Image: Barry Neufeld

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Former SD33 trustee

Former Chilliwack trustee arrested at Chilliwack Law Courts building Monday morning

Nov 24, 2025 | 6:56 AM

UPDATE 12:05 P.M. MONDAY: Barry Neufeld has been arrested and taken into custody after he turned himself in at the Chilliwack Law Courts building Monday morning.

Original story:

CHILLIWACK — Former SD33 trustee Barry Neufeld plans to turn himself in at the Chilliwack Law Courts building Monday morning after an order of committal was issued for his arrest.

Neufeld wrote in a newsletter reviewed by Fraser Valley Today that after losing a defamation lawsuit to Dr. Carin Bondar and being required to pay $35,000 in general damages and $10,000 in punitive damages, he has no way of paying the amount mandated by Justice K. Michael Stephens in an April 2024 ruling.

“I live on a fixed income pension, and I have a small savings account to pay back income taxes,” Neufeld wrote in his newsletter. “For the past year, Bondar’s lawyer has been trying to summon me to a hearing to force me to pay $35,000 General Damages, $10,000 punitive damages, plus $8,703.75 of her expenses to try and serve me. She is demanding that I pay a total of $53,703.75. I have no way of paying this.”

NEW HOSPITAL ADDITION

Surrey hospital to open new heart, imaging suites

7h ago

Heavy snow on the Coquihalla

Over a foot of snow expected on the Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt starting tonight and into Saturday

7h ago

Charges approved

41-year-old man faces charges for child sex abuse and exploitation material: Surrey Police ICE

7h ago

The case in the Supreme Court of British Columbia arose after Neufeld, a former multi-term trustee, referred to Dr. Bondar as a “strip-tease artist” during an Empower Hour segment, but did not mention her by name. The Empower Hour segment occurred on September 21, 2022 during which time Neufeld stated, “Richard Procee ran against that strip-tease artist in the by-election four years ago.” The actual by-election occurred in early 2021.

Justice K. Michael Stephens said Neufeld incorrectly characterized Bondar as a strip-tease artist and found that equating, or substantially equating, Bondar with that of a strip-tease artist based on a fleeting image of her in a science-themed parody video did not accurately portray her. Justice Stephens said this “was an effort to discredit his opponent in a school board trustee election, which crossed the line and constituted defamation,” adding that Neufeld’s words were defamatory and no defences were made against his remarks.

Justice Stephens said he did not accept Neufeld’s argument that Dr. Bondar “willingly entered an ideologically charged political arena that is known for use of ‘intemperate, offensive or harsh language.'”

Neufeld had argued that there was a collateral purpose behind Dr. Bondar’s defamation lawsuit, but the judge in this matter did not agree. Justice Stephens said Dr. Bondar had experienced stress and anxiety as a result of the impugned words.

The initial ruling came in April 2024. An order from Justice Stephens outlining the financial payouts of $45,000 to Dr. Bondar was issued on Sept. 17, 2024.

Neufeld was notified on Oct. 27, 2025 about an order for his committal, which states the following:

“Before the Honourable Justice Chan, this court orders that: 1. by reason of failure to abide by the order of Justice Stephens dated Sept. 17, 2024, and failure to appear, Barry Neufeld be committed for 1 day; 2. the Sheriff and all peace officers arrest Barry Neufeld and bring him or her promptly before this court at 46085 Yale Road, Chilliwack, BC V2P 2L8 and, unless otherwise ordered, delivered him or her to the warden of Ford Mountain Correctional Centre; 3. the warden receive Barry Neufeld and keep him or her for 1 day from his or her arrest under this order until he or she is sooner discharged by due process by law.”

Order of committal.

The order goes on to say that if the $53,713.75 amount owing is paid in full to the court registrar, sheriff or peace officer who has him in custody, the order will be discharged.

Endorsement of amount of payable.

“Bondar’s lawyer persuaded a judge to issue a warrant because she could not manage to personally serve me a summons,” Neufeld claimed. “When I didn’t respond to a summons delivered by a process server, Bondar’s lawyer applied to the courthouse to serve me by email. I was aware of this and I cancelled the email she was using. So, she made another application to the courthouse to issue a warrant for my arrest. So the judge made an order for me to spend time in Ford Mountain Correctional Centre because I was so uncooperative. I will be turning myself into the Chilliwack Courthouse at 9:15 a.m. Monday morning on a warrant.”

Neufeld continues to defend himself on his website and claims he’s been the subject of death threats for eight years.

“Since my troubles began eight years ago, I have endured threats of death and violence, so I do not answer the door if I do not recognize the caller,” Neufeld wrote in his newsletter. “Strangers would leave a note that they had a ‘delivery’ for me, but since I never ordered anything from Dye and Durham, I never called them, as I assumed it might be a scam.”