“A black eye for federalism” | Your reactions to Stéphanie Grammond’s editorial

Stéphanie Grammond’s editorial on the conclusions of the Rouleau commission concerning the use of Emergency Measures Act to end the “freedom convoy”, published on February 19, drew heated and divergent comments. Here is an overview of the emails received.


The irresponsibility of the Ontario government

Given the recognized shortcomings and the irresponsibility of the Ontario government, what would have happened if Trudeau had not invoked this law? Some body had to put an end to this masquerade.

Jacques Hetu

We were lucky

We didn’t need the Rouleau commission to understand. After the storming of the US Capitol a year earlier, it was surprising that for weeks the far right and truckers who used their children as shields could count on inertia, irresponsibility, incompetence and the complicity of the police forces and the political authorities involved. We are lucky not to have had any injuries or deaths. It’s a shame, but we had no other choice.

Pierre Lemelin

Our rights recede

I can not believe what I’m hearing. I believed that this measure was the last step before a war. Democracy flouted, as well as our rights. But everything is fine, Madame la Marquise. We are currently living in an era of unprecedented decline in our rights.

Michel Viau, Sainte-Therese

A failure, but not for federalism

How many deaths? Zero. How many injured? Zero. How many people arrested and tortured? Zero. Fail, you say? Failing Ontario police forces. Failure of an inexperienced police chief. Failure of the Premier of Ontario. No, it is not a failure of federalism.

Robert Dupre

Ottawa police got scared

I live in Ottawa and, believe me, the truckers and their “friends” ruined our lives for three and a half weeks. The Ottawa police were afraid to do their job. We saw on TV the police walking in circles around the demonstrators. It looked like they were stretching their legs to keep from getting cold. A bunch of incompetents led by an incompetent. Amazing, I tell you. What about Ford, the odious premier of Ontario, our own Trump? The Rouleau report is not kind to them, and with good reason. It confirms what ordinary citizens like me and many citizens of Ottawa were saying about our police and our provincial government.

Diane Parent, Ottawa

arms crossed

I think the security services just did what was necessary to prevent the Canadian parliament from falling prey to the protesters, as was the case in the United States in January 2021. At least it will have done that well, but for the rest, the Ottawa police sat back and had fun with the rebels. Not even Doug Ford and Pierre Poilievre cared about this onslaught on the streets of Ottawa. The report is clear about the non-interference of the Premier of Ontario.

Serge Leduc, Pincourt

It wasn’t justified

When we look at the judge’s arguments and analyses, the real conclusion is that it was not justified to use the Emergency Measures Act.

Alain Brochu, Quebec

An overly jovial police chief

The big culprit is the Ottawa police chief who wanted to be modern. He simply forgot that he was the chief of police and not the CEO of a social service. His role was not to be jovial, but to police. The rest is petty politics like did you see me (heard pretending). Serve coffee making sure you get filmed and on the news. Pathetic. A commission of a few million dollars to bury all this.

Rejean Career

The necessary measures

It is very difficult to speak with demonstrators who believe they have the truth. Moreover, they were funded by American organizations and only had trouble in mind. Also, the Americans were exasperated by the blocking of the borders which was losing thousands of dollars a day. And the citizens of Ottawa were fed up with the honking, the intimidation and the restriction of their freedoms. Since no one in authority in Ontario was acting, it fell to the federal government to take the necessary action. He did, and it was fine.

Nicole Sauriol

The role of Pierre Poilievre

Nobody blames Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives, who supported these protesters and who blame Trudeau for the emergency measures.

Gilles Bisaillon

A revealing slogan

Prime Minister Trudeau is criticized for not trying to understand the protesters. We must remember what was the slogan of the demonstrators: “F… Trudeau”. It was hard for him to step into the arena and try to appease them, don’t you think?

Denyse Fortin


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