Category: Public Order Emergency Commission

Ottawa Councillor Says City Didn’t Pursue Injunction to Clear Convoy to Avoid Being Embarrassed by Court’s Rejection

The City of Ottawa considered seeking a court order to help dislodge trucks and protesters that had settled in its downtown core last winter, but refrained from doing so in part because it thought a defeat in court would cause harm to its reputation. This was part of the testimony of Ottawa councillor and former…


Briefing Shows CSIS Saw No Foreign Involvement in Freedom Convoy Protest

A briefing provided by the director of Canada’s spy agency to senior officials at different levels of government on Feb. 6 said there was no foreign involvement in the Freedom Convoy protest, in contrast to claims made by federal cabinet ministers. “There [are] no foreign actors identified at this point supporting or financing this convoy,”…


Ottawa Mayor Says Securing Tow Trucks Under Emergencies Act Was Most Important Measure to End Protest

Procuring tow trucks to clear the Freedom Convoy protest was the most important measure that was implemented through the invocation of the Emergencies Act, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told the Public Order Commission on Tuesday. Watson was being asked by commission counsel whether he knew which measures were used under the act to end the…


Ottawa Mayor Says Quebec ‘Biker Gang’ Held Intersection During Freedom Convoy Protest

A group of criminal bikers from Quebec were occupying an intersection of downtown Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy protest last winter, the city mayor claimed before the Public Order Emergency Commission on Tuesday. “My understanding, because I was briefed on this, was that the chief indicated there were criminal elements I believe were involved with…


‘Naive’ to Think Authorities Should’ve Prevented Freedom Convoy Protest: Ottawa City Manager

Not long after hundreds of vehicles entered Ottawa to protest COVID-19 restrictions last January, the highest ranking public servant in the city pushed back against the idea they could have been easily prevented from doing so. “It’s a bit naive for somebody to believe that the police and the city should have just prevented the…


Convoy Organizers Dispute Ottawa City Manager’s Claim Protesters Didn’t Uphold Deal to Move Trucks

Ottawa City Manager Steve Kanellakos told the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) on Monday that Freedom Convoy protesters never fulfilled their end of the deal to move trucks out of residential neighbourhoods, which was a condition to meet with Mayor Jim Watson, but protesters’ representatives counter that police never allowed the move. “They never fulfilled…


Emergencies Act Inquiry: Ottawa Residents Say Protest and Police Stance Made Them Feel ‘Helpless’

Ottawa residents whose lives were disrupted for three weeks during the winter Freedom Convoy protest told the Public Order Emergency Commission on Friday they felt “helpless,” with one saying she’s experiencing long term effects. “The impact on my physical well being is quite extensive. I certainly during the experience had difficulty sleeping, I had an…


Federal Government Will Ensure Canadians See Why Emergencies Act Was Needed, Trudeau Says on Inquiry

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government will ensure Canadians see that the Emergencies Act was necessary, as the public inquiry into the use of the measure hears testimony over the next several weeks. “We’re going to make sure that Canadians see the situation we were facing and how the tools we used were appropriate,”…


Emergency Act Inquiry Commissioner Pushes Back on Government Mandate Wanting Focus on Protesters

The commissioner presiding over the inquiry into the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act said on Thursday that the mandate received from Parliament would “drive” the commission’s work, rather than the one given by cabinet which focuses on protesters’ actions. “While this inquiry will deal with a wide range of issues, its focus will remain…


Emergencies Act Inquiry Commissioner Says Focus Is on Government Actions, Not Protesters

The commissioner presiding over the inquiry into the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act says the commission’s work will revolve around the mandate granted by Parliament, rather than the one given by cabinet which focuses on protesters’ actions. “While this inquiry will deal with a wide range of issues, its focus will remain squarely on…