COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION, please make this VIRAL, SHARE. Google Shaunda Petrova, categorized in the media as a freeman-on-the-land, wanted for cutting trees on her property. The following is her statement... My name is Shaunda Petrova. I was born November 3, 1974. My Social Insurance Number is 642 684 799. I currently reside in Alberta, Canada but am previously from Manitoba, Canada and still have a permanent mailing address there. I am here to give a statement regarding charges I have heard are alleged against me of occupying public land without authorization and willfully cut, damage, destroy, or cause to be cut, damaged or destroyed, any forest growth land without authorization under the Forest Act I believe Paul Fiola owns the land we occupied. I have personally viewed the Purchase Agreement and Bill of Sale as well as the land patent documents. All of these documents appear to be in order and lawful contracts with all appropriate signatures and surveys done. There is no reason for me to believe otherwise. The order to vacate. When we received Order to Vacate No. 001/13 we explained to the men who delivered it that Paul had purchased the land. I sent an email response to Dwayne Matier Inspector, Grande Prairie Unit restating our position but also letting him know I am a practical, peaceful and reasonable person who would like to discuss this as we wanted to remain in our home. I received an email from him reiterating we need to leave and that they would be coming to confirm this. No one came. At the same time, the community of people who we are members of sent a communication to the Reeve, Janis Simpkin, and other government officials such as the Premier of Alberta asking that your agents cease and desist from trespassing on private land. They offered evidence of ownership and requested a response regarding the matter if there were any concerns. No one responded. No one came to our land. No further eviction notices were delivered or emailed. The Inspector had my telephone number but no attempts were made to contact me. I believed in my heart the matter was resolved by the letter from our community leaders and we continued to conduct ourselves as two people who owned land and wanted to build a home on it. What is failure to comply? I mean, I didn’t leave, but I did make every honourable attempt to resolve the situation. I believed I complied with the order by providing the necessary communication and information to prove ownership of the land and that the lack of response from the authorities indicated they had researched and understood the information provided and were not returning because they understood our right to be on the land Paul owns. That is the truth I stand under. I am sure that decision for the courts to decide will be decided in our favour when it comes to light that there are over 500 sections that have been sold by the rightful, hereditary First Nations owners to people, like us, who are peaceful human beings that only want to live on this land and enjoy its beauty. Willfully cut, damage, destroy, or cause to be cut, damaged or destroyed, any forest growth land without authorization under the Forest Act. I believed the issue of the ownership was resolved because the authorities never told me otherwise. And on privately owned land we have the right to cut down trees to provide shelter for ourselves or for any other use we see fit. We are not hunting or fishing out of season. We have responsible fires and campsite. We are not doing any commercial activity. We are leaving behind the least possible environmental footprint. We study and photograph the wildlife to learn about the beautiful land we live on. We are peaceful, loving people who wish to live our private lives alone and in harmony with nature. In fact, I have been told that upon Paul’s arrest and without any conviction our home has been destroyed. Parts of the land have been bulldozed and others have been torched. Are the people who lit part of that land on fire also being charged with willful destruction? We cut down a few trees to provide shelter for ourselves on our private property. Other people, companies and organizations plunder this land regularly but you want to make me a criminal for building a home in the forest? I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t make sense. What this comes down to is an issue of permits to be there and that is because of the confusion over who owns the land. Peaceful people should not have to ask permission to camp longer than two weeks as indicated in section 47(1) of the Public Lands Act. And people with evidence of ownership should not be forced to vacate the land they own because a government agency has not taken the time to research or address issue of ownership. I would like to address one last concern in my statement. The media has been calling this an issue of Freemen-on-the-Land, etc. I want it known that I am not a freeman on the land. I am a social insurance number carrying citizen whose taxes are up to date. I am not trying to skirt laws, nor do I believe I am above the law. I do not drive without a license. I don’t have a claim of right. I am here in good faith to show that I have nothing to hide. Had I known I had charges against me or a court date on October 16th I would have attended. When I became aware I was being looked for I prepared this statement and came forward willingly to discuss and resolve this situation.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:36:23 +0000
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