Witness Testimony

Tracy Walker, a self-employed hair stylist operating a private home-based studio in Alberta, testified that lockdown mandates in 2020 forced her and her husband to cease working, eliminating their income. Although her salon had a separate entrance and limited daily clients, she was prohibited from operating. When she applied for the federal mortgage deferral program, she was informed by her broker that the program applied only to banks and credit unions, not brokered mortgages. Within approximately six weeks, she and her husband were served foreclosure papers despite having no prior significant payment defaults.
Ms. Walker testified that after 15 years in their home, they were required to vacate and were unable to secure rental accommodations due to owning large dogs. As a result, they lived in a trailer for nearly two months. During this period, she reported severe financial hardship, including food scarcity and difficulty affording insulin for her diabetes. She stated that she rationed her insulin doses, resulting in weight loss and adverse health effects for both herself and her husband.
She also described receiving bylaw visits after publicly stating she intended to continue working, including warnings and surveillance of her property during the holiday season. Although she was issued warnings, she was not ultimately fined. Ms. Walker further testified that her public stance led to the breakdown of a lifelong friendship with a pediatric nurse. She characterized the experience as financially and emotio