“Criminalizing Dissent”

The ‘Freedom Convoy’ blockades at major border crossings across the country had to be removed quickly in order to avoid serious, long-term damage to Canada’s economy, finance department officials said Thursday.

The demonstration against COVID-19 public health measures in February saw major ports of entry in Ontario and Alberta blockaded, resulting in a daily trade loss of “around $56 million per day,” finance officials told the Public Order Emergency Commission in an interview, according to a summary.

I think I’ll go with the Statscan version

The economic nightmare that wasn’t? Border blockades had little effect on trade, data reveals

Despite the highly publicized blockades at Ontario’s Ambassador Bridge and Coutts crossing in Alberta, cross-border trade in Ontario and Alberta was up 16 per cent in February, compared to the same month last year, according to data from Statistics Canada.

And while some businesses were impacted by the blockades, the trade figures also raise questions about the government’s use of the Emergencies Act – a decision, in part, justified by “threats to (Canada’s) economic security” brought about by the blockades.

Death threat against Trudeau sent to CBSA during convoy protests, Emergencies Act inquiry hears

The Canada Border Services Agency received a death threat against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and inquiries about how to import bullets during last winter’s convoy protests, the Emergencies Act inquiry heard Wednesday.

CBSA said two threats from the same client were sent online through the CBSA’s “contact us” form.

One message sent to CBSA on Feb 7 reads: “We would like to come to Ottawa to support the protest and if you want a war on your people we are prepared to die to stop you. No border of yours will hold us back! Liberty or death. You Choose!”

The Liberal cabinet was told on the eve of invoking the Emergencies Act that police had a plan to clear the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki testified at the Public Order Emergency Commission on Nov. 15.

The information was revealed after negotiations between parties at the commission, since cabinet deliberations are considered confidential.

The day before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki had prepared notes advising cabinet there were other tools available and that police finally had a plan in place to address the Ottawa protests but she never delivered the message.

The country’s top Mountie made the admission during hours of testimony at the Emergencies Act inquiry on Tuesday in which she couldn’t recall key meetings during the protests; said she didn’t understand the role the Emergencies Act could play or the process Ottawa police were to follow to get more resources; and was unable to explain comments from meetings and text exchanges that she participated in.

The RCMP quickly became concerned that the Ottawa police did not have a plan to end the convoy protest that occupied the capital last winter, the top Mountie told the Emergencies Act inquiry.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Deputy Commissioner Michael Duheme, who is responsible for federal policing, testified Tuesday before the Public Order Emergency Commission.

The pair also sat for an interview with commission lawyers in September. A summary of that conversation was entered into evidence Tuesday.

Text messages entered into evidence at the Emergencies Act inquiry describe a testy exchange between feuding Alberta and federal ministers around the time the act was invoked.

At the time, the province was struggling with a blockade near a southern Alberta village. People protesting COVID-19 restrictions used large trucks and other vehicles to block commercial traffic to and from the U.S. at Coutts between Jan. 29 and Feb. 14.

About a week into the blockade, Alberta turned to Ottawa to ask about the possibility of using Canadian Armed Forces tow trucks to remove the blockade vehicles after local tow operators rejected RCMP requests.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said early during the trucker-led Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa that talking would not resolve it and he feared an “armed insurrection,” according to handwritten notes from his deputy chief of staff.

“PM: No. No to changing government policy. Their goal is to disrupt and undermine govt institutions,” read the notes of Brian Clow entered as evidence at the Emergencies Act inquiry on Nov. 10.

The deputy solicitor general for Ontario told the Emergencies Act inquiry on Thursday that the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa last winter did not pose a significant public safety risk.

“I was getting consistent messaging from Commissioner Carrique and from Deputy Minister Stewart that there were not any overriding public safety concerns,” said Mario Di Tomasso.

Handwritten notes from one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top advisers are shining a light on conversations that took place between the federal and provincial governments just hours before Ottawa announced it would invoke the Emergencies Act to end a series of anti-pandemic measure protests.

A collection of deputy chief of staff Brian Clow’s notes were entered into evidence Thursday before the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is investigating the federal government’s decision to trigger the never-before-used law on Feb. 14. The notes cover Trudeau’s call with the premiers hours before invoking the Emergencies Act.

The Inquiry into the calling out of the Emergencies Act. Why are we having it? I know they are hearing witnesses.

And I also know we’re hearing of noise-making, some traffic-jams, proven false-alarms of attempted arson, general discomfiture. Likewise we are hearing of confused and mixed reactions from the various security and police forces. With no intention of taking a jab at them, they, the forces of the law, were under confused command and mixed directions. It’s easy to jump on the people in uniform, but (a) we aren’t them, and (b) they are faithful to the various directions given them.