An ongoing protest in Ottawa has reached an uneasy impasse this weekend, as demonstrators become entrenched in the city’s downtown core, police say they do not have the resources to remove them and a political solution remains elusive.
More than a week into a demonstration that started as a protest against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers and evolved into one against all public health measures, protesters have set up temporary structures in Ottawa’s downtown core to distribute food and continue to carry fuel to the protest site.
Politicians have increasingly denounced the protest, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and others calling it an “occupation” and the head of the Ottawa Police Services Board referring to it as an “insurrection.”
Ford said on Sunday that his government was supporting Ottawa in whatever way it could.
While we cannot direct the police, we have provided the city of Ottawa everything they have asked for and will continue to provide whatever support they request.
Ottawa police, already bolstered by officers from other forces, say they do not have the resources to address the situation or remove the protesters.
“We do not have sufficient resources to adequately and effectively address this situation while adequately and effectively providing policing in this city,” Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly told an emergency meeting of the police services board on Saturday.
Local, provincial and federal politicians have condemned the protesters’ actions and called for a solution. But what that solution might be remains unclear.
‘This can’t continue’: Ottawa city councillor pushes police to find way to end protests
19 hours ago
Duration 3:11
During an emergency meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board, Coun. Carol Anne Meehan expressed frustration with Ottawa police over their response to week-long protests that have pushed local residents to the breaking point. 3:11
“This group is emboldened by the lack of enforcement by every level of government,” said Diane Deans, a city councillor and chair of the police services board.
“We’re giving a signal to everyone coming into town that it’s a free-for-all,” Coun. Carol Anne Meehan said.
More than 650 calls have been made to police since the start of the protest, resulting in 97 criminal investigations, police said Sunday. The force said earlier in the week it had opened 11 investigations related to hate crimes and four people have been charged.
Some protest organizers have indicated that they are willing to make some concessions on the noise level. In a discussion over an injunction relating to horn use on Saturday, Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing organizers, said the convoy might be willing to stop horn use overnight from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
On Sunday morning, the Freedom Convoy group, which organized the core protest, released a statement saying protesters would refrain from honking horns until 1 p.m., “as a gesture of goodwill.”
The group is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit spearheaded by Ottawa human rights lawyer Paul Champ, who on Saturday posted a video statement saying truckers could be excluded from the lawsuit if they leave the city by Monday morning.
Government response in question
Organizers for the protest have said they intend to stay in the city until the federal governments lifts all restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, even though most of those restrictions were introduced by the provinces.
Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen called this week for the government to find a solution to the issue. On Saturday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also pushed the government to seek a solution, but he did not provide a clear plan.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in an interview that aired Sunday that he had heard people questioning whether the federal government would meet with protesters.
“We’ve been engaging Canadians throughout the pandemic. We put the question of vaccines and vaccine mandates on the ballot, and Canadians had a right to exercise their vote freely in the last election,” he told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton on Rosemary Barton Liveon Sunday.
The approximate area of ongoing anti-vaccine mandate protests in Ottawa. (CBC News)
“We do need to see that the laws are enforced at the end of the day. We’re a country that is based on the rule of law,” Mendicino said. He also hinted that support may be coming from the federal government for the city or for local businesses that have had to close their doors for the past week due to security concerns.
“I think we are working closely with the city to look at providing some support for those who have been impacted. I know that shops and businesses have been closed, and I know that those discussions are ongoing,” he said.
The protests have also received significant rhetorical endorsements from politicians south of the border, including former U.S. president Donald Trump. Ottawa police say they are aware of American funding for the protests as well.
“This is no place for Americans to involve themselves in these kinds of activities,” Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada, told CBC News on Sunday.
Finances in flux
On Friday, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe announced it would be stopping payments through the main convoy fundraising page, which by then had received more than $10 million in donations.
The company deleted the fundraising page from its website, saying the protest violates a rule in its terms of service that prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment.
Along with the disruption caused by blockages and noise, protesters have displayed symbols of hate, including the Confederate flag and swastikas.
Convoy organizers have instead pointed potential donors toward the Christian fundraising side GiveSendGo. As of Sunday morning, organizers had received more than $2.5 million US in donations on that site.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
