A Sarnia truck stop has been charged for allegedly defying the province's lockdown orders.
City police said the owners of the Leaky Tank were in violation of the Reopening Ontario Act by remaining open and allowing in-house dining.
Police said the owners of the Degurse Drive restaurant continued to defy warnings and were handed an $880 fine on May 4.
On Saturday May 1, police issued another 24 tickets in connection with another protest at Sarnia City Hall. Last month, 12 charges were laid at $880 a piece during a protest.
Cst. John Sottosanti said police try to educate first and warn individuals, and only lay charges if people continue to defy the law.
"It's an issue of having people within a closer area than normal. I know the argument becomes 'oh, we're outside,' and that's fine, you're outside, but the point is that they're not keeping proper distance, they're all coming together, they're not wearing masks, which would help prevent [spread]. The whole point is that you're getting too close to each other and thus potentially risking the fact that somebody may get COVID."
Cst. Sottosanti said he wasn't aware of any charges being laid at a protest Wednesday in support of striking VON employees on London Line.
Sottosanti also advises people who claim the Reopening Ontario Act violates their Charter rights, that the courts will address that.
"Ultimately, if someone is charged under the reopening act, they do have the ability to attend court and attend to the matter through the legal system and go from there."