The property, which Gerald Perron has owned and lived in since 1995, is adjacent to Lac du Bonnet Cemetery. A row of carrageenan bushes separated the two lots. A statement of claim filed in the Court of Queen’s Bench on July 25 describes a timeline of events in which officials from the RM of Lac du Bonnet, about 110 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg, removed a row of bushes that acted as a natural boundary and preserved The Two Horses of Perron safely in his possession. The claim states that from late August to early September 2020, township employees entered his property and removed all the bushes without notifying him. Perron’s claim says he didn’t notice the loss until a few weeks later, when an RCMP officer came to his home to say one of his horses had wandered off the property and been hit by a vehicle on the highway. The horse, named Cocoplan, died of injuries from the collision, the claim states. During the same visit, the officer ticketed Perron for allowing an animal to run loose on a highway, a violation of the Highway Traffic Act. The ticket was ultimately stayed by prosecutors, the claim states. The plaintiff alleges that the municipality is liable for trespass and negligence, which is “the proximate and proximate cause” of the damage to his property and the untimely death of Cocoplan. Perron is seeking compensation for costs associated with replacing the trees, loss of use and enjoyment of his property, the value of the dead horse, mental and emotional harm following Cocoplan’s death, and any costs associated with her defense violation of the Highway Traffic Act. None of the claims have been tested in court. No statement of defense has been filed and no trial dates have been set. CBC News sought comment from the RM of Lac du Bonnet but did not receive a response in time for publication.
