Canada’s public safety minister suggested Thursday at least one of the protesters arrested at an Alberta blockade on weapons changes had spent “some time” at the Ottawa protests.
The federal government has suggested there is coordination between the convoys that have blockaded international border crossings and those that have paralyzed downtown Ottawa in recent weeks.
Speaking to Global News Thursday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino cited “public reports” to suggest at least one protester at the Coutts blockade was also present in Ottawa’s occupation.
“We are starting to see more and more public reports that show that those individuals who were a part of the Coutts illegal blockade also had spent some time in Ottawa,” Mendicino said in an interview.
“That’s in the public domain. Again, as to anything else that police and intelligence may be doing, those functions will be exercised independently of the government.”
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2:59 Feds focus on security concerns as MPs debate necessity of Emergencies Act
Feds focus on security concerns as MPs debate necessity of Emergencies Act
In documents released late Wednesday evening, the government suggested the ongoing protests have become a magnet of “anti-government and anti-authority, anti-vaccination, conspiracy theory and white supremacist groups throughout Canada and other Western countries.”
The government also suggested that ex-police and ex-military members were providing security and logistics support for the blockade.
On Thursday, Canadian journalist Justin Ling, writing in the Guardian newspaper, reported that internal government documents suggested it was “likely” the convoy protests had been infiltrated by far-right extremist groups.
A Feb. 8 assessment by the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre — which includes the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) — reviewed by Global News states “the convergence of legitimate protest with ideological extremism both online and in cities across the country presents a possible trigger point and opportunity for potential lone actor attackers to conduct a terrorism attack.”
The integrated terrorism unit assessed that the likelihood of a coordinated attack against Parliament, legislatures and government buildings remained small, but that “ideological-motivated violent extremism” actors could use “readily-available” weapons like knives, firearms, or vehicles against “soft” targets like counter-protesters.
Asked if he believes the allegedly coordinated behaviour from extremist groups at blockades across the country rises to the level of domestic terrorism, Mendicino said the government is concerned about the “tactics, the timing and the targets” of the protests.
“If you take a look at where the illegal blockades are interrupting trade and travel, they’re all at major ports of entry, so that’s concerning,” Mendicino said.
“When you overlay the rhetoric that is now rampant and being attributed to some of the organizers of the illegal blockades … it certainly seems very ideologically-motivated and extreme.”
1:23 Protesters are ‘organized, driven by extremist ideology,’ says public safety minister following arrests
Protesters are ‘organized, driven by extremist ideology,’ says public safety minister following arrests
But national security observers are not yet convinced the government had to resort to emergency powers to address the blockades.
Leah West and Michael Nesbitt, both lawyers who focus on national security matters, have expressed skepticism the blockades — including the Ottawa occupation — couldn’t be dealt with without a declaration of emergency.
“Now they’re saying the terrorist threat of the far-right in Canada has risen to a threat to the security of our country, such that it threatens our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Nesbitt said in an interview Thursday.
“So we have gotten to the point where they’re saying it’s a threat to our territorial integrity, and a threat to the security of Canada, and yet we’ve never seen a pre-emptive arrest,” Nesbitt added, referring to a common law enforcement measure for terrorism suspects.
It’s important to note that the alleged extremists who have latched onto the convoy protests have not been subtle or secretive when it comes to their beliefs and objectives.
Stephanie Carvin, a former CSIS analyst who now teaches at Carleton University, said that while law enforcement has been successful in clearing out blockades at international borders, their language suggests the threat is increasing rather than abating.
“Everything in this (government) document is pointing to an increasing threat,” Carvin said in an interview.
“I think what they’re saying is that … this is not a movement that is slowing down, this is a movement that is in some ways gaining speed.”
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
