As another blockade of the Canada-U.S. border sprung up, further choking trade and traffic between the two nations, sources tell CTV News that the Ontario government will invoke new emergency measures on Friday and possibly issue a state of emergency.
Sources tell CTV News that Ontario will use the measures to levy stiffer fines and penalties, with Premier Doug Ford set to meet with his cabinet on Friday.
The news comes amid a string of blockades and protests across Canada that have followed the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, which began two weeks ago as a demonstration against vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is warning members of the public to avoid the area near the border community of Emerson, Man., where trucks and farm equipment have blocked the international port of entry with the United States.
Amid heightened tensions in multiple Ontario cities, including Ottawa, Windsor and Sarnia, the office of Premier Doug Ford issued a statement on Thursday saying the province had successfully applied for a court order to freeze the distribution of millions of dollars in donations raised for the Freedom Convoy.
A spokesperson said the province’s attorney general brought an application to the Ontario Superior Court prohibiting anyone from distributing donations made through the Freedom Convoy 2022 and Adopt-a-Trucker campaigns on GiveSendGo.
Organizers of the fundraiser migrated to the U.S.-based platform after GoFundMe removed the initial Freedom Convoy campaign, which had raised more than $10 million, for allegedly violating the company’s terms of service.
"This afternoon, the order was issued," the statement from the province said. "It binds any and all parties with possession or control over these donations."
GiveSendGo responded on Twitter saying, "Canada has absolutely ZERO jurisdiction" over how the company manages its funds.
- Read more: CTV News analysis on American donors to trucker convoy
In the nation’s capital, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed to reporters before Question Period on Thursday that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will send more resources to end the blockades in Ottawa, Windsor, Ont., and Coutts, Alta.
"I’m pleased to advise that the RCMP are going to be sending additional reinforcements to Ottawa. I can also advise that the RCMP will be sending reinforcements to Windsor, and in addition to that, the RCMP have added additional resources in Coutts in Alberta," Mendicino said, adding that the priority is ending the "illegal blockades."
Ottawa had previously requested 1,800 more officers from the Ontario and federal governments, with 250 RCMP officers deployed since.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also spoke to reporters and reiterated that the barricades are "unacceptable."
"They are impacting on regular Canadians …. This is hurting communities across the country. That’s why I’ve been working closely with municipal leaders, with all of our partners, I had a long conversation with Premier Ford last night. We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to end these barricades," he said.
Later Thursday evening, Trudeau held meetings with ministers, the mayor of Windsor and Opposition leaders to discuss the protests.
- Read more: Conservatives to force vote calling for feds to present plan to end COVID-19 mandates
At the same time as the Emerson border crossing in Manitoba remained closed, the City of Winnipeg began exploring possible court action to deal with a trucker protest at the Manitoba legislature.
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman has called the protest an unlawful "occupation," a term that has been used to describe ongoing demonstrations elsewhere, namely in Ottawa.
In the community of Steinbach, Man., located southeast of Winnipeg, a protest against COVID-19 measures held outside of a local school caused it to go into a hold-and-secure protocol.
Meanwhile, interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen put forward a motion in the House of Commons to force a vote calling for the federal government to present a plan to lift all federal COVID-19 "mandates and restrictions" by the end of the month.
Bergen, who represents the Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, also issued a message to protesters, calling on them to remove their barricades and come together in the face of a "hurting" economy.
"I believe this is not what you want to do …. You’re protesting because you love your country, you want your freedom back. To the protesters here in Ottawa, you came bringing a message, that message has been heard."
OTTAWA 911 LINE FLOODED
In a tweet Thursday, Ottawa police said they were experiencing "a concerted effort" to flood 911 and the non-emergency policing reporting line.
"This endangers lives and is completely unacceptable," the tweet reads. "It is a crime to unnecessarily call 911 or our non-emergency number. We track calls and will charge anyone deliberately interfering with emergencies."
Speaking during a news conference Thursday afternoon, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said while not exclusively from the United States, a significant number of the calls came from U.S.-based addresses.
A City of Ottawa planning committee YouTube livestream was hacked briefly Thursday morning, with a black screen showing to the participants that said, "OTTAWA POLICE HAS FAILED ITS CITIZENS, Jim Watson has failed us, Sloly has failed us, Trudeau has failed us."
Coun. Caitlin Salter MacDonald told the restarted livestream meeting that they were "able to resolve the security issue that allowed someone to briefly gain access to the livestream for the planning committee," and that they would be doing a review after the meeting "to ensure that does not occur again."
In another example of how complex the situation in Ottawa has become, protesters have taken it upon themselves to designate members of the group as officers of the peace.
In a ceremony witnessed on social media Thursday, protesters in Ottawa can be seen on video "swearing themselves in as peace officers" and taking a vow which they allege deputizes them to "arrest and detain" anyone they deem as disturbing the peace.
The protesters in the video claim the Ottawa Police Service is aware of their actions. There are strict definitions in the Criminal Code of Canada as to who can act as a peace officer.
Some of the protesters moved toward the Ottawa airport on Thursday morning, with about 30 pickups driving slowly around the loop at the airport and honking their horns.
On ongoing police operations, Sloly confirmed they recently negotiated the departure of 22 additional trucks, although about 400 remain in the "red zone" around Parliament Hill, and officers continue to seize firewood and fuel.
He said police also have issued more than 1,700 tickets to date, made 25 total arrests, have 126 active criminal investigations and seen mxjmtzywore than 408 incidents reported to its hate hotline.
"We know that the residents of Ottawa are angry, we know that you are tired, we know that you want your neighbourhoods back. You have suffered and we will ensure those responsible face the consequences," he said.
ONGOING BLOCKADES
The protest and blockade of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., which connects Canada and the U.S. via Detroit, has been ongoing since Monday, prompting Windsor city officials and local police to request provincial and federal assistance.
In an update Thursday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said that Windsor City Council met and authorized steps to seek a legal injunction from the Superior Court of Ontario "to bring about an end to the illegal occupation."
Dilkens said the protesters are trespassing and will be removed if necessary, adding that additional resources from the Ontario Provincial Police have been deployed.
Several car plants in Canada and the U.S. have cancelled shifts or shut down production in their plants, pointing to delays at the border for parts crucial for vehicle production.
U.S. officials have rerouted some commercial traffic to the Blue Water Bridge that connects Canada to the U.S. via Sarnia, Ont., and Port Huron, Mich., to alleviate some of the pressure at the Ambassador Bridge.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) said all Canadians have the right to peaceful protest, but that the individuals preventing vehicles and trade from the U.S. and Canada are not "peaceful protesters."
"The patience of drivers and the vast majority of the trucking industry regarding these blockades has long-since expired," CTA president Stephen Laskowski in the statement.
"The trucking industry and its drivers are paying a heavy price for the unlawful actions of those who choose to politicize and target our borders and highways and choke off trade between Canada and the United States. Their actions simply hurt Canadians and they have shown a blatant disregard for all the lives they are impacting."
The statement calls on "all levels of government" to end the current blockades.
Speaking on CTV News Channel on Thursday, the CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the situation at the Ambassador Bridge and other ports of entry from the U.S. is "an exceptionally serious situation."
"It is affecting Canadian families, it is affecting Canadian workers and it is affecting Canadian businesses," Perrin Beatty said.
"Its effect is immediate. Every hour that this continues, more damage is being done, and it is critical that is resolved as quickly as possible and as peacefully as possible."
Beatty said Canadians are recognizing the fact that there is a "national crisis" regarding the trucker convoy and subsequent blockades, and that it is coming down to leadership.
"They are expecting their leaders to lead, and most importantly they are expecting their elected leaders of whatever party to be clear that they believe in the rule of law," he said.
At the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., the RCMP moved in on Wednesday and were met with angry protesters who chanted "hell no, we won’t go" as the officers attempted to move them away from the border crossing.
Officers working to dismantle a second Alberta blockade approximately 15 kilometres north of Coutts at Milk River started issuing tickets and asked protesters to move to an area off the highway, citing safety concerns.
Police say a handful of tickets for violations of the province’s Traffic Safety Act were handed out.
In another challenge to pandemic restrictions, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced Thursday its plans to file a legal application in federal court, on behalf of People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, in response to mandates preventing Canadians who aren’t fully vaccinated from travelling by air.
Breaking: sources tell me Ontario will invoke new emergency measures tomorrow and possibly state of emergency to give province new powers to enforce penalties against protestors. New emergency powers from Ontario to come into effect tomorrow. #cdnpoli
— Evan Solomon (@EvanLSolomon) February 11, 2022
We are aware of a concerted effort to flood our 911 and non-emergency policing reporting line. This endangers lives and is completely unacceptable. (1/2)
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 10, 2022
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
A trucker supporter in a sports car carries a gasoline container with a Canadian flag attached to it on the roof as protesters block the access leading from the Ambassador Bridge, linking Detroit and Windsor, in solidarity against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions, in Windsor, Ont., Feb. 10, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Fuel containers are seen beside an idling pickup truck with its front wheels removed on Wellington Street next to the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council as a protest against COVID-19 restrictions that has been marked by gridlock and the sound of truck horns reaches its 14th day, in Ottawa, on Feb. 10, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
A man takes part in a protest blocking traffic at the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ont., and Detroit on Feb. 9, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne)
