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When John Konecny was called “near treasonous” in court, he knew it was time to test the government.

He packed his belongings and moved from Whitby, Ont., to Ottawa — in a canoe — and had the government deduct his expenses.

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“This was 35 years of frustration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA),” the recently-retired, 55-year-old teacher said in a phone interview.

“I was insulted … and my friends know my Monty Python sense of humour.”

The journey that led Konecny to that unforgettable day in court back in 2014 had started decades earlier.

In 1989, he was a student who lived in Ottawa, but studied two hours away in Kingston, Ont., at Queen’s University. Each time he moved from place to place, he deducted his moving expenses as a student.

Soon after graduating, he started full-time work as an English teacher in Scarborough, Ont., east of Toronto’s core, but had already gained work as a supply teacher in Ottawa. Then, Konecny had an epiphany.