Ontario waiting on more than $1.5M in unpaid COVID-19 fines
CBC
It's been months since bylaw officers in Hamilton charged Harbour Diner for violating provincial COVID-19 measures, but owner Jenna Graham says she has no plans to pay the thousands of dollars in fines any time soon.
The City of Hamilton website shows the restaurant was charged four times for flouting pandemic precautions under the Reopening Ontario Act. But Graham says the fines are unjust. She's previously said her restaurant wouldn't enforce proof of vaccination, comparing the practice to segregation.
"We are fighting those tickets," she told CBC Hamilton, adding she's still waiting for a court date.
The charges against Graham are among thousands of COVID-19 charges in Ontario that are awaiting a court date or are in default because they haven't been paid.
Exclusive data from the Ministry of the Attorney General offers a breakdown of paid and unpaid fines under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA) and the Emergency Measures and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) as of the end of 2021.
Data from nine Ontario cities and regions also shows which regions saw the most charges laid.
The province has gained $2,045,016 from 15,054 charges, the data shows. But Ontario is waiting on another $1,550,168 from charges with defaulted fines.
There are also 2,260 charges under the ROA and EMCPA with future court dates.
While there are more paid fines than unpaid fines across the province, some municipalities are waiting for more money than they've received through ROA and EMCPA charges.
Hamilton, Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay are waiting on more money through defaulted fines than they have received through paid fines.
Hamilton has $215,985 in defaulted fines compared to $149,150 in paid fines.
Greater Sudbury has $36,143 in defaulted fines compared to $13,505 in paid fines.
Thunder Bay has the biggest disparity, with $73,155 in defaulted fines compared to $16,359 in paid fines.
Toronto collected the most in paid fines, bringing in $292,858, followed by Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Windsor and Ottawa.
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