BOWDEN — Charges have been dropped against Gail Northcott, one of two Bowden-area residents charged in connection with the so-called anti-lockdown rodeo held last May.
However, charges against Ty Northcott and their company involved in the event remain.
On May 1-2 last year, a rodeo was held in Red Deer County near Bowden in defiance of COVID-19 restrictions.
Shortly afterward, Ty and Gail Northcott and their company, Northcott Rodeo Inc., were charged with violating Section 73(1) of the Public Health Act for holding the event, thereby allegedly contravening of health restrictions which at the time prohibited large public gatherings.
On Thursday, Oct. 13, at the start of a two-day trial in Red Deer Provincial Court, prosecutor Peter Mackenzie dropped the charge against Gail.
He also asked that that case be adjourned because new information had been provided to him by Alberta Health Services.
Court was told it took time to go through all that information, so it could not be relayed to Calgary defence lawyer Steven Whitehead until late Wednesday.
In an interview with the Albertan, Mackenzie confirmed that although the charge against Gail were dropped, those against Ty and Northcott Rodeo are still set for trial on Dec. 20.
