Taxidermist claims he was targeted, sues province, officials

A taxidermist is suing the Manitoba government and two of its officials over claims he was improperly ticketed and his office unlawfully searched in what he says was an act of retaliation.

“The misconduct of (the wildlife officials) must be condemned by this honourable court to ensure that wildlife prosecutions are not used for malicious and other improper purposes,” reads John Henry Reimer’s statement of claim, filed in the Court of King’s Bench last month.

Reimer, 60, has operated JR Taxidermy next to his home outside Grunthal for several decades.

Reimer’s suit claims he has frequently criticized the province for delays in processing and issuing permits required for taxidermy, which has resulted in his business being improperly searched in 2023, maliciously ticketed in 2024 and prosecuted. That case that was thrown out of court this year.

He says he criticized “poor communication” to the industry from the two provincial officials named as defendants — Blaire Barta, who at the time supervised the provincial wildlife trade program and wildlife permit clerk, and Trevor Wyant, a conservation officer in Steinbach, and their colleagues.

The province and the officials have yet to respond to the claim in court.

Reimer alleges Barta directed the wildlife permit clerk to give her updates about his applications “so that she could involve herself” in the processing and approval.

“The processing and issuing of permits sought by Reimer was frequently delayed and complicated unnecessarily as a result of Barta’s direct involvement,” the taxidermist claims.

Conservation officers conduct general inspections of taxidermy businesses on occasion, say the court papers.

Reimer’s most recent inspection, in 2022, was conducted by an officer who supervised the Steinbach office, with whom the taxidermist had a “positive and professional relationship,” the lawsuit says.

The taxidermist claims Barta was aware of their cordial relationship and was “unhappy” the officer had not “found something to charge Reimer with following the 2022 inspection.”

In September of that year, an American hunter lawfully killed a muskox and a caribou in Nunavut while out with an Edmonton-based wildlife outfitter.

The hunter had used Reimer’s services in the past, but the outfitter had an agreement with another taxidermist in Ontario, so the outfitter shipped the animals to that business along with a wildlife export permit from the territory.

In August 2023, the Ontario taxidermist shipped the hunter’s animals to Reimer, along with the Nunavut permit.

Reimer’s court papers claim he was authorized to import the muskox and caribou into the province without a Manitoba import permit under provincial legislation.

He claims he applied for a Manitoba export permit in September 2023 so he could send the processed muskox and caribou to the American hunter.

He emailed a photo of the Nunavut permit to the Manitoba permit clerk. The court papers say the photo was passed on to Barta.

Reimer claims Wyant joined the Steinbach conservation office at some point between Sept. 30 and Oct. 25, 2023.

During that time, the taxidermist alleges, Barta instructed the clerk not to process Reimer’s export permit or issue the permit to him and learned that the supervisor of the Steinbach office would be away the week of Oct. 23, 2023.

He claims Barta contacted one or more conservation officers and “falsely alleged” he had unlawfully imported the muskox into Manitoba, without disclosing the existence of the Nunavut permit, and asked that Reimer’s business be searched while the supervising officer was away.

His property was searched for 10 hours on Oct. 27, the court papers claim. The lawsuit alleges the search was unlawful.

More than 40 items were seized. Reimer says he showed the Nunavut permit to Wyant.

Wyant issued four tickets to Reimer in January 2024 alleging he had failed to comply with record-keeping requirements, that he had violated transportation rules and that he unlawfully imported the muskox and caribou.

The lawsuit claims the tickets were given without reasonable and probable grounds and that the conservation officer falsely stated the search was a general inspection, rather than a search for the muskox.

Reimer was acquitted earlier this year after a judicial justice of the peace ruled the search had violated his Charter rights and excluded the evidence.

The court action alleges Barta and Wyant should be held liable for malicious prosecution while the provincial government should be held either directly or vicariously liable.

Reimer is seeking unspecified damages, including for his legal costs.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca