A young couple with two small children had $13,000 in ArriveCan fines lifted thanks to a legal advocacy group.In a press release, The Democracy Fund (TDF) said their clients struggled to secure employment amidst regulatory mandates as did many other Canadians, only to get a fine from the government.Compounding their difficulties, upon returning to Canada after a trip abroad, they were confronted with more than $13,000 in fines for alleged non-compliance with the ArriveCan app and related regulations.The Democracy Fund (TDF) negotiated with the Crown over several weeks and was recently advised the Crown has decided to stay the ticket.Adam Blake-Gallipeau, counsel with TDF, expressed satisfaction with the result."In our view, the potential fines are disproportionate and unjust. We urge Crown offices to reconsider the pursuit of these cases and question the societal benefit of allocating precious court resources towards prosecuting marginalized families from racialized communities who have been issued these tickets," Blake-Gallipeau said.The client, unnamed in the press release, expressed his gratitude."We are beyond belief, relieved and grateful for all the help Adam and TDF have provided us. Especially in today's economy and after losing our careers to the discriminatory vaccine mandate, not having to pay these fines that total over $13,000 is a huge blessing for our family with two young children."Auditor General Karen Hogan reported the government overpaid for the app and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) mishandled the file.Costs for the app ballooned to an estimated $54 million, but Hogan was unsure of an exact figure because record-keeping was so poor.A report by Procurement Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic found, “In roughly 76 per cent of applicable contracts, resources proposed in the winning bid did not perform any work on the contract."
