Environmental activists who blocked the Valero petroleum terminal in Montreal-East, in October 2022, received almost 2000 hours of community work on Monday and, for one of them, a penalty of imprisonment to serve at home.
Posted at 5:12 p.m.
Olivier Huard, “the offender with the most aggravating factors” according to judge Randall Richmond, of the Montreal Municipal Court, will have to spend the next 90 days at home, 24 hours a day, being able to go out only to do paid work.
He will then have to carry out 240 hours of community service and will be subject to three -year probation, during which he will have to refrain from entering all terrain used by state -based valero oil, not disturbing public order and having good conduct.
Michelle Lavoie and Jacob Pirro have obtained a suspended sentence with 240 hours of community service each and a probation of three years under the same conditions as Olivier Huard.
All three “were arrested and accused for a similar action barely a month before their trial,” said Judge Richmond, referring to the coup of brilliance led on the Jacques-Cartier bridge in October 2024.
“They demonstrated that their reflection process was not very advanced, despite the two years since their arrest in Valero,” he said.
Clearly, the risk of recurrence is high for these three offenders.
Judge Randall Richmond
Alix Ruhlmann and Jesse David Richman also get a suspended sentence, three -year probation and 150 and 200 hours of community service.
The other five delinquents, who had also been found guilty of mischief and obstacle to a peace agent, but no introduction by break -in, unlike the first five, have obtained an absolution.
Marie-Josée Béliveau, Mathilde Horvais, Mathis Huissoud, Mélanie Jonhson Gervais and Emily Zajko will still be subject to three-year probation; They will also have to perform 150 hours of community services each, except Mme Zajko who will have to make it 240 hours since she had already benefited from “spare measures” to a sentence in the past.
Judge Richmond thus retains the suggestion of the city’s prosecutor of Montreal and his theory wanting Olivier Huard was the instigator and the leader of the civil disobedience action which had forced on October 19, 2022 the stop for 24 hours of the activities of the Valero oil terminal and the 9b of Enbridge oileduct, which carries some 300,000 barrels of oil every 300,000 barrels. diluted from the bituminous sands of Alberta.
“He had the idea, chosen the target, recruited from people, trained them,” said the magistrate, stressing that the offender was also the oldest in the group and that his maturity should have brought him to make better choices.
Other details will follow
