People who lived through last winter’s convoy protest and occupation of downtown Ottawa remain “traumatized” by the experience, a lawyer representing residents and business groups told the public commission probing the federal government’s unprecedented use of emergency powers to clear the capital.
Paul Champ made the comment during introductory remarks on the opening day of the Public Order Emergency Commission, kicking off six weeks of highly anticipated hearings into the events of January and February. Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Paul Rouleau is presiding over the commission.
“The people in Ottawa are still traumatized, commissioner. They’re bewildered, they’re upset, and I can say, commissioner, these 30 days that you have, we could have residents line up every day to testify, to tell you their stories.”
