THUNDER BAY – Independent MPP Randy Hillier is under fire for falsely claiming several Ontarians, including a Thunder Bay man, died as a result of getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
Hillier, who was kicked out of the Conservative caucus in March 2019, suggests the deaths of nine people who died suddenly were a direct result of getting vaccinated. He alleged two others suffered serious injuries because of the vaccine.
Family and friends of 39-year-old Brian Dzijak, a Thunder Bay man who died unexpectedly last month, are outraged that their loved one was dragged into Hillier’s conspiracy post.
“After the family became aware of the post they reached out and I spoke to them,” said family spokesman Ryan La Via, a long-time close friend of Dzijak’s.
“They, like so many others, are shocked and sickened by the actions taken by this individual. They’ve completely denied the allegation. There’s no truth to it. It is completely fake news.”
Hillier’s post referenced victims as young as 14, including four teenagers, and included photos of each individual – though he did remove one picture of a 38-year-old woman who “died of cardiac arrest while on a run.”
“Each person here lost their lives or is suffering from a permanent adverse reaction shortly after receiving their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Were these perfectly healthy and active individuals harmed by a drug they were told was completely safe and would protect them from a disease they are at no serious risk from?” Hillier’s post, dated Oct. 19, reads.
A day later and Hiller, who represents the riding of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, doubled down on his post, calling on the OPP and Commissioner Thomas Carrique to investigate the deaths to determine if the “administration of a pharmaceutical product was either a contributing factor or cause of death and injury.”
COVID-19 vaccinations given in Canada have received a stamp of approval from Health Canada. Pfizer-BioNTeach, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines have all been given the OK to be administered.
Dzijak, who died on Sept. 12, was survived by his fiancée Shawna Taddeo and their children, Evan and Kendra, along with his parents, Ed and Lisa Dzijak.
