Charges against two people accused of harassing Premier Andrew Furey and his family during a surprise convoy last year have been dismissed.

It happened on July 9th of 2023 on the road outside Furey’s home in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s.

Videos posted in real-time showed a line of honking vehicles, smoke flares and protesters denouncing the “sexualization and indoctrination” of children in the school system.

Dana Metcalfe and Shane Sweeney, both prominent in those videos, were charged less than a month later with criminal harassment and causing a disturbance.

But those charges were dismissed this morning in exchange for formal apologies and a one-year peace bond, the maximum length it can be imposed. The bond is essentially an order to have no contact with the premier or his family for 12 months, and to stay 50 metres away from their home.

Nova Scotia prosecutor Rob Kennedy was brought in to handle the case due to conflicts with the premier being named as an alleged victim.

He said Furey himself wasn’t home that day but his daughter was, by herself — and avoiding her having to testify was a key consideration in today’s outcome.

Both Metcalfe and Sweeney — neither of whom have criminal records — insist they never would’ve descended on Furey’s home if they’d known that, telling the court they didn’t mean to cause his daughter any stress or anxiety.

Metcalfe was previously a candidate for the People’s Party of Canada, and helped organize local participation in the so-called “Freedom Convoy” to Ottawa in 2022.

She’s also taken part in other protests against vaccine mandates imposed in response to the pandemic.