Canadian Department of Natural Resources Tells O’Keefe: “If You Want to Break the Law, Talk to Trump”
“We are going into the woods,” James O’Keefe said on camera, documenting his experience in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where signs warned: “Stay out of the woods. $25,000 fine.” O’Keefe added, “We’ll see whether the local authorities enforce this absurd law, which is a violation of human rights and human dignity,” referring to restrictions recently imposed under Nova Scotia’s “Forests Act.” On August 5, the province announced a ban on nearly all outdoor activity in forested areas, including hiking, camping outside designated campgrounds, fishing, and even trail use, with violators facing fines of up to $25,000. Officials justified the move as a wildfire-prevention measure during one of the driest summers on record, effectively criminalizing everyday activities like dog-walking or even building sandcastles near wooded shorelines.
Within minutes of O’Keefe entering the trails, a local resident called a government “snitch line” to report him. The caller described O’Keefe and his team in detail, noting their clothing and backpacks, and insisted, “Clearly they’re not supposed to be in there.” Cape Breton Regional Police were dispatched but quickly left without issuing citations. “The cop just left,” O’Keefe remarked. “This is how much they care.”
Department of Natural Resources workers later confronted O’Keefe and confirmed that entering the woods carried a $25,000 penalty. When O’Keefe pressed for a reason, officials responded that the law was tied to wildfire prevention. “What happens if we go in there?” O’Keefe asked one official. The reply: “$25,000 fine.” When O’Keefe pointed out that he carried “no fire starters” and was hiking in the rain, the worker told him: “Doesn’t matter.”
The worker even attempted to tie the issue to U.S. politics, saying, “Talk to Trump about breaking the law… Yeah, he’s a lawbreaker, right?” O’Keefe responded back, “Trump didn’t shut down the forest.”
Throughout the experiment, O’Keefe highlighted the culture of surveillance surrounding the ban. “There’s actually a snitch line where Canadians rat on other Canadians if they see hikers,” he explained. “Apparently somebody snitched on us.”
Despite repeated reports to authorities, no fine was issued. “We were expecting to get fined $25,000,” O’Keefe concluded. “There has been no fine.”
