Chantal Suzanne Lemay received a conditional discharge for a threatening email sent to Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron last year. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

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NANAIMO — Frustrated with her local Member of Parliament’s response to an evolving conflict on the other side of the world, a local woman made an egregiously poor judgment decision.

Sent on Jan. 13, 2024 and read by Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron’s constituency staff two days later, a disturbing email resulted in a guilty plea to a charge of uttering threats by a woman with no prior criminal record.

Chantal Suzanne Lemay, 28, appeared distraught as the facts of her case were read into the record during a Tuesday, March 4 sentencing hearing at provincial court in Nanaimo.

Crown counsel’s Jordan Hauschildt outlined how Lemay was upset by Barron’s response to the violence unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

He read aloud Lemay’s vulgar and threatening email.

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“You are horrifyingly disgusting and an absolute disgrace to the entire Canadian population. I hope you choke,” Lemay wrote from her Hotmail account.

The profanity-laced tirade elevated to a direct threat against the first-term New Democratic Party MP.

“Assassinations will come for you and all you world f**king leaders. Count your days, World War 3 is about to begin and you are one of the first f**king targets.”

The unhinged email was signed: “Kindest regards, Chantal Lemay”

Barron’s staff sent the email to the office in charge of security for the House of Commons in Ottawa, which recommended police be alerted.

When contacted by Nanaimo RCMP, Lemay acknowledged she had sent the email.

Barron made a statement to Nanaimo Mounties, reporting she had a heightened awareness of safety, as did her family, and the threat added to the complexities of her already stressful job.

“She indicated that, really, her priority motivation was to ensure that Ms. Lemay receive any support, including mental health support, that may be appropriate for her. She also told the police that she did not want this incident to dictate the rest of Ms. Lemay’s life,” Hauschildt said.

Lemay’s lawyer, Julia Turner, said her client agreed the email was “wholly inappropriate” and Lemay “got caught up in the heat of online discourse” of violence unfolding in Gaza.

“As a result of that, she made the offensive and poor decision to put her thoughts in writing,” Turner told court.

Lemay has demonstrated accountability for her actions and is actively taking counselling to address ongoing mental health issues, the hearing was told.

The unemployed Lemay receives medication as a sufferer of anxiety and depression.

Judge Brian Harvey said threats against public officials and law enforcement are “very serious.”

“Ms. Barron and other elected officials have a tough enough role as it is in society without receiving threatening emails from the public,” judge Harvey said.

While he said Lemay “made a remarkably poor decision,” the judge acknowledged efforts by Lemay to address her mental health issues.

A jointly crafted sentence recommendation of a conditional discharge was accepted by judge Harvey, meaning Lemay won’t have a criminal record if she abides by year-long long probationary terms.

Those conditions feature no-contact orders involving Barron and her Nanaimo constituency office and counselling provisions.

Lemay declined to address the court.

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