Nearly a quarter of Canadian convoy donations came from B.C., leaked data shows

People living in British Columbia donated nearly $924,000 US — almost $1.2 million Cdn — to a crowdfunding campaign to help fuel the ongoing "Freedom Convoy" protest, according to leaked data posted online this week.

The money from B.C. accounts for nearly a quarter of all Canadian donations to the convoy. The vast majority came in the form of small sums of less than $100 US, though more than 100 donors gave $1,000 or more.

The largest donation from B.C. was for $18,000 US.

The leaked data from the GiveSendGo crowdfunding platform, posted online illegally Sunday by anonymous hackers, listed more than 92,000 donations totalling more than $8 million US. An analysis showed roughly $4.3 million came from Canada, while another $3.6 million originated in the United States.

The leak included the names, home country, personal emails and postal code of donors.

Donors were directed to the GiveSendGo fundraiser after an original GoFundMe fundraiser was shut down after raising $10 million Cdn. The Canadian crowdfunding site refunded the money, saying the protest violated its rule on violence and harassment.

The convoy — which set off from B.C. on Jan. 23 and arrived Jan. 28 in downtown Ottawa, where protesters have remained since — began as a protest against vaccine mandates, public health restrictions and pandemic lockdowns, but has become associated with extreme right-wing ideologies.

Some protesters have displayed signs and symbols of hate, including the Confederate flag and swastikas, while there have also been police reports of violence.

B.C. donations by the numbers

• The total dollar value of donations with a B.C. postal code came to $923,690 US — or $1,171,529 Cdn.
• Just over 7,400 donations were linked to postal codes in B.C., according to an analysis by CBC News. 
• 77 per cent of the donations from B.C. were of $100 US or less.
• Another 43 per cent were for $50 US or less.
• 107 donors gave $1,000 US or more.
• The average donation, skewed by more significant donations, was $124.77 US.
• The largest donation was for $18,000 US — $22,829 Cdn — from an email address linked to a shooting range business in Langley, B.C.

A statement posted by The Range Langley said its donation to the convoy was its "way of peacefully participating in democracy."

"For whatever reason, some may disagree with our beliefs and support for this cause. That is their Right. We will always defend the Rights of those that disagree with us and encourage them to build on their own beliefs rather than allowing them to destroy ours," read the statement on its website.  

The hacked data set is still an estimate, as GiveSendGo has not validated the postal codes and donors could have entered fake information. 

WATCH | More than half of convoy donations came from U.S., hacked data shows:

More than half of convoy donations came from U.S., hacked data shows

3 years ago

Duration 2:01

A CBC News analysis of hacked data about those who donated to the protest convoys through GiveSendGo found more than half of the donations came from the U.S. It’s raising concern about foreign funding of political activity.

The next largest donations from B.C., given by four different people, were for $5,000 US. 

CBC News is withholding names of individuals listed in the leaked data unless they can be reached for comment and to independently confirm their donation.