Ontario Provincial Police have charged independent MPP Randy Hillier for his role in an anti-lockdown rally last month that drew dozens of people to a restaurant in Kemptville, Ont. Hillier was one of four people charged Thursday for defying COVID-19 restrictions at the South Branch Bistro on April 8, 2021. Police identified Hillier, the MPP for Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston and a vocal opponent of the province's COVID-19 rules, as an organizer of the rally. Ontario Provincial police have charged the business and four individuals, including independent MPP Randy Hillier, with violating the Reopening Ontario Act. They also saw patrons who weren't observing physical distancing rules or wearing masks, including children and South Branch Bistro staff.

Source: CBC News April 29, 2021 20:15 UTC