Disturbingly, we’ve seen so many shocking examples of government overreach and censorship occurring in our country in the last few years.

And government overreach has once again reared its ugly head in the Township of Wainfleet, Ont. (pop. approximately 7,000).

Here’s the skinny: Wainfleet Council has effectively declared war on landowners who make their properties available for short-term rentals, and the township is fining these residents a staggering $10,000 per owner per dwelling per day!

Translation: as these daily fines mount, few can afford to pay these egregious sums. And that ultimately means “violators” risk having their properties seized by the township!

This is banana republic stuff, to say the least.

Meanwhile, one dare not say anything negative about this council on social media. That’s because this council is now trying to silence citizens via a lawsuit based on… copyright violation? Indeed, the township claims videos online depict the township’s crest and corporate log, emblems that are being used without consent or approval. Seriously. It would appear that the Township of Wainfleet likes to carry out its shakedowns away from the public eye and will pursue censorship to ensure that goal if need be. All of these residents in the township are pondering whether Wainfleet is situated in the Dominion of Canada or the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea.

Rebel News recently ventured out to Wainfleet, about two hours from Toronto. We spoke with Scott Wilson and Laural Duquette who head up the Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals (STR).

Wilson says he is facing a total fine threshold that is in the millions of dollars; as such, his family risks having their house confiscated by the township given that they are unable to pay those fines.

The township’s heavy-handed tactics make no sense. Granted, Canadians do not enjoy private property rights under the constitution. But the questions arise: what is driving this short-term rental vendetta? What is the harm in a homeowner renting out his or her property? Those are key questions that deserve answers, except that nobody in the township will come on the record to comment. So another query arises: what indeed is the unspoken strategy behind the short-term rental jihad?

Incidentally, Wilson points out that Ontario Premier Doug Ford rents out his cottage when he’s not enjoying it (or fixing the plumbing during a pandemic lockdown for that matter.) Good thing Premier Ford’s swank cottage is not located in the Township of Wainfleet. Otherwise, the province’s chief cherry cheesecake enthusiast would be on the hook for mega-fines and property appropriation, too.

Speaking of the provincial government, maybe it’s time for some intervention here by Queen’s Park. All municipalities are creatures of the province, after all, and it is clear that the property tyrants on Wainfleet council need to be reined in.

In the meantime, although they say “you can’t fight city hall” don’t tell that to Wilson, Duquette, and the other families who refuse to bend the knee. They are now on offence. The Wainfleet Association of Responsible Short-Term Rentals is a non-profit organization that has filed a lawsuit to quash the Township's short-term rental bylaw, which they argue is “both unlawful and maliciously punitive.”

We wish them well. After all, why should everyday Ontarians in Wainfleet face huge fines and property seizure for doing something the Premier himself takes part in? Baffling – and despicable.