The public inquiry into the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act during the siege of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” last winter is due to begin Thursday. Dozens of witnesses will be called, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and protest organizers.
The Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, giving de facto temporary extraordinary powers to police officers to evict people from downtown Ottawa and giving banks the power to freeze accounts people involved in the siege.
The decision came after nearly three weeks of protests in which truckers paralyzed streets in downtown Ottawa and others erected barricades to block access to border crossings.
The protesters, who had raised millions of dollars through crowdfunding platforms, were demanding an end to mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 and in some cases, the departure of the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau.
A bouncy castle, spa and dozens of structures were erected by protesters on the streets surrounding Parliament Hill in mid-February as truckers left their engines running and honked their horns day and night until court injunction to force them to reduce the noise level. The demonstrators then promised to stay.
The noise and chaos led to the exasperation and frustration of area residents. The Ottawa Police Service and city officials described downtown as a “lawless state” as they failed to maintain order.
Justin Trudeau spoke of “serious challenges for law enforcement to enforce the law” as he announced his intention to use emergency measures for the first time since the law was passed in 1988.
He had justified his decision by the need to ensure the safety of Canadians, to protect jobs and to rebuild public confidence in institutions.
In the Emergency Measures Act, it is provided that a public inquiry must be called to analyze how the government came to make its decision each time it is invoked.
The Commission on the State of Emergency and its commissioner, the judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Paul Rouleau, will have to assess the arguments on which the government based its decision as well as the effectiveness and relevance to use this law in order to manage the crisis. The commission will also have to determine whether any changes should be made to the law itself.
Since it was set up on April 25, the commission has already been able to collect documents and interview dozens of people, including truck convoy organizers such as Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, Pat King and James Bauder, all of whom have faces criminal charges.
An initial list of potential witnesses who may be called at the hearings includes the outgoing Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, members of the City of Ottawa executive, members of the Ottawa Police Services Board as well as the Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service David Vigneault.
Former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly, who tendered his resignation during the siege, and his acting successor Steve Bell are also expected to testify. The same goes for Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
The temporary powers granted to the police allowed them to make arrests, issue tickets, tow vehicles and freeze funds.
The commission is due to submit its final report to Parliament by mid-February.