A dispute between an Ottawa landlord and a group loosely associated with the anti-sanitation protest in Ottawa last winter will be settled by a judge.
A group calling itself the “United People of Canada” took up residence in a desecrated church east of downtown Ottawa over the summer.
Patrick McDonald, the owner of the old church, tried to evict the group, alleging they had failed to pay rent for the past two months or honor the terms of their promise to purchase the building.
The litigation reached cartoonish proportions when members of the group dressed in red capes and washing-up gloves defended the property against bailiffs and local protesters with water guns.
At one point in the clash, William Komer, a member of the group’s board of directors, addressed protesters wearing a wreath made of duct tape or tinfoil, brandishing a scepter made of rubbish .
He introduced himself as Lord William of Lowertown, allegedly long-lost nephew of Lord Buckethead, from a long line of intergalactic spacelords, guardian of comedy and shepherd of haters.
In court on Friday, Mr Komer, who eschewed the cape and crown in favor of a shirt and tie, asked the court to adjourn the eviction hearing because they had no received the necessary notices.
Superior Court Judge Sally Gomery gave the group just over two weeks to prepare their case, but promised she would clean things up.
She added that the group must not harass other tenants or the landlord in the meantime and must allow bailiffs to post notices on the door if necessary.
The judge also said the owners also couldn’t harass the group calling themselves “United People of Canada.”
“It’s just up to the standards of civilized behavior that we expect of everyone,” Judge Gomery told the court.
Mr McDonald and his lawyer Gordon Douglas argued in court on Friday that members of the group had harassed other tenants in the area.
Mr McDonald referred to the leaders of the group as a ‘water gun brigade’ and alleged they broke into a locked garage and took the contents.
For his part, Mr Komer denies harassing anyone and said there were no plans for the group to leave the church or change their behavior as a result of the court order.
“We will stay here,” he said, adding that they had raised a lot of funds from people who sympathize with them.
Clayton Goodwin, CEO of the Veterans Accountability Commission, said many in the community see the group’s presence in Ottawa as a continuation of the “freedom convoy.”
“It’s the same group, everyone is connected,” he said during a small demonstration of about 10 people outside the church on Friday, holding a sign reading “The armor of God or the ‘armor of fraud’.
“We just want to say, you’re not welcome in our town,” he said, accusing the band members of being crooks.
The eviction hearing is scheduled to resume on September 19.