Calgary

Trial to begin Thursday in murder-conspiracy case tied to Coutts border blockade

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were arrested after RCMP found a cache of guns, body armour and ammunition in trailers in the community during a border protest in February 2022.

2 accused to officially enter pleas before Crown gives its opening statement

Long lines of semi trucks point in either direction on a divided highway.
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators gather as a truck convoy blocks the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., in 2022. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

The trial for two men charged with conspiracy to commit murder during the border protest at Coutts, Alta., is set to begin Thursday.

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were arrested after RCMP found a cache of guns, body armour and ammunition in trailers in the community in February 2022.

Mounties said at the time that they seized long guns, handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour.

A five-man, nine-woman jury was selected Friday, but the trial was delayed while the court dealt with pretrial arguments.

The two accused are to officially enter pleas before the Crown gives an opening statement.

The blockade, part of protests held across the country against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, paralyzed the busy Canada-United States border crossing for more than two weeks.