we can do what we're doing in the Education Act."

Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt said Anderson-Mason's comments were "not typical … so it is a sign that there continues to be dissent in caucus.

"They're feeling a lot like New Brunswickers, I think. They're not included in the process of major legislation."

Even before Anderson-Mason's speech, Green Leader David Coon said the revolt was still "simmering" and it would be a long weekend for some Tories.

"The premier's going to have to make a decision on how he's going to actually lead a government where he's lost the confidence of so many cabinet ministers and members of his caucus." 

Higgs questions MLA's motives

But Higgs told reporters Anderson-Mason had "another agenda" that he wouldn't identify.

He called her comments on a contradiction between the policy and the bill "a long reach."

"She is on her own mission and I'll leave it at that," he said.

Anderson-Mason was among the eight PC members who refused to take their seats Thursday morning after the release of the revisions to Policy 713.

They said they were expressing their "extreme disappointment in a lack of process and transparency."

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says the change to Policy 713 that removes the obligation for teachers to respect a child’s choice of a new name and pronouns within the classroom is aimed at putting parents at the centre of decisions about their children's education. (CBC)

Education Minister Bill Hogan told reporters before Anderson-Mason's speech that the state of the PC caucus was "absolutely fine" and that MLAs were united.

Higgs threatened on Thursday to call an election after the PC revolt broke out.

He said Friday "it remains to be seen" if the revolt is over.

"It's an unfortunate incident that happened yesterday but we are debating some big, big items. I've always been very open to have discussions but very reluctant to walk away from it and park it in a corner."

Minister denies rebellion

The seven dissidents back in the house Friday were ministers Dorothy Shephard, Trevor Holder, Arlene Dunn, Jeff Carr and Jill Green and backbenchers Ross Wetmore and Anderson-Mason.

The eighth, Local Government Minister Daniel Allain, was at an event in Moncton.

He told Radio-Canada there was "no rebellion" in the PC caucus but he'd "continue to promote transparency."

Holt said she hoped the eight Tories would vote for a motion she introduced Friday morning calling on the government to revert to the original Policy 713.

"I do think that some of them may be supportive of our motion," she said.

"What we're focused on right now is doing everything we can to defend the rights of children and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We are trying to use every tool in our toolkit to get this policy into the legislature." 

Departmental policies, unlike legislation, are not normally voted on in the legislature. Holt's motion would not come to a vote before next Thursday.

The changes to Policy 713 have received national attention, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighing in during a Thursday evening Pride event in Toronto.

"Trans kids need to feel safe, not targeted by politicians," he said.

Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt said Anderson-Mason’s comments were “not typical … so it is a sign that there continues to be dissent in caucus." (Ed Hunter/CBC)

Holt also called on the eight dissident PC MLAs to vote against a government motion Friday to limit debate on nine bills, including the DEC legislation, to a maximum total of 12 hours.

"I would be encouraged to see them stand up for democracy and vote down the closure motion," Holt said.

In the debate on the DEC legislation, Anderson-Mason said another flaw was that it was at odds with the original PC plan a year and a half ago to enshrine more local input, not less, in the Education Act.

WATCH| Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks about Policy 713:

The government wants the bill passed before the legislature's scheduled adjournment for the summer on June 16.

But Anderson-Mason said the 111-page bill was being "rushed through" and she would support an opposition motion to send it to the legislature's law amendments committee for further study.

"What is wrong with actually taking the legislation, showing it to people and saying, 'is this good? Does this work? Does this make sense?'"

Allain would not say Friday whether he thought Higgs should quit.

"It's his choice. At the end of the day, I am a proud Progressive Conservative."

New Brunswick municipalities continue to call for changes to a proposed law giving the minister of local government the power to repeal bylaws.

An amendment limiting how the power can be used passed during a committee meeting at the legislature Thursday. 

"We're happy to see the minister being willing to work with us to make those changes," Dan Murphy, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said Friday.

"But there's still concerns with the bill."

The union is one of three municipal associations in the province that raised the alarm over portions of Bill 45, which creates a new local governance commission. 

The commission, promised as part of sweeping local governance reforms the province has been enacting, will handle things like investigating code of conduct complaints or conflicts of interest.

But the bill would also allow the commission to review municipal bylaws and then gives the minister power to revoke them. 

Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers has called it an "erosion of democracy."

The bill was back before a legislative committee on Thursday. 

"We have listened to the concerns being raised and as a result we are proposing additional amendments to the bill today which would serve to further clarify the intent of the legislation," Daniel Allain, the minister of local government, said during the meeting. 

The amendments change the bill so that only a landowner, instead of any person, can seek a review of a bylaw that "prevents the reasonable use of the property."

During a previous committee meeting last month, Allain used an example of a farm that's existed for decades surrounded by new homes. 

He said if the municipality passed a bylaw restricting how that farm can operate, the bill would allow the farmer to ask for the commission, and minister, to review the bylaw. 

On Thursday, Allain said the department is working with municipal associations to limit what categories of bylaws could be subject to review or ministerial revocation. 

But Murphy said the group representing 54 municipalities still doesn't understand why existing processes, which require bylaws to pass three votes at public meetings, are insufficient.

"The examples that the minister has given as to why he would use that power, when he would use that power mostly seem to deal with former local service districts that now find themselves in a municipality or new municipalities that have just been created due to reform," Murphy said. 

"So that's the piece where we're saying if that's the case, then we should … prioritize working with those new communities, helping them have the information and the resources they need to make sure they're making good decisions."

Green Party Leader David Coon said it doesn't make any sense that the minister would be seeking to gain so much authority. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

Opposition MLAs also questioned the purpose of giving the minister the power to revoke a bylaw. 

Liberal MLA Jacques LeBlanc said there should have been more consultation about the bill and that it gives too much power to the minister. 

Green Party Leader David Coon said the party's main concern with the bill is the increased power it would grant the minister. 

"From our perspective, it doesn't make any sense that the minister would be seeking to gain so much authority as it's described in this current Bill 45," Coon said.

Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau attempted to amend the bill to remove the minister's revocation powers, but the motion was voted down.

In response to several questions, Allain has said the commission and ministerial power to revoke a bylaw are needed so landowners have a mechanism to avoid going through the "overwhelmed" court system. 

"I can't see this being something used on a regular basis," Allain said.

"However, if there's a property owner that feels that they've been wronged in some way, they don't have to go to the courts. They go through the new municipal, independent local governance commission."

Allain did not provide an interview about the legislation on Friday. 

The legislation is expected to continue to be discussed by the legislature's committee on economic policy. It also still needs to pass third reading.

Murphy says the union is also concerned about other aspects of the legislation, including the commission's power to access private documents and how costs related to its investigations may be handled. 

O'Connell and two of her friends, Bonnie Antoniuk of Geary and Sheryl Deveaux of Lincoln, both near Fredericton, are more than halfway through a ride of about 18,000 km across the continent and back.

The trio, all of them in their 50s, departed from Saint John on May 20 and arrived in western Canada this week after driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica, California, where they'd reached the western end of Route 66. They expect to take another two weeks to get home to New Brunswick.

The travelling companions met through motorcycling. Antoniuk and O'Connell have each been riding for about 15 years, Deveaux for six.

From left, O'Connell, Deveaux and Antoniuk. The women have been getting lots of respect and encouragement from people they’ve met along the way. (Cheryl O'Connell/Facebook)

Deveaux is retired from the military. Antoniuk is also retired, and O'Connell works Irving Oil.

It was O'Connell's idea to drive Route 66. She was attracted by its iconic status and the challenge it presented. Antoniuk and Deveaux jumped at the opportunity to join the adventure and see new sights.

"Life is short. If you have a dream, don't wait," said Antoniuk. 

"We only get one chance … and something bad can happen home sitting in a recliner."

Deveaux agreed.

"You can sit on the couch, watch life pass you by and the sun go up and the sun go down. Or you can just seize every moment you can. And just be joyful and kind. It's just about being in the moment."

Sheryl Deveaux stands before the Grand Canyon, which they took a detour to see. (Sheryl Deveaux/Facebook)

Biking is a full-body, immediate experience, said Antoniuk, who rides a 2013 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. 

"You feel the temperature. You smell the smells, be they good or bad. You feel the wind."

"It's such an empowering feeling of freedom. You feel like you're in that environment as you're riding through it," she said.

Deveaux finds biking is therapeutic.

"You can be on your bike for two hours and it's like six sessions of therapy. Everything just releases," she said.

"You just are focused on the road, the scenery … It brings me such peace."

The highlights of the trip so far have included "jaw dropping" views of the Grand Canyon and "old-school" towns, said Deveaux.

"I felt like I was in a movie," she said.

Antoniuk had a couple of scary moments while driving in heavy traffic in major cities.

Standing beneath the sign marking the end of Route 66 was a joyful moment, said Antoniuk, as they completed a major leg of their trip. (Cheryl O'Connell/Facebook)

Having no navigation system of her own, she had to "really pull it together and twist the throttle to make sure she didn't lose the other two bikes."

The Pacific Coast has held the greatest challenge so far for Deveaux, who's of smaller stature and is riding a 2018 Indian Scout, which is a lighter bike.

"The wind will blow you around like a rag doll," she said. "You lean into the wind and then the wind changes direction."

One of the most intense moments was an extreme temperature drop when entering Los Angeles, said O'Connell.

They were dressed lightly when they were suddenly hit by the cold, and there was nowhere to stop on the five-lane highway for about 40 minutes.

But it's been even more challenging mentally than physically, she said. While driving past incredibly beautiful landscapes — like vineyards and redwood forest — you also have to keep your head in the game to stay safe.

The women have been getting lots of respect and encouragement from people they've met along the way — envious seniors who've said they always wanted to do something like this, girls who've said they think it's the coolest thing they've ever seen and men who've said, "Wow, I'd never do that."

Winslow, Arizona, was a highlight for Antoniuk, famous because of the Jackson Brown-Glenn Frey song, Take it Easy. (Sheryl Deveaux/Facebook)

They've actually surprised themselves by what they've been able to do.

Antoniuk has chronic heart disease and has had two cardiac arrests. By the second day, her back was already hurting. But a day or two later, she got into a groove.

"I'm amazed at my stamina and my riding ability through these huge cities," she said.

Deveaux also had doubts about being physically able to complete the trip and has been taking it one day at a time. 

Encouragement from her companions helped her push through this week, to reach one destination that was very meaningful to her — a cape along the Pacific that her brother had visited shortly before he died in an accident nine years ago. She spread some of his ashes there.

The wind was challenging but the views, like this one of the Oregon coast, were spectacular along the Pacific Coast Highway, they said. (Bonnie Antoniuk/Facebook)

"We've supported each other each day and some days are easier than others," said O'Connell.

"We just pick each other up and keep moving."

The best is yet to come for O'Connell — a visit with her grandchildren when they reach Alberta.

Turmel, 72, holds the Guinness World Record for most elections contested – he earned it at 90 elections in 2016. As of the March by-election in Hamilton Centre, where he earned 37 votes, he now sits at 106 campaigns, none of which he has won. 

The Brantford resident – who goes by John "The Engineer" Turmel on the ballot, and is often seen in a white hard hat – has campaigned against interest on credit, COVID-19 lockdowns and cannabis prohibition. He first started running for elections in Ottawa in the late 1970s, making a name for himself by showing up at debates where he hadn't been invited and claiming a spot on stage.

"If it's open to the public, I go grab a chair and make them call a cop," explained Turmel in a rambling Zoom interview in mid-May, during which he repeatedly compared himself to Mr. Spock from Star Trek.

"I take a stand and I make them remove me, and that's my standard practice. And a couple of times the audience shouted at the moderators and said, 'let him stay,' and they did. Wow."

Turmel says he's motivated by the duty he swore to uphold when he got his iron ring as an engineering graduate: using his knowledge to try to fix the problems he sees all around. It's a notion that has also propelled him into the courts, launching so many legal cases – and helping others do so as well – that Canada's Federal Court labelled him a "vexatious litigant" last year, a charge that prevents him from "instituting or continuing litigation" and "providing assistance to other litigants."

Turmel owes thousands in unpaid court costs

In addition to launching legal proceedings on his own behalf related to several of his pet causes, Turmel has also helped at least 800 others file proceedings with the court, through templates he creates and shares online. The court's judgment against him, issued in November, says he launched at least 67 legal proceedings since 1980: 20 at the Federal Court, 13 appeals to the Federal Court of Appeal, 18 applications and appeals in the Ontario courts, and 17 applications for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. 

"The proceedings have concerned a wide range of legal issues, and have been almost entirely unsuccessful," states the decision by Justice Simon Fothergill. "Common reasons for dismissal are that the claims failed to disclose reasonable causes of action, were scandalous, frivolous, vexatious or abuses of process, or were unsupported by evidence."

The decision also notes that Turmel owes thousands of dollars in unpaid court costs.

"Mr. Turmel has paid just one of the many costs orders issued against him, in the amount of $100," the court judgment says. "The remaining accumulated sum of $18,453.04 remains unpaid. An additional 22 cost orders totalling $16,362.82 awarded against his kit users remain unpaid. In social media posts, Mr. Turmel has told kit users that 'It's okay to skip out on costs' and remarked, 'I'd forgotten about all the times I stiffed them on costs.'"

"The Crown said, 'Enough with these templates,'" Turmel told CBC Hamilton, saying he plans to appeal the designation and is currently waiting for an appeal date. "I'm going to say, 'How dare you guys call me, who's a million times sharper than you clowns, a vexatious litigant.

"Well, excuse me, but I'm proud of every one of those moves I put together… I'm proud of them all being righteous, OK?"

Turmel's repeated candidacy has informed Brantford debate format

Turmel says his election campaigns have a similar goal as his court cases – to draw attention to his lifelong crusade to eliminate interest and have the Bank of Canada offer interest-free credit cards. He says his platform for election in Brantford also included reprogramming the city computers to allow barter as a form of currency, and a proposal to get kids to shovel snow in exchange for bus tickets.

"[I asked] 100 students, 'Would you work for bus tickets?' Six bus tickets, that's $12 an hour. Yeah, they all would, except one guy – an idiot."

He says he doesn't canvas, but does show up to debates when he can, whether that's picketing outside because he wasn't invited or claiming a seat for himself. In Brantford's recent election, he says he was happy to be invited to the televised debate, even though he doesn't love the format.

"You… get two minutes to talk about what you want to talk about and the rest of the time you're answering questions about what they want to talk about," he said.

John Turmel delays a 2013 Toronto-Centre federal by-election debate by taking to the stage at Jarvis Collegiate in Toronto. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images)

Turmel has a tendency to focus on his pet issues instead of answering moderators' questions, says David Prang, chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Brantford-Brant, which helps mount the city's televised debates.

"The perception in the community is he takes up time and distracts from issues that are of broader community importance than the issues he's trying to advocate for, like time-banking, and legalization of cannabis," Prang told CBC. "We ask questions that, from a chamber perspective, are business-oriented questions and we don't get back business oriented results."

Prang says Turmel's constant candidacy played a role in shaping the organization's candidate policy for TV debates, which no longer allows members of fringe parties to appear. 

"We want engaged debates that are not just entertaining but also informative. You can't have that when you have multiple candidates [that are focused on single issues]."

When Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal got back from meetings in Canada with Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in April, he took to his Facebook page to point out how Canada's latest sanctions targeted Volga-Dnepr — a Russian cargo airline a Ukrainian court had already grounded for alleged safety violations.

"Preparing for the confiscation of the [Antonov-124] plane and other assets of the aggressor in Canada and [transferring] them to the benefit of Ukraine," Shmyhal wrote.

Canada added both the Volga-Dnepr Group and Volga-Dnepr Airlines to its list of sanctioned Russian entities on April 5. But officials said very little about seizing this cargo plane — until Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed Canada's intentions as part of another assistance package for Ukraine announced during Trudeau's recent surprise trip.

"Should the asset ultimately be forfeited to the Crown, Canada will work with the Government of Ukraine on options to redistribute this asset to compensate victims of human rights abuses, restore international peace and security, or rebuild Ukraine," says a news release issued Saturday by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Notwithstanding this apparent slow walk to an official announcement, Trudeau said his government's plan is to make this forfeiture happen "as soon as possible."

"We are one of the first countries to bring in specific legislation that allows us not just to ground this plane but to actually seize it and ensure that it is never used by Russia again in the war effort or any other efforts," Trudeau told reporters.

"There is a process. This is one of the early processes we're going through. I can tell you the Ukrainians are very pleased that the path is started, not just for Canada but hopefully for other countries as well."

Budget bill used for sanctions law

The federal government gave itself the power to seize and sell Russian assets through budget implementation legislation a year ago.

At the time, Freeland was told the seizure powers could be risky for Canada.

Some warned that the new powers played a bit loose with international law. Some predicted that selling off or transferring Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine (or pursue other worthy causes) would open the door to hostile governments retaliating by liquidating Canadian-owned assets — putting the foreign investments of Canadian citizens and companies at increased risk whenever foreign relations turn sour.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, seen here meeting Justin Trudeau during the Canadian prime minister's surprise visit to Kyiv Saturday, scooped the Canadian government by revealing on Facebook that Canada would seize a Russian cargo plane two months before the federal cabinet actually issued its order to do so. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Canada didn't use its new powers immediately.

Its first move came last December 19, with an order-in-council to seize $26 million US in financial assets held by Granite Capital, a company believed to be owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Saturday's order seizing Volga-Dnepr's Antonov-124 is only Ottawa's second use of this power.

Sanctions usually freeze assets as a (hopefully) temporary incentive to change behaviour. When assets are sold as punishment, they can't be returned if and when the harm stops. Trade experts say that's a significant departure from past practice.

"Canada is really being viewed as the test case," said John Boscariol, a Toronto lawyer who represents individuals and businesses affected by sanctions regulations. To date, the U.S. has gone after Russian oligarch money only in connection with criminal activities.

"They're going to be very careful to dot the i's and cross the t's," Boscariol said. "The last thing they want is for this to be a failure."

No court filing yet

Issuing an order-in-council to seize an asset is only the first step. Under Canada's law, these assets remain the property of their Russian owners until a Canadian court orders a forfeiture.

At the time this article was published, the federal government had yet to confirm anything has been filed in an Ontario court on either the cargo plane or the seizure of Abramovich's assets. Case watchers must diligently check and check again for progress.

Procedural fairness requires the Russian owners to be represented in court. But it's not yet clear how that would work. A Canadian law firm might require special permission from Joly to act on behalf of a sanctioned entity or individual, as commercial dealings (like being paid for legal services) are otherwise prohibited.

GAC declined to answer questions from CBC News on whether ministerial permits to allow for such legal representation have been granted or are in the works.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland paid tribute to fallen soldiers at Ukraine's Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv Saturday. Trudeau's government has pledged to use the proceeds from selling off Russian assets in Canada to help fund Ukraine's reconstruction. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Pool via Associated Press)

A certain amount of uncertainty and chaos comes with any unprecedented legal process. But the Trudeau government's latest attempt to crack down on Russian President Vladimir Putin's enablers imposes new burdens on a Canadian sanctions regime that practitioners like Boscariol have long claimed fails to provide effective guidance on how companies and individuals can avoid violations in their business dealings.

This spring's budget bill — now in the Senate following passage by the House of Commons last week — includes attempts to clarify previous vague definitions of ownership that now become more critical if the government intends to begin seizing assets that may be partly, but not entirely, held or controlled by people or companies on Canada's sanctions list.

COVID delivery landed plane in Toronto

The only reason this plane is even in Canada now is that it was contracted to deliver massive shipments of COVID tests for the federal government.

Its arrival at Pearson coincided, and then collided, with the swift and firm response of Western allies to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Within hours of offloading its pandemic procurement, Canada closed its airspace to all Russian aircraft.

That left one of the world's biggest cargo planes stranded at Toronto's busiest airport. Other Russian transport jets were also grounded in Germany by similar actions.

Parking a plane this size at Pearson carries a hefty price tag, reportedly north of $1,000 US a day.

That means the company may now owe the airport authority hundreds of thousands of dollars. Does Volga-Dnepr have any incentive to pay the bill for a plane it's about to forfeit?

It's also unclear whether the aircraft remains airworthy. Massive jets big enough to airlift Leopard tanks for the Canadian military aren't intended to sit on the tarmac for months. It's not clear it is even legal to be paid to conduct maintenance on a sanctioned asset.

This Anatov-124 — nicknamed the "T-Rex of heavy lift aviation"— takes 24 wheels to support its weight. Having that sinking into in the same pavement for months takes a toll on already-strained cargo infrastructure.

On Monday, Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, thanked Transport Minister Omar Alghabra for his "leadership on this file"— without specifying exactly what will happen next. The airport authority punted those questions back to the federal government.

Nevertheless, Flint said, "this action will eventually allow us to begin using the parking space currently occupied by the aircraft for operations."

"While the asset is seized, Public Services and Procurement Canada will take control of and manage the asset in accordance with that order," GAC spokesperson Jason Kung said in response to questions from CBC News late Sunday. "Public Services and Procurement Canada manages seized property in accordance with federal regulations and disposes of it should the courts declare forfeiture."

In its coverage of this announcement, Kremlin-friendly Russia Today referred to the plane as "stolen" by Canada.

"The world is watching," Boscariol said. "Whenever you set a precedent like this, there's going to be accusations that you're not doing something in accordance with the international order."

"I think they now need to be worried about Russia taking action against Canadian investments within the territory of Russia" or making claims under its bilateral investment treaty, he said.

"This won't be without consequence," he added.

"At the same time, from the Canadian government's perspective, the optics of the government acting to seize assets of major Russian corporations in Canada is — they think, at least — very positive. I won't be surprised to see more like this."

Bill 46 would turn anglophone district education councils into advisory bodies with no direct decision-making power.

Anderson-Mason, the MLA for Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West, said in the legislature the bill will "remove debate and discourse at the local level. It eliminates the checks and balances that are there to protect our citizens, our families, our children."

George Daley, for deputy minister of education, said the controversial review of Policy 713 is an example of what will happen more often if anglophone district education councils are neutered. (CBC)

The two PC MLAs made their move following an email from former anglophone deputy minister of education George Daley to the eight Tories who issued a statement last week, complaining of a lack of transparency and process on the Policy 713 review.

Daley was fired last fall not long after then-education minister Dominic Cardy quit over proposed changes to French immersion.

"What I witnessed while in the deputy role left me feeling that our NB democracy had truly been hijacked over the last three years," Daley wrote to the eight MLAs.

"Your efforts last week have given me some glimmer of hope."

The vote to advance Bill 46 came after MLAs from all parties gathered outside the legislature at noon for the raising of the Pride flag, an event proposed by the Liberals. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

In his email, obtained by CBC News, Daley complained of "the continual chaos" he said Premier Blaine Higgs was inflicting on the anglophone school system.

He said the controversial review of Policy 713, which sets minimum standards for schools to provide safe and inclusive learning spaces for LGBTQ students, is an example of what will happen more often if Bill 46 passes and anglophone district education councils are neutered.

"There is nothing in my educational career that I think will have a worse effect on our system than this currently proposed model," Daley wrote.

"Please continue to be courageous whether it is on this bill or with other significant decisions," he said.

Higgs told reporters the dissenting votes by Wetmore and Anderson-Mason were "concerning," but said he was happy the bill advanced to a different committee process for "a good open discussion" this week.

The bill is one of nine subject to a PC motion limiting debate time.

That motion will come up for a vote on Thursday, with approval effectively cutting off further discussion of Bill 46 and eight others so the house can adjourn for the summer on Friday.

But Higgs said he was prepared to have the legislature sit next week if the education bill needs more time.

"I'm prepared to stay in the House and if the questions aren't all answered, we'll just continue the House," he said.

The premier says the bill is aiming at improving the governance of the anglophone education system to produce improved performance.

"Something has to be different. There has to be a step change in how we find better results," he said.

Pride flag raised

The vote to advance Bill 46 came after MLAs from all parties gathered outside the legislature at noon for the raising of the Pride flag.

Several PC MLAs attended, including Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan.

He said his presence was important in light of the debate over Policy 713 that has been unfolding over the last five weeks. 

"I think absolutely it's important for me to be here so that people understand that I support diversity, I support the LGBTQ+ community, and what we're doing has nothing to do with trying to roll back anyone's rights," he said.

"I respect them. I think we need to ensure they feel safe and protected."

Gail Costello, of Pride in Education, and Social Development Minister Dorothy Shepherd at the raising of the Pride flag. (Ed Hunter/CBC)

The government's changes to the policy announced last week include ending an obligation for teachers to respect a student's choice of name and pronouns without parental notification if they're younger than 16.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt said she has decided to devote her party's debate time on Thursday to a motion calling on the government to undo the changes, in the hope some PC MLAs will support it.

The motion is not binding and if passed would not change the policy.

Local Government Minister Daniel Allain, one of the eight PCs who issued the dissenting statement last week, said he has not decided yet how he'll vote on the Liberal motion. 

"It's a social discussion that's dividing New Brunswickers, and I'm going to talk to my colleagues all this week and see where it goes. So we'll see what happens."

Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard, another dissenter, spent several minutes at the flag raising talking to Pride in Education co-chair Gail Costello.

Shepherd gave Costello a supportive tap on the forearm as they wrapped up their conversation.