Category: Ottawa

Public Inquiry Hears About Divisions Within ‘Freedom Convoy’ Leadership

One of the main spokesmen for the “Freedom Convoy” says he did not agree with a proposed deal, struck between organizers and the city of Ottawa, that would have seen truckers move their vehicles out of residential areas. Benjamin Dichter is on the stand Thursday at the Public Order Emergency Commission, the public inquiry that…


Man Accused of Being Russian Spy in Norway Attended Universities in Ottawa, Calgary

A man arrested in Norway who is suspected of being a Russian spy has ties to Canada. Norwegian authorities arrested Jose Assis Giammaria on Monday on suspicion of being an “illegal,” which is a term that describes a spy operating with a false identity. Police allege Giammaria, described as a Brazilian researcher in Norwegian press,…


Ex-Ottawa Police Chief Says Force Couldn’t Change Much About Response to Convoy

The former chief of the Ottawa police says his officers couldn’t have done anything materially differently during the response to the “Freedom Convoy.” A summary report of an interview with Peter Sloly has been submitted as evidence at the public inquiry investigating the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act in February. In it,…


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…


‘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…


John Robson: Ignore the Distractions, Emergencies Act Inquiry Is Only About Whether Use of the Act Was Called For

Commentary There’s such a din in Ottawa you’d think the truckers were back. And in a sense they are, because hearings are finally under way into the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, and the ratio of noise to sense threatens to be worse than in the original go-round. Which is a pity because…


Ottawa City Councillor Tells Hearing She was ‘Terrified’ of Freedom Convoy but Didn’t Witness Any Violence Herself

An Ottawa city councillor wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP in February claiming that residents in her ward, which includes the area surrounding Parliament Hill, experienced “unprecedented violence” from the Freedom Convoy, although she had not seen any acts of violence herself. “I didn’t personally witness any acts of violence. I was…


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…


Iran Flight Relatives Say Canada a Haven for Regime Officials

Relatives of those killed when Iran’s military shot down Flight PS752 in January 2020 say Canada has become a safe haven for regime officials. “Canada has become a safe haven for the criminals of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Hamed Esmaeilion testified Thursday afternoon to the House justice committee. Esmaeilion leads a group representing grieving…


Ottawa Boosts Matching Donations for Pakistan Flooding to $7.5M

The federal government has more than doubled the amount of donations it will match to help the people of Pakistan recover from disastrous flooding. International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan tweeted Wednesday that Canada will match the $7.5 million Canadians have donated to the Humanitarian Coalition. Three weeks ago, the government pledged to match just $3…