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Harden said he was concerned to hear about the case of Ottawa resident Mary Sardelis who was charged with trespassing after management of the retirement home where her mother lived called the police. Sardelis’s case was documented on the CBC program Marketplace.

Sardelis said she was prevented from seeing her 97-year-old mother for most of the past year until the charged was withdrawn last month. She was allowed in last Dec. 23 to quickly deliver a gift to her mother.

The home’s owners, who claim police were called because Sardelis was being abusive and disruptive to staff, say she could have come back at any time if she signed an agreement.

But Sardelis, who is now being sued by the retirement home for defamation, said the agreement was essentially a “gag order” that would have limited her visits with her mother to one hour in the evening and prevented her from ever criticizing the retirement home. She is back visiting her mother again, but said she feels like her every move is being watched.

Sardelis said the investigative body for retirement homes, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority, investigated and found no evidence of the retirement home’s allegations.

She said it is “about time” there was an investigation into the use of trespass law to keep people from visiting loved ones.

“This is long overdue. People are saying thanks for bringing awareness (to this issue).”

Keith McLaren, lawyer for the retirement home where Sardelis’s mother lives, said it is not illegal for retirement residences to issue trespass notices.