VANCOUVER – The popular O Canada singer at the Vancouver Canucks hockey games said he knew he could lose his job for fighting the “tyranny” of COVID-19 restrictions.
Mark Donnelly sang the anthem at an event called the Christmas Freedom Rally in Vancouver on Saturday, where hundreds of people protested the restrictions imposed by the BC Provincial Health Commissioner.
Francesco Aquilini, owner of Vancouver Canucks, tweeted late Friday that Donnelly was now the former singer of the Canucks anthem, followed by the hashtag #wearamask.
Donnelly told the crowd, many of whom didn’t wear masks or social distancing, that he chose to sing because he was questioning the “draconian lockdown protocols”.
“What was originally sold as a 15-day sprint for the common good has turned into a 10-month marathon from hell that keeps pushing the finish line further into the distance,” he said.
He said he doesn’t think health officials conducted a cost-benefit analysis to examine the harms of the restrictions versus preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“As someone who is known for singing our great national anthem, I am quite simply against tyranny,” he said to applause and cheers from the crowd.
Donnelly said his firing was censorship by an institution he has followed for 50 years and with which he has been publicly associated since 2001.
“Athletes, entertainers, politicians, etc. can stand for anything as long as it supports the narrative. They can support civil unrest, looting, destruction of livelihood and reputation, but take a position against the narrative and are worthy of exile or worse.”
Donnelly said he had no direct contact with Aquilini or the Canucks, and if he were no longer on the team, a phone call would have been a more respectful way to find out his reasons for participating in the rally.
He had hoped the Canucks property and administration would have “had the courage to support the freedom to express a science-based position for the good of the country,” he said.
None of the Canucks responded to a request for comment.
The demonstrators then took to the streets in March.
Vancouver police spokeswoman Tania Visintin said police must exercise discretion with large groups of protesters who violate public health regulations. Public safety is a priority.
She said mass arrests or ticketing could escalate an already tense situation.
“This position does not automatically guarantee anyone special privileges during a protest. The bottom line is that people who violate public health regulations could be issued a ticket. The officers act discreetly in every situation. “
British Columbia Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said last month she “doesn’t have time for people who believe that wearing a mask somehow makes them sick or is a sign of a lack of freedom”.
Instead, she said that wearing a mask is about showing respect for those suffering collectively from the pandemic.
This Canadian press report was first published on December 5, 2020.
– with files from News 1130.
