Frustrations from ban on walking in woods addressed by Atlantic Canada premiers

The New Brunswick government has placed restrictions on some forestry operations due to the high risk of wildfires in the province. Judy Trinh reports.

As wildfires rage in two Atlantic provinces, frustrations are increasing over government decisions in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to ban people from the tinder-dry forests on Crown land.

The ban prevents people from enjoying a stroll through the woods, camping, fishing or driving their ATVs on trails, as part of the effort to prevent human activity from sparking dangerous wildfires.

Since Nova Scotia restricted activity a week ago, the provincial Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued tickets to six people who violated the ban. Venturing into the woods comes with a fine of $25,000 in Nova Scotia.

Disobeying restrictions

Some people are calling it government overreach, and at least one man is protesting by deliberately violating the ban.

“It’s starting for me to feel more like an authoritarian society,” said Jeff Evely, a resident of Westmount near Sydney, N.S.

On the weekend, Evely posted a video of himself being issued a ticket by conservation officers.

The retired soldier visited his local provincial natural resource office and informed officials that he was going for a walk in the woods.

He told the staff that he didn’t want to be “confrontational” and acted “professionally,” informing the staff that he was participating in an act of “civil disobedience.”

DNR staff warned the Afghanistan war veteran that he would be fined and followed Evely as he ventured into the woods behind the provincial building before issuing him a ticket for a fine of $28,872.50.

Evely believes his constitutional rights have been violated by the ban, which he considers a “blanket punishment.”

“It needs to be minimally impairing and logically connected to the goal. My sneakers do not give off sparks when I’m walking in the woods,” said Evely in an interview with CTV National News. “I find it quite insulting to my intelligence that (Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston) has determined that I can’t be trusted to walk my dog through the park near my house, because some other guys is a bit of a firebug.”

Evely says he plans to fight his ticket in court and that the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has offered to defend him pro-bono.

Human activity a fire factor

This is the seventh time the government of Nova Scotia has blocked people from travelling through woods on public land.

When he announced the ban last Tuesday, Houston said there was “no end in sight” to the dry spell.

“It brings up memories and fears of what this province went through just two short years ago,” he said.

Scott Tingley, DNR’s manager of forest protection, says the conditions across the province are similar to the spring of 2023, when wildfires scorched parts of suburban Halifax, which forced the evacuation of several neighbourhoods, displaced more than 16,000 people and destroyed more than 150 homes.

Tingley told CTV News the forecast is not calling for any amount of substantial rainfall, and the province doesn’t “want to risk a large uncontrollable fire.”

“It’s just so dry right now. The more people who are in the woods, the more likelihood we’re going to have a fire,” he said. “In Nova Scotia, almost all fires are started by human activity, and we know we can have an impact by limiting human activity in the woods under these conditions.”

Scarce emergency resources

In Fredericton, New Brunswick’s premier addressed the frustration of Atlantic residents losing access to a favourite recreational activity, saying the restriction ensures limited emergency resources get to where they are most needed.

“The notion that me going for a walk in the woods is going to cause a fire, I can understand why people think that’s ridiculous,” Susan Holt said. “But the reality is if you’re out there walking in the woods and you break a leg – we’re not going to come get you, because we have emergency responders that are out focused on a fire that is threatening the lives of New Brunswickers.”

Holt made the remarks at a news conference Monday, where she informed reporters that three blazes were burning out of control in the province.

“We’re asking you to make a safe choice for our first responders, for your neighbours and for our woods.”