Witness Testimony

Darrell Shelley, founder of an Ontario-based event staffing company, testified that government lockdowns in March 2020 effectively shut down the live events industry, reducing his projected $1.5 million revenue to approximately $9,000 for the year and nearly collapsing his business. He described efforts to donate approximately 5,000 KN95 respirators to long-term care facilities, which he stated were declined by union representatives, leading him to donate them instead to a homeless shelter. Shelley further testified about the impact of Newfoundland and Labrador’s travel restrictions and Bill 38 amendments, which limited non-residents from entering the province and imposed quarantine requirements. He stated that these restrictions delayed his ability to return home during his mother’s cancer treatment and prevented him from being present during her final days. He described the emotional impact of being unable to attend her passing in person, the difficulties of interprovincial travel enforcement, and the social stigma and isolation experienced upon returning to Newfoundland.