People across Canada have been served with fines totalling more than $13 million over the course of the COVID-19 lockdowns for breaking pandemic rules. 

Between April 1 and June 15, more than 10,000 tickets were issued to people who violated anti-pandemic emergency measures.

According to a study by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, officers issued fines to people who committed acts such as "driving into the North West Territories from Alberta, standing in a playground, congregating for a birthday party, violating physical distancing rules or sneezing near someone."

In one bizarre situation, an Aurora mother with her baby was ticketed for standing still for too long outdoors

According to the study, Quebec was the most punitive region, followed by Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The report, which reviewed the pandemic’s impact on civil liberties in Canada, criticized some of the stringent laws for "limiting freedom, in exchange for speculative but unlikely public health benefits."

It also found that marginalized and vulnerable groups experienced the highest amount of bylaw action.

The study recommends that constrictions on civil liberties "must be removed as soon as possible," insisting that they cannot be permitted to persist after the emergency.