INNISFAIL – Natalie Klein went to Red Deer on March 8 to answer to her highly publicized and controversial decision in January to defy provincial COVID restrictions.
The 42-year-old co-owner of Innisfail’s Bladez 2 Fadez Barbershop, along with her husband Yanik Brazeau, were served with two COVID-related violation tickets on Jan. 13; one for removing a notice posted for public information and another for contravening an order of the medical officer of health.
The couple were defying a provincial COVID restriction that all personal service businesses had to remain closed until at least Jan. 21. The province later announced that as of Jan. 18 personal service businesses could open by personal appointment only.
Klein still had to face the music about their earlier defiance.
But any worry about a potentially harsh punitive court order, which could have been fines of up to $5,000 for each of the three days she illegally re-opened her business, quickly vanished.
There was no trial. There was no admonishment by a judge. In fact, she didn’t even have to enter a courtroom.
After Klein arrived to face justice, she made an inquiry on where her trial would be held. She was told “there was no case” against her. She then called her lawyer, and was told the Crown withdrew all COVID-related violation ticket charges against her. Klein said no reason was given by court officials for the Crown’s decision to vacate the charges.
“The Crown figured there was really no evidence to go forward to trial. No laws were broken,” said Klein in an attempt to explain the turn of events.
The Albertan made attempts to find out why the charges were withdrawn. A spokesperson at Alberta Health Services referred the matter to the RCMP. Calls were made to the RCMP and Alberta’s Justice and Solicitor General ministry but no answer to The Albertan’s query was immediately returned.
Nevertheless, Klein was claiming victory, not only for herself but for all small businesses across the province who have been devastated by the pandemic and the accompanying provincial COVID restrictions.
“I feel like I have been vindicated. It has been a rough ride, and I have been publicly shamed and also congratulated, but in the end, we won and I did what I knew was right,” said Klein, adding she believes there is a new “positivity” toward her in the Innisfail community. “I think people are starting to reach out and be more forgiving I think of my stance. Now they know I am not a rebel barbershop.”
Klein said she believes her case will prove to other small business owners that they don’t need to lose everything because the COVID numbers advanced by the provincial government and health authorities “don’t add up.
“By me opening (it) has shown others that they don’t have to lose their business. Make a stand because this is their livelihood,” she said, adding business at her barbershop is now “amazing” compared to the dark days of early January when she feared her business just might go under unless concrete action, legal or otherwise, was taken.
“I could have lost the business for no reason because there were no (COVID) cases in the industry. I truly believe that is why the Crown withdrew (charges) because there was no evidence. (Premier Jason) Kenney himself said himself there was zero cases.”
Klein was even more blunt about the widespread perception of danger over COVID, believing the pandemic has been “blown out of proportion.
“To the point it has created future problems, bigger problems, more health problems than the actual COVID virus,” she said, adding her efforts to become a town councillor this fall will now continue. “It’s great. It’s growing. We have so much more followers now, good or bad press, people know.”
A more in-depth version of this article will appear in The Albertan's March 16 print edition.
