HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA — Jeff Evely, a retired Canadian Armed Forces veteran, is at the heart of a social media tempest after posting a video of himself getting a big fine for walking into a woodland area in Nova Scotia. Evely says in the video that he was on a mountain road in Coxheath, near a Department of Natural Resources building, and that he was fined $28,872.50 for what he called “walking into the woods.”
Nova Scotia’s new emergency measures to lower the risk of wildfires led directly to this event. Due to very hot and dry weather, the province administration has temporarily banned all hiking, camping, fishing, and driving in woodland areas as of Tuesday, August 5. Anyone who breaks the prohibition, which lasts until October 15 or until the weather gets better, will have to pay a $25,000 fine. As Evely found out, the total fine might be more than $28,000 when further fees and taxes are added.
In the video, Evely calmly talks to a conservation officer and explains that he wants to go into the woods. Then, he is shown getting the ticket and holding it up to the camera. Many people online have praised his actions, seeing his purposeful defiance as a stand against government “overreach.” People on social media have hailed him a “hero” and commended his “bravery.” Some have even said that all Nova Scotians should do the same in protest.
Some people have said that the restriction is too harsh, but the government of Nova Scotia has justified its choice, saying that there is a significant risk of wildfires. Most wildfires are caused by people, and the government says that the rules are needed to keep communities and the environment safe. Nova Scotia has done this before; in 2023, during a time of major wildfires that burned hundreds of homes, the same rules were put in place.
Conservation officials, the RCMP, and municipal police forces are all in charge of making sure the ban is followed. The government has also said that private landowners can utilize their own woodland estates, but they can’t have guests over.