BREAKING: Alexa Lavoie detained by police for attempting to ask Trudeau a question
'This was a blatant attempt to target and punish me for doing journalism that challenges their narrative, meaning the narrative that aligned with the Liberals,' said Lavoie.
While covering the Liberal Party cabinet retreat in Montebello, Quebec, Rebel News journalist Alexa Lavoie was unexpectedly detained by police and ticketed.
"There were three provincial police officers with three cruisers," she said, recalling the incident. "They threatened to arrest me for obstruction. I gave [them] my name but I didn’t have to show ID."
While en route, Lavoie received two tickets nearing $1,000 in fines for reportedly not wearing a seatbelt and failure to identity herself. The journalist refutes the charges, saying she wore a seatbelt and identified herself to officers at their behest.
The fine came with three demerit points against Lavoie, who was not the driver at the time of the incident. "As a passenger, I wasn’t required to present ID," she said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quietly announced another cabinet retreat last week, his final such retreat before his successor is chosen on March 9. It will convene Monday and Tuesday to focus on “defending Canadian interests,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
"This was a blatant attempt to target and punish me for doing journalism that challenges their narrative, meaning the narrative that aligned with the Liberals," Lavoie claimed.
"I came to Montebello to cover the Liberal retreat taking place here," clarified Lavoie. "We brought our billboard truck to display a clear message: We want an election now, and it’s time to [take Ottawa's] Hands Off Alberta."
She told Rebel News the truck was "parked peacefully" for hours at a nearby gas station after being asked to leave the hotel property. "We complied without issue and continued our coverage over the truck by doing a stand-up nearby before driving around the city."
Approximately one minute after we left, the police turned their light on to pulled us over. "Initially, they cited something which led to no fines," Lavoie said. "But since I was filming, it was obvious that the officer tried to dig for something to use against us. After a back-and-forth, they issued me two fines."
SHOCKING: Trudeau Cabinet's three-day retreat costs taxpayers nearly half a million dollars!
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 9, 2024
Franco Terrazzano (@franco_nomics) from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins @EzraLevant to discuss this issue, emphasizing the high cost per person.
MORE: https://t.co/ZOIpejxlt5. pic.twitter.com/B0qBhqA3FU
"It’s clear this was an attempt to silence me and Rebel News," Lavoie continues, "because our reporting holds politicians accountable, something the woke, progressive establishment doesn’t like. This is yet another example of the two-tier policing and justice system we’re living under."
"While we will challenge these fines in court and fight for justice, I’m especially concerned about the three demerit points. It feels like they’re trying to strip me of my ability to drive, which would hinder my work as a journalist."
The retreat coincides with President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, DC, as well as the threat of 25% tariffs on all Canadian exports for failure to secure its borders.
A cabinet retreat last year focused on "affordability" made a mockery of the issue plaguing Canadians. According to records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the three-day meeting cost $500,000 including $50,000 on a “banquet.”
It cost over one million dollars for three "affordability" retreats by Trudeau's cabinet from September 2022 to August 2023.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
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COMMENTS
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2025-01-20 20:38:57 -0500Ah, but Trudeau has publicly stated that he doesn’t consider Rebel to be a journalistic organization, so it’s fair game. -
Bruce Atchison commented 2025-01-20 18:22:32 -0500All this persecution of conservative journalists is Trudeau’s fault. He sets the policing tone as well as the tone of all the bureaucrats. The sooner we vote that Justin Castro out, the sooner Canada will begin to recover.
