Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has admitted to receiving a speeding ticket in Alberta last week. During a press availability in Prince Edward Island, she confirmed the incident, stating, “I did get a speeding ticket.” Freeland explained that she was driving between Grande Prairie and Peace River when she was pulled over for driving too fast. She expressed remorse, saying, “I won’t do it again.” She received a $273 fine for driving at 132 km/hr, exceeding the maximum speed limit of 110 km/hr on Alberta highways.
Freeland, who represents a downtown Toronto riding, was in her home province for meetings with wildfire evacuees, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and energy sector leaders. The incident was initially reported by the website “The Counter Signal,” led by a former Rebel Media presenter, and later confirmed by Freeland’s office. A source from her office informed CTV News that she has paid the ticket in full.
This acknowledgment comes after Freeland faced criticism from Conservatives last month for comments she made about not owning a car, in the context of rising gas costs and carbon pricing, without mentioning her access to a car and driver as a federal minister. During an event in P.E.I. in late July, Freeland stated, “A fact that still shocks my dad is that I don’t actually own a car,” and discussed her preference for walking or biking due to her proximity to the subway, even though she got her driver’s license at 16 while growing up in a small town in northern Alberta.