Witness Testimony

Bryan Baraniski, owner of a hotel and resort in Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan, testified that he was hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia in March 2021 and transferred to ICU in Saskatoon with severe breathing difficulty and high oxygen requirements. He described being warned to prepare for possible death and witnessing other patients removed in body bags. After approximately three weeks in hospital, he reported receiving quercetin and zinc supplements from outside the hospital, which he stated were initially prohibited by hospital staff. He testified that after taking the supplements over several days, his oxygen requirements decreased significantly, leading to his transfer back to a local hospital and eventual discharge.
Baraniski stated that during his hospitalization, his hotel was shut down for two weeks by public health authorities following what was described as a COVID outbreak. He testified that the closure required removal of guests, prohibited staff access, and resulted in approximately $50,000 in lost revenue. He also described independent cleaning requirements prior to reopening.
He further testified about receiving multiple fines for alleged violations of public health orders, including two fines of approximately $14,000 related to customer record-keeping and vaccine passport enforcement, as well as several $2,800 fines issued to himself and staff for mask-related infractions. He characterized enforcement actions as aggressive and described ongoing legal challenges that ultimately resulted in convictions and reduced fines.