Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Derek Sloan held a rally in Kelowna on Monday, Aug. 10, circumventing COVID-19 rules and guidelines outlined by the provincial government.
The MP of Ontario’s Hastings—Lennox and Addington riding posted photos to both Twitter and Facebook of the gathering which show more than 50 people — in breach of current provincial health orders.
None of the attendees appear to be social distancing or wearing masks.
Sloan has stated his opposition to mandatory masking, saying he is “100 per cent against ever making masks mandatory,” on Twitter several times over the past few months.
“In municipalities across Canada, the wearing of masks is being mandated. And, more and more, people are calling on their provincial governments to make the wearing of masks mandatory, province-wide,” he said, in a statement on his website.
“This is very disturbing.”
His Facebook and Twitter feeds also show several other rallies across the province in recent weeks including Chilliwack, Mission, Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby — some of which were held indoors.
“Wow, Kelowna, thank you for your outpouring of support!” he wrote in the post showing photos of the Kelowna rally.
In April, Sloan came under fire nationally for comments he made regarding Canada’s chief medical health officer Theresa Tam, asking if she worked “for Canada or for China.”
Other Conservative MPs criticized Sloan for the remark but he stuck to his campaign slogan “Conservative Without Apology” and refused to apologize.
Black Press Media has reached out to Sloan for comment, but has not received a response.
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