OTTAWA — Downtown Ottawa was once again crowded with people draped in the Maple Leaf on Friday, but this time anti-government protesters were among a minority as the city hosted its first in-person Canada Day since the beginning of the pandemic.
There was a celebratory, if low-key mood in the capital, where the main holiday events were moved away from Parliament Hill to nearby LeBreton Flats Park, and Place des Festivals Zibi across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Que.
Large numbers of police were present throughout Ottawa’s downtown. People hoping to enter the Hill were screened with metal detectors and bag searches.
At noon, a group of people opposed to public health mandates and the Liberal government gathered in front of the Parliament Buildings on Wellington Street, where they chanted the now-familiar cry of “Freedom.” The group mingled among those lined up to take part in traditional Canada Day celebrations.
Officials had warned there would be zero tolerance for “unusual noise,” blockading roads and sidewalks or setting off fireworks this weekend. But attempts to enforce one bylaw led to a tense situation in front of the gates to Parliament.
The brief clash centered around two women with a group called Stand For Thee, which had been handing out copies of the Bill of Rights and calling for the arrest of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Bill of Rights was superseded in 1982 by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which governs the application of laws at both the federal and provincial level.
The women were selling merchandise from a table on the sidewalk when bylaw officers told them to stop, citing a the city’s use and care of roads bylaw.
That order prompted a crowd to start shouting and chanting. Bylaw and police officers retreated as the crowd pressed in, chanting, “Rule of law!” But the group eventually removed the table.
One woman, who refused to give her name, told the crowd: “Everything they’re doing is a violation of our rights.”
“It’s a violation of the Criminal Code. Do your job, go into the Hill and take down the people that have created tyranny.”
No one took her up on that suggestion. The protesters dispersed not not long afterward. In all, the disruption lasted about 20 minutes.
A much larger group later marched through the downtown. Police shut down intersections and escorted hundreds of marchers who chanted, danced and called for Trudeau’s resignation. They gathered at the National War Memorial east of Parliament Hill, where they sang O Canada.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of people in the downtown were there to enjoy the warm day, as the sun came out late afternoon. Families strolled about the closed-off streets eating ice cream, snapping photos and taking in street performances.
Ottawa’s bylaw service says it had issued 275 parking tickets and towed 72 vehicles since Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
KITCHENER, Ont. – Prosecutors are arguing a man who stabbed a professor and two students in a University of Waterloo gender studies class last year should face a lengthy sentence because of the attack’s lasting impact on campus safety and security.
Federal prosecutor Althea Francis says a sentence in the upper range is appropriate not only because Geovanny Villalba-Aleman wanted to send a message about his views but also because he sought to make those with different beliefs feel unsafe.
The Crown has said it is seeking a sentence of 16 years for Villalba-Aleman, who pleaded guilty to four charges in the June 2023 campus attack.
The sentencing hearing for Villalba-Aleman began Monday and is expected to continue all week.
Federal prosecutors argued Tuesday that Villalba-Aleman’s statement to police, and a manifesto that was found on his phone, show his actions were motivated by ideology and meant to intimidate a segment of the population.
Villalba-Aleman pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault, one count of assault with a weapon and one count of assault causing bodily harm.
A video of his statement to police was shown in court earlier in the sentencing hearing.
In the video, Villalba-Aleman told police he felt colleges and universities were imposing ideology and restricting academic freedom, and he wanted the attack to serve as a “wake-up call.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
OTTAWA – The Bank of Canada cut its key policy interest rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday to bring it to 3.75 per cent. Here’s what people are saying about the decision:
“High inflation and interest rates have been a heavy burden for Canadians. With inflation now back to target and interest rates continuing to come down, families, businesses and communities should feel some relief.” — Tiff Macklem, Bank of Canada governor.
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“Activity in Canada’s housing market has been sluggish in many regions due to higher borrowing costs, but today’s more aggressive cut to lending rates could cause the tide to turn quickly. For those with variable rate mortgages – who will benefit from the rate drop immediately – or those with fast-approaching loan renewals, today’s announcement is welcome news indeed.” — Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage.
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“This won’t be the end of rate cuts. Even with the succession of policy cuts since June, rates are still way too high given the state of the economy. To bring rates into better balance, we have another 150 bps in cuts pencilled in through 2025. So while the pace of cuts going forward is now highly uncertain, the direction for rates is firmly downwards.” — James Orlando, director and senior economist at TD Bank.
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“The size of the December rate cut will depend on upcoming job and inflation data, but a 25 basis point cut remains our baseline.” — Tu Nguyen, economist with assurance, tax and consultancy firm RSM Canada.
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“Today’s outsized rate cut is mostly a response to the heavy-duty decline in headline inflation in the past few months. However, the underlying forecast and the Bank’s mild tone suggest that the future default moves will be 25 bp steps, unless growth and/or inflation surprise again to the downside.” — Douglas Porter, chief economist at Bank of Montreal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
