EZRA LEVANT | Sycamore Gap Tree case lays bare Britain’s two-tier justice system

Summary

Podcast Summary: Rebel News Podcast

Episode: EZRA LEVANT | Sycamore Gap Tree Case Lays Bare Britain’s Two-Tier Justice System

Date: June 30, 2026
Host: Ezra Levant
Guests: Franco Tarrazano (Canadian Taxpayers Federation), David Menzies, Martin Ross

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Episode Overview

This episode revolves around the high-profile case of the Sycamore Gap Tree vandalism in Britain, using it as a lens to examine disparities in the British justice system. Ezra Levant analyzes how the destruction of an iconic tree resulted in a harsher sentence than many violent crimes, critiquing what he sees as a culturally selective approach to justice. The episode also transitions to Canadian issues, featuring an in-depth segment on government spending, renovation boondoggles, and accountability. The tail end covers a story of municipal double standards in Markham, Ontario.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Sycamore Gap Tree Case and British Justice (01:05–13:30)

Explaining the Symbolism and Destruction of the Tree

• The Sycamore Gap Tree, located by Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, was a beloved local and national landmark, celebrated in art, tourism, and even film ("Robin Hood" with Kevin Costner).
• Two men, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers—both tree surgeons by trade—filmed themselves vandalizing the tree as a “prank” (02:57). They publicly reveled in the notoriety, leading to outrage and subsequent legal action.

Judge’s Remarks and Sentencing

• Justice Christina Lambert delivered an eloquent statement about the deep societal, emotional, and cultural loss caused by the vandals:

  “…the sense of loss and confusion across the world when the news broke that a thing of natural beauty had been destroyed in a mindless act of vandalism.” —Justice Christina Lambert [05:38]

• The financial cost of the crime was cited at nearly $1 million CAD.
• The men were sentenced to over four years each, in the highest categories for both culpability and harm:

  “…the decision to fell the tree involved a high degree of plain planning and premeditation… you intended to destroy the tree and thus intended to cause very serious damage to property… causing serious distress to many people.” —Justice Christina Lambert [07:00]

Ezra Levant’s Critical Comparison

• Levant underscores the severity of the sentence and agrees it was just:

  "I agree with every word she said. And I'm not from there. I've never seen this tree." [07:51]

• He uses the case to contrast how the British legal system handles “British symbols” versus more egregious crimes like the systematic abuse by “migrant rape gangs,” referencing the Rotherham scandal, which he says resulted in similar or even lighter sentences.

  "Why is that same legal system... so averse to punishment when it’s something so much more horrific?... Chop down a tree, four years in prison, topple a statue... no charges." [08:41]

• He frames this as evidence of a two-tiered justice system, conflating the issue with broader debates about cultural preservation, immigration, and political correctness.

Memorial Quote

"It was more than a century old and it was a symbol of so many things and the beauty and the history of the UK." —Ezra Levant [01:05]

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Political and Media Accountability in Canada (13:37–19:54)

Government Spending on Official Residences and Parliament

• Franco Tarrazano blasts extravagant taxpayer-funded spending:

  "The NCC spent $135 million bucks maintaining and renovating official residences over a 16 year period...eight and a half million bucks every year. You could buy a mansion in Ottawa every year and still have money left over." —Franco Tarrazano [13:37]

• Ezra describes a “symbiotic” relationship between the media class and politicians, where both advocate for each other’s enrichment at public expense:

  "Neither can be said to be, you know, advocating for their own enrichment, but they each got each other's back. It is such a—a symbiosis, as they would say in biology." —Ezra Levant [17:55]

• The renovation of Parliament’s Centre Block will cost upwards of $5 billion, raising questions about government incompetence, priorities, and basic stewardship. [15:59]

Soundbites on Waste and Political-media Collusion

• "The NCC might be the most incompetent agency in all of Ottawa... because there is stiff competition." —Franco Tarrazano [15:10]
• "You've got bailouts for developers, you've got bureaucrats taking bonuses, you've got mansions for politicians. And what do Canadian taxpayers get out of all this? The bill." —Franco Tarrazano [18:55]

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Viewer Mail & Cultural Double Standards (19:54–22:52)

• Levant reads and responds to letters from listeners about exclusion, identity, and religious/cultural practices in Canada—critiquing what he sees as double standards in the enforcement of religious expression (specifically, Christian versus Islamic symbols in public spaces).

  "Canada is a Christian country. It just is... anyone who says the occasional chime of a bell... is equivalent to a three minute long Muslim prayer... Those aren't the same thing." —Ezra Levant [21:36]

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Markham Rink Battle: Municipal Double Standards (22:53–32:28)

Featured Guest: Martin Ross (mayoral candidate, Markham, ON)

• Martin Ross shares his “David vs Goliath” story: after building a backyard hockey rink for his family, he fought the City of Markham for four years in a battle that cost hundreds of thousands in legal fees, triggered by complaints allegedly linked to political favoritism.
• He exposes lack of transparency, city council favoritism, and a planning commissioner now under bribery investigation.
• The city threatened Martin with a $350,000–$500,000 bill for removing his rink—far exceeding its construction cost.
• Despite personal ruination, Martin is running for mayor on a platform of accountability, transparency, and standing up for ordinary citizens. He calls out the hypocrisy of the city operating sports facilities in public spaces while persecuting him for private recreation.

Notable Quotes

• "They dragged me through a four-year process that was...crippled me financially and it beat me up." —Martin Ross [24:11]
• "I'm a politician, Martin. Their votes count as eight, your votes count as one. Regardless of what is right or wrong?" —Reported as said by Councilor Reid McAlpine [26:36]
• "I have zero war chest because all my money was put into fighting City Hall." —Martin Ross [28:23]
• "We have failed the city of Markham. We have failed the citizens of Markham. And I want to try and, you know, turn Markham around." —Martin Ross [32:08]

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Notable Timestamps

• 01:05–08:41: Sycamore Gap Tree case, trial, and sentencing
• 08:41–13:30: Justice system comparison, statue vandalism, and cultural symbols
• 13:37–19:54: Canadian government waste, media-politician “symbiosis,” evidence and anecdotes
• 19:54–22:52: Audience letters, religious double standards in Canada
• 22:53–32:28: Markham mayoral candidate Martin Ross on fighting city hall, municipal double standards

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Memorable Quotes

• "For those who live in Northumberland or who love this county, the tree had become a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of its untamed landscape..." —Justice Christina Lambert [05:38]

• "Chop down a tree, four years in prison, topple a statue... no charges... But if the criminals invoke political correctness, if the criminals are foreign... Don’t talk about that, you racist." —Ezra Levant [08:41]

• "The NCC spent $135 million bucks maintaining and renovating official residences over a 16 year period... You could buy a mansion in Ottawa every year and still have money left over." —Franco Tarrazano [13:37]

• "We have failed the city of Markham. We have failed the citizens of Markham. And I want to try and, you know, turn Markham around." —Martin Ross [32:08]

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Takeaway

This episode leverages the case of the Sycamore Gap Tree to critique the modern Western justice system’s priorities and double standards, both in the UK and in Canada—contrasting harsh punishment for symbolic acts with leniency for seemingly more serious crimes, and connecting the theme to ongoing government waste and a story of local political hypocrisy. The tone is indignant, investigative, and rooted in culture-war anxieties, featuring direct challenges to institutional elites and calls for grassroots accountability.

Transcript

[Ezra Levant]

Hello, my friends. How much should you get in prison for chopping down one of the most beautiful trees in your community? Should it be a prison term? We'll talk about it. We'll compare the prison term that two men got to the prison terms of people who actually commit rape in their community. Sorry to be so heavy, but that's the comparison I make. But first, let me invite you to become a subscriber to Rebel News Plus. You know why? Because I want to show you the tree. I want to show you the very special tree in question, sort of a famous tree, and two guys chopped it down. So I want you to see it, not just hear me talk about it. Go to rebelnewsplus.com, click subscribe. And it's eight bucks a month, which might not sound like a lot to you, but that sure adds up for us. And we need the money because we don't take any money from the government. And it shows.

[Martin Ross]

You're listening to Real News podcast.

[Ezra Levant]

Tonight. Why did a British court care more about a tree than about people? It's June 30th, and this is the Ezra Levant Show. You fighting for freedom. Shame on you, you censorious bu. This is the Sycamore Gap Tree. It's got a name. It's in the north of the United Kingdom. It's right alongside an ancient wall called Hadrian's Wall. Maybe you've heard of it. It was built by the Romans when they ruled Britannia. The tree's beautiful. So interesting. So much so that they gave it the name the Sycamore Gap Tree, and it was made famous in countless photographs, became a destination, the kind of place people would go to for wedding photos or even to actually get engaged for a wedding. It was more than a century old and it was a symbol of so many things and the beauty and the history of the uk. Look at that. Isn't that nice? And that one there. And that one. But I'm speaking in the present tense. I shouldn't be, because the tree's gone and it was chopped down by a couple of malicious fools. More than that, criminals. They were here it is, days after being chopped down. So outrageous. The two men who did it filmed themselves chopping it down on their cell phone. It was at night. This is an enhanced version of that phone call. You see the outline of a person here, a chainsaw.

[Martin Ross]

And then the tree topples.

[Ezra Levant]

That act was carried out by two men, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers. Incredibly, they were tree surgeons for a living. They cut down trees, is what they did. But this they did as a lark, as a prank, as a horrible act of vandalism, as a crime. And in the days that followed, they delighted in what they did. They bantered back and forth with each other and so excited about the news coverage, their crime received national news, even international news. Maybe you heard about it. A teenager was briefly, wrongfully accused of doing it. It was a scandal. And then they were caught. Now, all this happened three years ago. Actually, I came across it again today because, and this is so infuriating, someone stole a sapling that had been planted from the original tree after it was cut down. Here's the headline today. Sycamore Gap sapling stolen from castle grounds happened just today. Quote, one of the saplings grown from the felled sycamore gap tree has been stolen from a castle's grounds. The young tree, which was believed to have been stolen earlier this month, was planted at Ray Castle near Ambleside, Cumbria, in April of 2026. It was one of 49 grown from seeds taken from the tree, which was illegally felled in September 2023. The National Trust runs the estate and general manager Laura Lee said the tree's loss would be deeply felt, adding, that tree belongs to everyone. So I saw that story and I refreshed my memory about the original attack on the tree, which I had just seen in passing. Now, these two men who did it sound like awful people, but I'm going to point out a couple of things that are maybe sort of obvious. The two criminals are white.

[David Menzies]

They're.

[Ezra Levant]

They're indigenous Brits. They're the British ethnicity. It's a white part of the world up there in the countryside in northern England. So the judge was white British. Everyone in this story is British. There were no migrants, no Pakistani nationals. It was Britain as it used to be a century ago. And on trial were feelings about Britain and the countryside and nature and history and community and symbols. So it was a very British trial, wasn't it? Here, let me play a few clips for you from the judge, Justice Christina Lambert. Here she is talking about the aesthetic value, the poetic value of that tree to Britain. Listen to her describe it as she is about to give these men their sentence.

[Justice Christina Lambert]

For those who live in Northumberland or who love this county, the tree had become a landmark, a symbol of the beauty of its untamed landscape, featuring prominently in local art and local tourism. For others, the tree had become a place of special personal significance, where marriages were proposed and personal tributes to loved ones were left. It was, as Mr. Poe observes, a Place of peace and tranquility to which people returned year after year. But the public reaction has extended far beyond those who had visited the tree or for whom it had a personal resonance. Mr. Poe describes the outpouring of emotion as unprecedented in the experience of the National Trust. He describes the sense of loss and confusion across the world when the news broke that a thing of natural beauty had been destroyed and a mindless act of vandalism.

[Ezra Levant]

She talked about how the men had no excuse, how they reveled in their crime, how it was planned. How their excuses about being drunk didn't wash, given their joy in the project. Days later, she talked about the cost of the crime. Financially, it was almost a million dollars Canadian when all was said and done. And in the end, she talked about the prison sentence for the men, more than four years each.

[Justice Christina Lambert]

Following the guidelines, the first step that I must take is to identify the offence category. It is common ground between your barristers and the Crown that the offence in count one falls into the highest categories for both culpability and harm. It falls into the highest culpability category for two reasons. First, because the decision to fell the tree involved a high degree of plain planning and premeditation. And second, because you intended to destroy the tree and thus intended to cause very serious damage to property. It falls into the highest harm category because of the social impact of the offence, causing serious distress to many people. This yields a sentence range of six months to four years custody with a starting point of one and a half years custody.

[Ezra Levant]

You know what? I. I agree with her. I agree with every word she said. And I'm not from there. I've never seen this tree. Apparently it was in the movie Robin Hood with Kevin Costner. Here's a scene. You can see the tree and they're walking on Hadrian's Wall. Take a look. Am I not the infidel? It seems safer to appear as your slave rather than your equal.

[Martin Ross]

You know, for an infidel you have uncle common clarity of thinking that you

[Ezra Levant]

tell me nothing of yourself.

[Martin Ross]

For instance, your name, Azim. What does it mean?

[Ezra Levant]

It means Great One. Great One?

[Justice Christina Lambert]

Really?

[Martin Ross]

Did you give yourself this name?

[Ezra Levant]

It's a joke. Azim the Great One.

[Franco Tarrazano]

I am home

[Justice Christina Lambert]

now.

[Ezra Levant]

I don't really care about the movie, but just know that that was no movie set. That's not some studio lot in Anaheim. That's England itself, or what it once was. And here's my point. A four year sentence in prison for chopping down a tree. A beautiful tree, a meaningful tree. But it was just a tree. I agree with that sentence, but it wasn't murder and it wasn't rape. It wasn't the systematic rape of girls night after night by migrant rape gangs like the 1400 girls raped in that one northern city of Rotherham. I've been following those rape gang cases ever since I first heard about them through Tommy Robinson more than a decade ago. A typical rape gang rapist in the uk, by my anecdotal observation, gets around six years in prison. That's their sentence. Of course, they're out much earlier than that. Sometimes they're sentences or less for raping and torturing and degrading actual women, actual young girls, repeatedly over years. And I think that's my point. I agree with the British judge sentencing two British men in a British court to prison for chopping down a British tree. Absolutely. Why is that same legal system, political system, police system, media system, so averse to to punishment when it's something so much more horrific? But if the criminals invoke political correctness, if the criminals are foreign, and this tree, hooray. It was beautiful, but it was an act of random nature really. It became iconic by chance. No one specifically planted it there that we know of. It wasn't like a statue that was created as a significant cultural meme in some way. Because in the United Kingdom, as in the United States and as in Canada, we are tumbling down our planned icons all the time. And we're not doing it at night drunk and recording it on cell phone cameras. We're tumbling down our own icons in the daylight. Here's a statue of Winston Churchill literally across the street from the UK Parliament buildings, vandalized. Now at least that was just paint. Here's a statue toppled and thrown in the river. Broad daylight statues across the uk, Canada, US toppled not just by rioters, but often by city councils. They actually melted one down in the uk. In Canada, a so called Conservative government put a box around the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald outside the Ontario legislature for years. They didn't quite have the courage to take it down, but neither did they have the courage to leave it up. So they put a box around it like a coffin, chop down a tree, four years in prison, topple a statue of someone from 200 years ago who wasn't politically correct. No charges. In fact, the police will help you. Oh, and the rape of Britain? Don't talk about that, you racist. Stay with us for more. One of the grossest things in regime journalism, and there's a lot of gross things, is when journalists Suddenly, passionately take up the cause of the prime minister or senior cabinet ministers in one of two ways. They often say, oh, we need to have a new corporate jet for our Prime Minister. The jet that's being used now is not up to snuff. It's outdated. It needs renovation. We need a new jet. And the second thing just revealed is when they say we need a total multi million dollar, billion dollar renovation of 24 Sussex Drive. Suddenly these journalists have stopped even the pretense of doing journalism and they become cheerleaders. And the whole time it's like they're looking over their shoulder to say, hey, is the Prime Minister noticing? I hope he's noticing me. I hope he's watching me go to bat for him. Lobbying for a more luxurious plane for himself and a more luxurious home in 24 Sussex Drive. And indeed, it has happened. Not only have we seen staggering amounts of money spent on airfare, but now Mark Carney has announced that there will Indeed be a nine figure renovation of 24 Sussex Drive. Joining us with all the details is our friend Franco Tarrazano. He's with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. And I'll tell you one thing, he's not one of the guys cheering for the hundred thousand dollar airplane meals or the hundred million dollar renovations. Franco, I just get, you know, there's. Do you ever notice that when these journalists sort of flip into I'll be your white knight Mark Carney mode? You ever see that?

[Franco Tarrazano]

I think you bring up two very good examples, Both the airplane food or maybe even some other extravagant international travel. Or any time there's a conversation about the official residences, okay? And look, I've been spending years trying to bust what might be the dumbest myth in all of Ottawa, that politicians are too cheap to spend other people's money fixing up their mansions, right? That is the dumbest piece of prevailing wisdom in Ottawa. Okay? I wish people would actually dive into the numbers and look at how much money the National Capital Commission is wasting. Okay? That is the government's know, Parks and Rex board on steroids, okay? The NCC spent 135 million bucks maintaining and renovating the official residences over a, what, 16 year period. So they're spending about eight and a half million bucks every year maintaining and renovating these things. Eight and a half million bucks a year, okay? You could buy a mansion in Ottawa every year and still have money left over. And yet for some reason there's this myth that, that, oh, the government's too cheap to fix up these mansions. Give me a break.

[Ezra Levant]

Yeah, I don't know if you know the number offhand. I don't want to put you on the spot, but right now they're renovating the center block of Parliament. That's the pretty. It's, like, right on Parliament Hill. It's one with the Peace Tower. Everyone knows it. And in the meantime, the House of Commons is sitting in another building. What is the rough estimate for the amount of money that's going to be spent renovating that office? Do you know the number? I think it's in the billions, isn't it?

[Franco Tarrazano]

Sorry. Oh, I don't have that number offhand. But what I do know is that the National Capital Commission might be the most incompetent agency in all of Ottawa. And, Ezra, that's saying a lot because there is stiff competition in that, okay? Like, look, the NCC is the same agency, okay, that spent 8 million bucks building a barn at Rideau Hall. $8 million on a barn, okay, spent 140,000 bucks studying and designing a staircase at Rideau hall that they never built. Ezra, call me crazy, but I think most Canadians spend zero dollars studying a staircase that they never built. The ncc, okay, spent two and a half million bucks on a backup cottage at Harrington Lake. They spent over $700,000 renovating the kitchen at Harrington Lake. The price of a home.

[Ezra Levant]

Gold taps or something. You know, I just Googled it while you were talking there. I just typed in Costa, Parliament, Renault. Hold on to your seat, Franco. The National Capital Commission is estimating between 4.5 and $5 billion to renovate parliament. 5 billion. How are they literally using stacking $100 bills as bricks or something? So, you know, it reminds me. I mean, whatever people think of Donald Trump, the guy knows how to build things. And one of the. I don't know if you know the story about Trump, but one of the moments that really made him famous was Central park in New York, which is a lovely park. They couldn't get a skating rink done, and they could, you know, no one could do it, and they wanted hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump said, no, you know what? I'll just do it. And in a matter of months, he just. He got his crew in, and he just made this skating rink, and it's awesome. And it was quick, and it was, like, less than 1:10. The cost of what the. He is the ultimate builder and doer. We don't have anyone or anything like that. I mean, I don't know how you spend $5 billion on parliament, but you say that the National Capital Commission wanted $175 million for major renos in. In that same period of time. Is that what you're saying? Do I understand your press release year, Ezra?

[Franco Tarrazano]

You understand it correctly. And these aren't our numbers. These are numbers right from the ntc. Okay, so after a decade and a half where they spent $135 million, $135 million in 16 years maintaining and renovating the official residences, okay, after that, the NCC still cried broke, right? And they wanted like $175 million over 10 years. Let me just get these numbers right. To restore all six properties. And then they wanted what, $26 million every year, ongoing for maintenance.

[Ezra Levant]

Okay, I don't get it. I don't even. They're so out of touch. You know, once a year, the Prime Minister invites journalists for a hobnobby kind of cocktails reception. And I think that's what this is all about. I think when you see journalists out there white knighting, as they say, for this vast expenditure, it's their way of paying back the boss. So he'll smile at them because he can't advocate for his own super Renault. So it's sort of, it's. Here's the deal. It's pretty obvious. Mark Carney will advocate for more money, more media bailouts, and the journalists will advocate for billions of dollars in Renault's of Parliament and 24 Sussex Drive. That way, neither can be said to be. Can be said to be, you know, advocating for their own enrichment, but they each got each other's back. It is such a. A symbiosis, as they would say in biology. They each require the other to get away with it. Franco.

[Franco Tarrazano]

Well, and Ezra, you know, I don't know much of a louder voice outside of the media because the ctf, we're not the media. But I don't know of a, you know, a larger group than ours outside of media, who's calling for the end of all media subsidies and the defunding of the cbc. Right? They should not get one single cent from Canadian taxpayers. Okay, but look, this whole housing situation is gross, Ezra, okay? You've got bailouts for developers, you've got bureaucrats taking bonuses, you've got mansions for politicians. And what do Canadian taxpayers get out of all this? The bill. That's what we're left with. The bill.

[Martin Ross]

Yeah.

[Ezra Levant]

It's crazy. And there's just a certain look in the eye of these journalists when they're on this issue where you can see it's as if they're doing a little story or they're doing a video and then they're going to personally email it to Mark Carney just to make sure he sees them working for him. Franco, I'm glad you're out there fighting the good fight on behalf of taxpayers.

[Franco Tarrazano]

Keep up.

[Ezra Levant]

Keep it up, my friend. Keep in touch.

[Franco Tarrazano]

Hey, thank you so much.

[Ezra Levant]

All right. There is Franco Tarazano of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Stay with us. More ahead. Hey, welcome back. Your letters to me, including about my trip to Regina, the Queen City. Ron Priest says, imagine saying you are not welcome in our community. That's definitely not a Christian attitude. That's a Muslim attitude. It was so weird. I was not aggressive or hostile to him. He just started out that way. To me, the funniest part about that is his worst insult he could say about me was that I was Scottish or Irish. First of all, how can you say that? It's so evident I'm not. But second of all, that's one of the finest compliments. And you know, it's such a nice thing to say. I don't think anyone's ever said such a nice thing to me before. What an idiot he was. Bacon lover says if that priest was the leader of my church, I would be finding a new church. These leaders are weak. Yeah, I thought about the trip. I mean, we were only on the ground for it was measured in hours. But I thought about it a lot on the plane ride home. And I think this imam, like all imams, is evangelical. He wants to spread Islam everywhere he goes. It's sort of his job. And I don't think he's shy about it. But I think the real enthusiasts, the ones who are really weaponizing what he's doing are the liberal white Christian institutions, that priest across the street, the city police, the media, none of whom are Muslim. Well, there was that Muslim reporter from Global News. But for them, this is proof to show the world that they're so enlightened. Make George Orwell fiction again. Says church bells are so light compared to an amplified call to prayer. If that was their only the first thing is, well, Canada is a Christian country. It just is and it doesn't. Canada is not an empty or void country. It's Christian. But the second thing is anyone who says the occasional chime of a bell, which is really more like a clock chime, is equivalent to a three minute long Muslim prayer haranguing on loudspeakers in Arabic, saying Allah is supreme, there's no God but Allah. Yeah. No, those aren't the same thing. And I think they know they're doing something that would be wrong legally or politically in the eyes of any other group. I was doing some research, and Saskatchewan schools had the Lord's Prayer banned in the 90s. In fact, a judge was called in to sort of arbitrate. So they used to say the Lord's prayer until the 90s, and that was banned. You can't say that in the public square, but now you've got this Islamic call to prayer in the public square. Really, that's sort of the point here, isn't it? Well, that's our show for the day. Until tomorrow, on behalf of all of us here at Rebel World headquarters, to you at home, good night and keep fighting for freedom.

[David Menzies]

David Menzies for Rebel News here in Markham, Ontario. And you know, folks, there's an old saying, you can't fight city Hall. But Martin Ross standing next to me, he's sure gonna try to fight city Hall. In fact, even though Martin Ross has no political background, he is running for mayor of Markham, Ontario. And what's that saying from Jaws 4? There's this time it's personal. You see, Martin Ross endured the city going to war against his beloved backyard hockey rink, a hockey rink that does not exist. So Martin, he's put his name in the hat. He's going to run for mayor of this city. It should prove fascinating. Now, Martin, to begin with, for those who have haven't seen our previous reports of your odyssey and trying to save your backyard rink, can you briefly recap what the issue was all about?

[Martin Ross]

Well, I still don't even know what the issue was about. They just came after me and they stuck it in under my heritage easement agreement saying I didn't have permits and whatnot. You don't need permits to put in a backyard rink, so you're gonna have a few people all. He didn't have his permits. You don't need permits for a backyard rink. It was approved by the Heritage department or supposed to, supported by the Heritage Department, turned down by the Development Services Committee, which is the counselors and the mayor and whatnot. And it was a long legal battle. They probably spent, I'm going to say, about three, $400,000 fighting me against taking this rank out in legal fees. I don't have the exact number, but you can get the request from Freedom of Information to force me to take out my backyard rink in my own personal property. That was a pretty nicely done rink. They had nice boards. We had a chiller system and whatnot. It's a company that's called My Backyard Rink that sells these and makes these. And they forced me to take it out. They took me through court. They dragged me through a four year process that was, you know, very stressful on me and my family, me and my kids. I'm a single dad with two kids, and it put us through a lot of stress, a lot of mental anguish. It crippled me financially and it beat me up.

[David Menzies]

And speaking of six figures figure sums, the city really played hardball, Martin. They said if you don't remove your rink. The original estimate for them to tear down this little backyard rink was, I believe, half a million dollars. It was later reduced to, I think, 350,000. How did they come up with a number like that?

[Martin Ross]

I don't know. They don't show me a breakdown. They just sent me a letter. Graham Seaman, as you said on one of your earlier episodes, they just sent me a letter saying, we're going to take charge you 350,000 to remove it. No breakdown of how they get to that number.

[David Menzies]

But that was far more than what it cost to put the rink up. Yes.

[Martin Ross]

Yes, most definitely. So. And they were ready. They were ready to go. They sent their lawyers, sent a letter saying, we're coming tomorrow to start taking it down.

[David Menzies]

Now, we have to talk about the unspoken backstory here. It was political and it was favoritism. And by that I mean your local counselor, Reed McAlpine Line, he was leading the charge. And your next door neighbors, the Ganions. And this is where it gets interesting. They were allegedly the biggest complainers about your backyard hockey rink. But as I remember, Martin, they had an addition put on their heritage house. They had a guest house built. It dwarfed your rink, but that was okay somehow. And yet your rink wasn't. And then we find out that the Gagnons are allegedly financial supporters, donors of Mr. McAlpine. Do I have that right?

[Martin Ross]

You have that 100% right. And this is one of the things that I kind of want to battle when I'm running for mayor of Markham here. I want accountability, I want transparency. And, you know, what's right for one should be right for the other. It shouldn't be a pick and choose, what works for one, what works for the other. And Reid McAlpine, who I understand is no longer running, he was behind this and a strong supporter behind this of me taking my rink out. And, you know, he had said to me at one point, I'm a politician, Martin. Their votes count as eight, your votes count as one. Regardless of what is right or wrong? He was after the votes, and we brought that up in court, and it was never challenged by the city in court.

[David Menzies]

It's amazing. So just eight votes, a seven vote, seven spread was enough to move the day on this. Now, Martin, what do you hope to accomplish running for mayor? Mayor Scarpetti? He is the incumbent. That gives him an automatic advantage. I guess what I'm saying is, do you have a chance here?

[Martin Ross]

Well, you know, like they said in Dumb and Dumber, you're saying there's a chance, right? So, I mean, I. I wouldn't enter it if it wasn't. There's a chance. Do I have an uphill battle? I absolutely have an uphill battle. But you know what? I'd like the citizens of Markham to kind of understand that so far in the past, you know, I don't even know how many years it goes back, we've all voted for professional politicians. I'm a regular guy. I'm an average Joe. And every time you voted for one of those regular professional politicians, you've ended up disappointed. Try something different for once. Go a different direction and go with one of you now.

[David Menzies]

Part of the game in politics, Martin, of course, is money. What kind of a war chest do you have in terms of signage, pamphlets and so forth and so on?

[Martin Ross]

I have zero war chest because all my money was put into fighting City Hall. So, you know, my war chest is going to be my feet and going door to door and meeting with people and talking to people and just being honest with them. As I mentioned, we want transparency and accountability. And what happened with my rink, I could have sat here and complained about it, bitched about it, moaned about it, been depressed about it. My rank is over and done with. That situation is gone. But I want to make sure bullying like this does never happen to another citizen here in the city of Markham again. And what's happened to me here is just a symptom of what's probably really going on at City Hall. As you know, many politicians, even inside of here, very close with many developers. That's why their former planning commissioner is now under investigation for bribery and fraud. I can't make this stuff up. It's in writing that he's under investigation. He's left his. He left here. Once those charges came to fruition, he went to Hamilton. He's now had to step away from his job at the city of Hamilton under these investigations.

[David Menzies]

Wow. And I mean, imagine if the improbable does happen and you win. I understand being the mayor of Markham, It's a really high paying gig, isn't it?

[Martin Ross]

You know, that you bring that up, I mean, and the numbers are a little bit, they go back and forth. But yeah, he is one of, if not the highest paid mayor in North America. Definitely in Canada. He goes back and forth with your mayor, the mayor of Richmond Hill. The two of them are kind of like a one, two punch, but definitely one of the highest paid mayors in North America.

[David Menzies]

Wow. Incredible. Now, I have to point out, Martin, we're just across the street from City hall and what is, I think perversely ironic, right behind us are pickleball courts. I think pickleball, that's the name of the sport for those who are unable to play tennis anyway. And further down there are some beach volleyball courts erected on the property. And I personally don't have a problem with that. It's great to have people come out and get active. But the thing is, why is it okay for the city and its parking lot to have pickleball courts, volleyball courts, and it was totally unacceptable for you to have a backyard hockey rink on your own private property?

[Martin Ross]

Well, you know, these are questions that, you know, were never answered. And I don't even know if you call that a pickleball court because it's seems to be have made up with construction, fencing or. I don't even. Maybe they use some hockey tape to make the lines. They maybe got the netting off of Amazon. I mean, the city of Markham, they're putting up pickleball courts. They need to do better. They need to do a better job. And I'm all for pickleball courts. I'm all for beach volleyball courts. Any, anything that gets people outside, get them active, I'm all for it. Which is why I was all for my rink. And you know, it's. As you mentioned, City hall can have this right in their parking lot, right across from all these residents right here. But for me to have a rink for kids in the backyard, unacceptable. And this is where the accountability and the transparency comes in.

[David Menzies]

Yeah, that's my issue too, Martin. Not the embracing of sports, but the double standard when it came to you and your hockey rink. Well, Martin, I'm going to wish you good luck. I think you're going to need it. You know, this is truly a David versus Goliath story. I guess we should end it with this. Give us your 30 second elevator pitch. When you start going door to door and you have a half minute of a person's time. Why should I vote for Martin Ross to be the next mayor of Markham, Ontario.

[Martin Ross]

You know, I mentioned the first part is that I'm not your professional politician. I'm a regular guy, just like everybody else that'll be doing the voting. I'm a regular Joe, just like everybody else will be doing the voting. And you failed with the regular politicians time, time and time and time and time again. It's about time that you try something new. You know, I want to be here for the citizens. And I know you've heard politicians say that before, but I think the current people in power over here in Markham, because they've been here for so long, have forgot that, you know, we work for them. They don't. The city does. The citizens of the city don't work for us. We work for them. I want to be there for them. I want to be there to represent them. I want to make Markham a city that we put on the map here. And I feel that there's a lot of areas where, you know, we have failed the city of Markham. We have failed the citizens of Markham. And I want to try and, you know, turn Markham around.