Dallon Leger’s freedom campout and court date may be over, but his fight against the Saskatchewan government continues in an online crusade against regulations that have crushed his business..After Leger made a court appearance April 11 on charges of breaking the Environmental Act, he went on Facebook to do a livestream..“I asked the judge, ‘So what am I actually being charged with?’ And he just read that paragraph to me again, ‘being a first seller, failed to operate a product stewardship program approved by the minister.’ Okay, I don’t really know what that means,” Leger said in his post..Leger started up EcoGenX to recycle farm plastics, including grain bags, twine bale wrap, net wrap, silage tarps, and chemical jugs. He said he was on the cusp of getting investors when the provincial government set up a deposit program for grain bags and made a sole-sourced contract with Clean Farms in Ontario to recycle them..The charges against Leger concern the entire calendar year of 2021 and could put him in jail for three years..“Sgt. Redekopp told me it was a million dollars per day fine in non-compliance. Am I looking at a $365-million fine? I don’t know,” Leger said in an interview with Western Standard..“I don’t know what they’re doing. And I don’t know how far they’re willing because I’m being vocal, and I’m transparent with the story, and I’m not scared, right? I’m not intimidated. I’m calling the kettle black. I don’t know if they’re going to be harsher on me than the guy that just takes it and deals with it. So that’s the variability I’m worried about.”.Leger would go to farms, pick up grain bags, pass them onto recyclers, and deliver a new grain bag back to the farmer. However, the system imposed by the province made that impossible..“The Zoom call we were on with Clean Farms and the government and myself said if I would have followed the rules and what I’d get by it was only like 20% of the total money and I’m doing all the work. Like, it didn’t financially make sense to be part of the program at all.”.Leger has resorted to selling his equipment to keep going now that his business is done. .“I sold my roller and my trailer is probably going this week. I’m stuck in this position now of living off what I’m selling because I’m not making money. It’s pretty tough right now,” he said..“People are like, ‘Is this a ‘woe is me thing’ or what are you doing here, because all of a sudden you’re telling this big story?’ And I’m like, I’ve been telling this story for four years now. I just didn’t have the attention until now.”.Leger was first covered by Western Standard for his role in the Saskatchewan Freedom Campout. He said the camp out ended, owing more to gas prices than cold weather. A subsequent rally in the Yorkton area where he lives drew 400 people..“People want to get involved. But the distance is tough. So if we can bring the Ottawa convoy guys to communities and create community rallies, that is probably going to have more of an effect.”.Leger requested disclosure which did not come prior to his initial court appearance. The judge refused Leger’s request to adjourn for three months. On his livestream, he invited patriots to make his next court appearance a rally in itself..“Come back May 9 at 9:30,” Leger said. “To all those freedom fighters out there that want something to stand up for, why not be here on May 9. Be pretty awesome to pull in and see some flags because you know what? We’re all fighting for the same thing, and that’s less government control. We’re sick of it. We just want to earn a living.”.Lee Harding contributes to Western Standard from Saskatchewan.
