Witness Testimony

Sherry Strong, a former celebrity chef nutritionist and professional public speaker, testified that COVID-19 lockdowns abruptly ended her speaking career, which depended on conferences and live events. After publicly questioning pandemic policies, she stated that she lost business opportunities, social media engagement, and long-standing friendships due to reputational concerns among clients and peers. She described becoming socially isolated but maintained that she felt compelled to speak out based on her background in public health consultation and advocacy work with Children’s Health Defence Canada.
Ms. Strong testified about hospital experiences involving her unvaccinated parents in Alberta. She stated that her mother, admitted with pneumonia, was verbally confronted by a physician regarding refusal of testing and vaccination, which she characterized as abusive and discriminatory. She filed complaints with patient services and the College of Physicians and Surgeons and later contacted a hospital administrator, whom she said died unexpectedly shortly afterward. She referenced provincial data indicating “unknown causes” as a leading cause of death and expressed concern about a lack of investigation into such cases.
She further described advocating for her father during a later hospitalization for a tumour, alleging biased comments from staff regarding vaccination status and disputes over the validity of a medical directive naming her as advocate. She testified that a physician suggested the cancer was widespread without biopsy confirmation, which she believed caused emotional distress and prompted discussion of medically assisted death. Despite these experiences, Ms. Strong concluded that she found strengthened community ties, renewed faith, and meaningful personal relationships arising from what she described as a difficult period.