Vaccinated or non-vaccinated? Regina brew pub introduces vaccine-only section – Canada News
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The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 2:30 pm | Story: 360691
Photo: The Canadian Press
Debris lays on the ground in front of Parliament Hill’s gates after police took action to clear the street of trucks and protesters to end a protest, which started in opposition to mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates and grew into a broader anti-government demonstration and occupation, on its 23rd day, in Ottawa, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. Being able to designate no-go zones, ensure tow trucks were available to remove vehicles and stop the flow of money and goods keeping the demonstrators fed and fuelled are all clear reasons the Emergencies Act was needed to end the Ottawa blockades, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
UPDATE 2:30 p.m.
With hours to go before a vote on the federal Liberals’ use of the Emergencies Act to end anti-government blockades in Ottawa and several border crossings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was confident the votes are there to approve the measures.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh seemed to confirm that fact midday when he said the situation is a national crisis and his party would reluctantly support the ongoing use of temporary powers under the law.
Singh said his party would pull support as soon as it decides the measures are no longer necessary, including if remaining convoy members stopped lingering in Ottawa and near border crossings.
If the motion fails, the extraordinary powers stemming from the emergencies law would be torn up. If it passes, the measures would remain in place until mid-March at the latest.
In either case, a parliamentary committee must review and report back on the use of the act within a year.
But there were signs Monday that the vote has turned into a confidence matter, meaning if it fails, the government could fall, which would trigger an election.
Singh said his party has always seen the vote as a confidence matter.
Trudeau has not officially designated the vote as such, but he opened the door to that interpretation earlier Monday by likening the decision to that on the throne speech, which lays out the government’s agenda.
« I can’t imagine that anyone who votes ‘no’ tonight is doing anything other than indicating that they don’t trust the government to make incredibly momentous and important decisions at a very difficult time, » he said at a news conference.
Trudeau said the government doesn’t want to trigger an election, calling it « the worst thing to do in this crisis, » and adding « we will never allow that to happen. »
Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said he might have voted against continuing to use the act now that the blockades had ended, but would vote yes because he has no interest in helping trigger an election.
Joël Lightbound, a Liberal MP who has criticized the government over its handling of the crisis, said invoking the act was « a slippery slope. » He said he was inclined to vote against the measures, if it is not a vote of confidence but asked for clarification from ministers if it is or not.
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said the Prime Minister seems to have made the matter a vote of confidence because he was afraid of his own caucus.
Bloc Québécois MP Martin Champoux said making it a confidence matter undermined the validity of the vote because it was « twisting the arm » of people who might otherwise disagree.
Many Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs spoke against invoking the act on Monday, and over the last few days as the House of Commons sat for extended hours through the weekend.
The Tories sharply criticized Singh for giving Trudeau the backing he needs to get the measures through the House of Commons.
On Monday, B.C. Conservative MP Dan Albas asked, « When did the NDP lose their way? » He argued that the use of the Emergencies Act « would further divide Canadians » saying it was unnecessary because the Ottawa trucks and protesters had left.
ORIGINAL 9:50 a.m.
Designating no go zones within Canada’s capital, ensuring tow trucks were available to remove vehicles from city streets and stopping the flow of money and goods keeping anti-government demonstrators fed and fuelled are all clear ways the Emergencies Act helped end the Ottawa blockades, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said on Sunday ahead of a House of Commons vote on the controversial measure.
Conservatives, however, are highly critical of the government move and some are pushing the Liberals to revoke the act now that blockades that effectively shut the city down for more than three weeks appear to be over.
There is one day left of debate on the government’s decision to invoke the act.
MPs will vote on the motion Monday at 8 p.m. ET, and it is expected to pass with the joint support of the Liberals and NDP. The Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives are against it.
If the motion fails, the act and all the extraordinary powers stemming from it will be torn up. If it passes they will remain in place until mid-March at the latest.
MPs have been debating the measure since Thursday morning, though the 15 hours of debate planned for Friday were cancelled due to safety concerns as police moved in to remove protesters still blockading the streets outside.
Speaking to The Canadian Press in an interview Mendicino said he has no doubt the government’s decision to invoke the act was the right call.
« The Emergencies Act has been instrumental in turning the tide against the illegal blockades, » he said.
Police began issuing written warnings to protesters to leave on Thursday, and the next day pushed them out with a show of force that lasted into Saturday.
By Sunday, most streets were clear, tow trucks hauled away the last of the vehicles, and local residents were on the streets of their neighbourhood assessing the aftermath and cleaning up leftover garbage. Only small groups of protesters remained around the downtown area, under a heavy police presence. Several convoy leaders are in jail, and 206 financial accounts were frozen.
Interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell said what some describe as mostly bylaw infractions by demonstrators « were actually terrorizing moments for the city. »
He said 191 people were arrested in connection with the protests, with 389 charges laid so far including mischief, obstructing police, assault and attempting to disarm a police officer.
« The powers that were provided to us through the Emergencies Act, through the provincial emergency act, through the injunction, and through any of the other legislative means that we got to end this protest, were extremely beneficial in us being able to be where we are today, see clear streets and have residents that can again walk through their downtown core that they own, » Bell said.
Ontario Conservative MP Michael Barrett said during Saturday’s debate that invoking the Act was just a « mad grab at power » because the charges being laid against people arrested were not new laws.
« The charges that are being laid in Ottawa are for mischief and conspiracy to commit, » he said. « We do not require an Emergencies Act to deal with these things. We have a public order operation taking place on the streets of Ottawa. It is not an national emergency. »
Fellow Ontario Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu said on Twitter Sunday the Liberals should rein their use of the act back in now that the demonstrations appear to be over.
« If it was just about clearing the blockage and not about a power grab and government over reach, the Liberals would rescind these measures, » she said.
Mendicino said the act is needed to keep any blockades from resuming, the risk of which remains real. Police in British Columbia had to close the border crossing near Surrey, B.C. again over the weekend due to protests.
NDP MP Brian Masse, whose Windsor West riding has been affected both by a previous blockade at the Ambassador Bridge and ongoing attempts to keep it from reviving, said repeatedly during the debate that the crisis is not over for his constituents.
« Life is not normal, » he said, pointing to ongoing road closures and police presence in the area.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest border crossing between Canada and the United States, responsible for about one-quarter of the daily trade going back and forth each day.
Regardless of what happens with the vote, there will be an inquiry to review its use. A report must be tabled in both the House of Commons and the Senate by next February.
The Senate must also vote on the act’s use, but debate has not started yet in that chamber.
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 2:15 pm | Story: 360709
Photo: The Canadian Press
Grant Frew, bar manager, poses for a photo at Bushwakker Brewpub in Regina on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022.
Walking into Bushwakker Brewpub during a lunch-hour rush, Darlene Woywoda looked for the vaccinated section.
Woywoda, 69, was meeting some friends, and they decided to dine in the Arizona Room — a 50-seat space reserved for guests who are fully immunized against COVID-19.
The feeling for Woywoda was reminiscent of the days when hostesses would greet diners with the phrase, « Smoking or non-smoking? » before cigarettes were banned from restaurants.
« My husband and I were talking that businesses will have to do something like that with COVID-19 vaccinations, » Woywoda said.
« Except the smoke can infiltrate from one area to another, whereas here (the air) is more contained. »
The Arizona Room at Bushwakker Brewpub was once a space reserved for birthday and retirement parties, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Customers no longer wanted to gather in big groups, said bar manager Grant Frew.
The room is now for the exclusive use of the fully vaccinated — despite Saskatchewan ending its vaccine passport requirement on Feb. 14.
Perks in the Arizona room include private washrooms, servers who are also fully vaccinated, and a ventilation system separate from the restaurant’s main room, which can seat another 200 people both vaccinated and non-vaccinated.
« I’ve been told to never introduce politics and religion into a bar, but inadvertently that has seemed to happen, which has sparked quite a bit of controversy, » Frew said in an interview.
Bushwakker introduced the separate section after longtime customers of the 31-year-old brew pub said they wouldn’t return for a while after the province did away with its vaccine passport.
« When I heard that, well, it didn’t make me feel very good obviously. We’re trying to dig ourselves out of this economic catastrophe that the pandemic has caused to the entire hospitality sector, » Frew said.
« We thought why don’t we create this space where they can feel safe, and comfortable, because that’s always first and foremost what we want to do. »
The president of the Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association says the move is a good idea.
« Every operator has to make decisions that are in the best interest of their business, » said Jim Bence, who said Bushwakker Brewpub is, as yet, unique in its approach.
« Bushwakker is responding to what their customers are telling them and adapting their model to fill that need. »
While most people have praised the pub’s decision, Frew said there has been pushback online. People have suggested the business is segregating people or accusing the brew pub of creating division.
« That is not the case at all. This is simply a room we wanted to provide for those with health concerns. It’s a temporary measure. Segregation and division was not our intention, » said Frew, who added that unvaccinated patrons can still dine in the main room.
The brew pub is likely to keep its policy in place for a few more months, he said. Saskatchewan is preparing to lift its mask mandate on Feb. 28 and will no long required those who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate.
Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said many customers are looking for alternatives now that government policy no longer mandates that vaccination status be shown.
« It’s a workaround, » he said.
« They’re not comfortable mixing yet with people who are not vaccinated, and they still don’t want to get (the) Omicron (variant), even if it may be less severe than Delta. »
Fully vaccinated sections or not, Muhajarine said, people can still reduce their risk of catching COVID-19 while dining out by sticking to the basics: wear a mask, test yourself before going out and stay home if sick.
For her part, Woywoda said she loves the room for the fully vaccinated and is encouraging other businesses to do the same.
« This just alleviates all of our concerns. »
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 10:42 am | Story: 360701
Photo: The Canadian Press
Protestors hang out on a corner on the outskirts of downtown in Ottawa, Canada, on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022.
The federal government remains on guard to the possibility that trucks and protesters could return to the national capital after police spent the weekend arresting and dispersing blockades on Ottawa’s streets, the prime minister says.
Downtown was eerily quiet Monday morning after weeks of overwhelming noise from honking horns, idling engines and large crowds protesting the Liberal government, vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.
Still, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is worried about blockades reforming in Ottawa and at Canada’s ports of entry.
« Even though the blockades are lifted across border openings right now, even though things seem to be resolving very well in Ottawa, this state of emergency is not over, » Trudeau said at late morning press briefing.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said a number of people associated with the Ottawa protest were in the area Monday. Trudeau added that a convoy from Fort McMurray, Alta. en route to Ottawa was turned away at the Manitoba border a few days ago.
« The situation is still of people repositioning, people being out there indicating that they are ready to blockade, to continue their illegal occupation to disrupt Canadians’ lives, » Trudeau said.
Fences surrounded the parliamentary precinct and roughly 100 police checkpoints checkered a large swath of the core to prevent demonstrators from infiltrating the former protest zone.
As the prime minister spoke, parliamentarians debated whether to approve extraordinary powers granted to police to quell the Ottawa protest.
The House of Commons is set to vote on the use of the Emergencies Act Monday evening, and some Conservatives argue the powers are no longer needed because the blockades are over.
Among the measures is one that allows banks to freeze accounts of those linked to the funding of the protests in Ottawa and elsewhere.
The RCMP said it provided banks with a list of names of influencers in the Ottawa demonstration and people who did not want to move their vehicles out of the area, but not anyone who donated to the protest, the service said.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said anyone affected has an easy avenue to have their accounts unfrozen: « Stop being a part of the blockades, » she said.
Meanwhile, Ottawa police have told businesses that closed their doors during the three-week demonstration that they should feel safe to reopen despite the checkpoints and ban on foot traffic in some areas of the core.
Most roadways once choked with trucks and protesters have since been cleared, though some debris the demonstrators left behind still needed to be cleaned up.
Interim police chief Steve Bell said Sunday that 191 people connected to the so-called Freedom Convoy protest had been arrested, with 107 of them facing a total of 389 charges.
Nearly 100 protester vehicles have been towed, including 20 that were removed from a site outside the core that demonstrators allegedly used as a base camp. Police promised officers would remain there to prevent anyone from returning to the site.
On Monday, the site was still littered with generators, chairs, tables, hay bales, and other debris abandoned around an otherwise empty shack, which flew a Canadian flag and a Fleur-de-lis, and was adorned with handwritten signs of all types.
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 9:58 am | Story: 360685
YouTube CPAC
UPDATE 9:55 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the powers granted to police under the Emergencies Act are still needed, even now that the streets of Ottawa have been cleared.
The government used measures under the law for the first time in the face of protests in the national capital and border blockades.
Trudeau says there are still concerns about trucks returning to Ottawa streets and border crossings.
He says the government will continue to evaluate the situation every day to see when the powers under the Emergencies Act can be lifted.
He also made an appeal to mend national rifts in the wake of the protests.
He made the comments on the day Parliament is expected to vote on emergency measures used to quell an anti-vaccine mandate protest that gridlocked the streets of Ottawa for three weeks.
He says Canadians must choose if they want to continue to see those scenes play out.
He suggests Canadians reach out to friends after a heated political argument, or family members they haven’t seen in a while because they are unvaccinated.
Trudeau has faced criticism for polarizing the national conversation about COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.
UPDATE 8:55 a.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government needs to reflect on the role of misinformation and foreign funding in destabilizing Canadian life once the crisis related to anti-mandate protests has passed.
Trudeau was asked whether any of the extraordinary powers invoked as part of the federal Emergencies Act could become permanent.
He says the government will need to think about how to keep borders open and protect critical infrastructure in the future.
The government has already signalled its intent to register fundraising websites like GoFundMe with Canada’s financial intelligence agency going forward.
ORIGINAL 8:00 a.m.
Silence and calm reigned on the streets of Ottawa for the first time in more than three weeks on Sunday as police continued their efforts to put a final end to anti-government demonstrations that immobilized the national capital.
Roadways once choked with trucks and protesters opposed to COVID-19 public health measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government were largely clear, though debris and other signs of the blockade dubbed an illegal occupation by its critics were still in evidence.
Ottawa Police, working in tandem with forces from across the country, said they’d arrested 191 people and laid 391 charges related to the demonstrations, though Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said the mammoth law enforcement operation was far from over.
« There is another phase that will identify how we maintain the streets, how we eventually demobilize, once we’ve identified that there is no threat of further protests coming to our city, » Bell said at a news conference. « We aren’t there yet. »
Bell said charges laid to date include obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, mischief, possessing a weapon and assaulting a police officer.
Law enforcement is « with every hour » getting closer to delivering on its promise to clear streets and give them back to residents, he added.
Chris Harkins, deputy commissioner with the Ontario Provincial Police, said commercial and private vehicle driver’s licenses have been suspended, while 76 vehicles have been seized and towed in Ottawa.
But the massive enforcement blitz also drew attention from Ontario’s police watchdog on Sunday. The Special Investigations Unit announced it was probing two police-involved incidents related to the weekend effort to clear protesters, including one where a woman was injured when mounted police from Toronto charged at the crowd.
The quiet that filled the streets around Parliament Hill on Sunday morning held throughout the day, though a heavy police presence remained and small groups of protesters were still gathered at fences erected to block off the long-standing heart of the demonstrations.
Police watched them closely from a distance, but did not move to force them to leave. About 100 police checkpoints remain to monitor and limit who can access the downtown core, and the parliamentary district is now largely fenced off with almost no access whatsoever.
On Bank Street a few blocks south of Parliament Hill, Centretown resident Mary Werre and a friend were loading trash into black garbage bags. Werre said some locals had made plans to help clean up and take down any remaining hateful signs.
As Werre was speaking with The Canadian Press, a man and a woman passed by and then returned to complain about a man sitting in a wheelchair on the opposite street corner. The man went on to refer to those experiencing homelessness as « bums » and suggested the presence of trucks in recent weeks had curbed local crime.
« So this is the type of people that residents have been having to deal with on a regular basis, » Werre said as the man walked off.
Werre said it was nice to wake up to relative silence on Sunday and realize there were no livestreams showing action unfolding in her neighbourhood.
« It was like, wait, is it over? Is it finally (over)? »
Alexis Shotwell, a Centretown resident and Carleton University professor, said she was glad things appeared to be ending but was not comfortable with the huge numbers of police still on the streets.
« I’m not loving having this many checkpoints and this many police in the neighbourhood. It doesn’t actually make our neighbourhood feel safer, » she said. « It’s obviously been a horrific time for anyone who actually lives here. »
Jaya Dutta, who lives just off Parliament Hill, was so thankful for the more peaceful atmosphere that she went up to an officer at one checkpoint to thank him.
« Just to be able to walk around without being yelled at, » she said.
Dutta said she works just a few blocks from her home but had a friend drive her to work instead of walking for the last couple of weeks.
Tow trucks were removing vehicles left behind throughout the downtown core, and residents on three streets were warned to move their cars or they too would be towed.
On Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, the epicentre of the convoy’s party was entirely dismantled. The street, once packed three lanes deep with big rigs and RVs and cars, was deserted on Sunday save for a row of OPP SUVs and a lone plow clearing a recent snowfall from city sidewalks.
The profanity-laced signs and anti-vaccine posters that previously plastered the fences along the street are gone. Only a few Canada flag pennants still flapped in the wind.
Piles of garbage were collected on street corners — broken tents, empty gas cans, propane tanks and in at least one spot, a metal bucket full of empty beer cans and liquor bottles.
Metropolitain Brasserie Restaurant owner Sarah Chown said she was relieved to see police clear the intersection where her business is located.
She said she understands the need for barricades and fences to prevent demonstrators from reentering the area, but has reservations too.
« We’re now sort of stuck in this holding pattern, » she said. « Where do we go from here, and when are we going to be able to operate again? »
Robin Seguin, owner of Victoria Barber Shop located steps away from West Block, shared Chown’s views.
While Seguin said she is relieved to see demonstrators removed from downtown streets, she has questions about the next steps before she can make a full return to work and clients can feel comfortable coming to sit in her chair.
« How long are the barricades going to be up? How long is it going to be before things get back to normal? » she said.
Four convoy organizers have been charged and named publicly by police, including the original Go Fund Me fundraising organizer Tamara Lich, trucking company operator Chris Barber, and Patrick King, whose Facebook Live videos before the convoy began said violence and bullets were the only way to end the COVID-19 restrictions.
Tyson George Billings, known as « Freedom George » among convoy members, was arrested Saturday evening. The High Prairie, Alta., resident was shooting a Facebook Live video bragging about sneaking « past the roadblocks in his truck » and still being out of jail.
« I don’t know if they’re actually looking for me, » he said while others in the car yelled « freedom » repeatedly.
Seconds later, red and blue lights lit up behind his truck.
« Looks like they might have got me, » he said, pulling over.
He was arrested when he got out of the car, and police seized a six-inch blade he told them was his « legal knife. »
Onlookers can be heard shouting « shame. »
Billings faces five charges including mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, and obstructing police.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit said in a release Sunday it is probing an interaction between the Toronto Police Service mounted unit and a 49-year-old woman.
Police on horses were brought in to help with crowd control on Friday evening. At one point officers charged at the crowd and a woman with a walker fell.
The SIU said the woman reported a serious injury, and family on social media have varyingly said she broke her clavicle or dislocated her shoulder.
The Ottawa Police said in a tweet Friday evening that nobody was killed or seriously injured after a slew of social media reports that someone had died.
The SIU is also investigating the use of Anti-Riot Weapon Enfields by officers from the Vancouver Police Department on Saturday evening. The weapon is described as firing « less lethal » munitions including direct impact batons, chemical irritant delivery munitions and smoke delivery munitions.
The SIU said no injuries had been reported so far but is asking anyone who was struck to contact them.
In the House of Commons, meanwhile, debate on the government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act stretched into another day. A final vote on the measure is expected to proceed on Monday evening.
Photo: CTV News
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 9:07 am | Story: 360689
Photo: The Canadian Press
Quebec deputy premier and Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault.
Quebec is distributing more than $3 million over three years to 11 police forces to fight domestic abuse.
Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault said today in a news release the money will be directed toward supporting victims and enhancing surveillance over people convicted of domestic violence.
The minister’s announcement follows news over the weekend about the deaths of two couples in separate incidents, in Laval, Que., north of Montreal, and in Dunham, Que., in the Eastern Townships.
Police in both cases said they believed the deaths involved a murder followed by a suicide.
Quebec’s government has invested more than $509 million since 2020 in the fight against violence toward women.
The government has said 21 women and girls were killed by men in 2020, while an unofficial count puts the number of femicides in 2021 at 18.
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 7:25 am | Story: 360681
Photo: The Canadian Press
A Toronto Police officer keeps watch as a person screams at a journalist doing a television report at a rally against COVID-19 restrictions, which began as a cross-country convoy protesting a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa,.
In a video from Ottawa, a broadcaster stares at the camera in silence as protesters surround him and scream expletives, calling him a liar and bellowing « freedom. »
Near the U.S. border in Surrey, B.C., a cameraman’s equipment is shoved off his shoulder and two men spit on him. A demonstrator follows another journalist closely, yelling that he is a « disgusting, filthy human being, » while police escort the reporter through a jeering crowd.
Experts and advocates say the treatment of journalists, captured in many cases on video, during recent protests against public health measures should be a wake-up call.
« What I’ve seen over the last two days has been absolutely sickening, » Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, said in an interview Sunday.
« This is what happens when you have brains scrambled by misinformation. »
Journalists are working in an unprecedented difficult situation in Canada right now, he said, with threats being hurled at the press both online and in person.
The degree of hostility and the targets put on journalists’ backs are especially concerning, and the psychological consequences can be significant, he said.
Fixing the problem will require a long-term solution that involves a multipronged approach. Newsroom organizations need to beef up security, digital training and protections. Social media companies should be reviewing the role they play in facilitating a « toxic sludge of discourse, » he said, while police consider whether their plans and enforcement are appropriate for a digital world.
Government also has a role to play and Jolly urged Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez to take seriously the responsibility outlined in his mandate letter to combat serious forms of harmful online content.
While footage of the attacks is important to document what happened, there’s also a danger it will galvanize further abuse among those who believe they will face impunity, he warned.
« We need to take this as a lesson, » Jolly said. « I think we got lucky that nothing worse happened. »
Jolly is not alone in raising alarm over attacks on press freedom.
Josh Greenberg, director of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communications, said the tenor and tone of the protests resemble those in the United States and some European countries in recent years.
Most reporters will say they have been on the receiving end of accusations and hate, but Greenberg said something has changed.
« The level of vitriol directed at the media in particular, which has been at a slow boil under the surface and invisible, has certainly surfaced and become highly visible, » he said.
Interactions posted online tend to involve white male reporters and Greenberg questioned what the consequences might be for young, female reporters who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour.
« Younger BIPOC female reporters experience significantly more vitriol than their white male journalist counterparts do, » he said.
Greenberg called for a pause to consider the risks to Canada’s democracy when threats are directed at those whose job it is to report on its twists and turns.
Paul Knox, a retired journalism professor at Ryerson University, echoed his concern for non-white, non-male journalists.
The impact can be more severe when attacks focus on a journalist’s identity characteristics and raises concern that it may push some who already belong to under-represented groups to leave the industry.
There has been a decline in trust of news media over the past 20 or 30 years but it’s not universal, he added.
« There is still a pretty good core of people that realize a lot of what news reporters do is essential, that it’s valuable and that the people who do it are doing it because they feel that’s what they were put on Earth to do, » Knox said.
« All of the anger and hate that we’re seeing against individual journalists is really misplaced and corrosive. »
The Canadian Press – Feb 21, 2022 / 7:22 am | Story: 360679
Photo: The Canadian Press
Police work a check-point after authorities took action to clear a trucker protest that was aimed at COVID-19 measures before growing into a broader anti-government protest and occupation, in Ottawa, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022.
Ottawa police are reassuring businesses that closed their doors during the three week occupation of the downtown core that they should now feel safe to reopen.
They posted a tweet last night advising people that some streets in the Parliament Hill area that were closed because of the demonstration have since been reopened to both pedestrians and vehicles.
Police also thanked local businesses and residents for being patient as they worked to end the protest against COVID-19 public health measures and the federal government.
Most roadways that had been choked with trucks and protesters are now cleared, though some debris the demonstrators left behind still needs to be cleaned up.
Ottawa Interim Police Chief Steve Bell said yesterday that 191 people had been arrested so far, with 107 of them facing a total of 389 charges laid in connection with the illegal occupation that began with the arrival of the so called Freedom Convoy of truckers.
He added that law enforcement was, « with every hour, » getting closer to delivering on its promise to give the streets of the capital city back to its residents.
Ottawa police said nearly 100 protester vehicles have been towed, including 20 that were removed from a site on Coventry Road that demonstrators were allegedly using as a base camp. Police also promised officers would remain there to prevent anyone from returning to the site.
The Canadian Press – Feb 20, 2022 / 5:40 pm | Story: 360657
UPDATE: 5:40 p.m.
Ottawa police are reassuring businesses in parts of the city’s downtown core that they should feel safe to reopen if they had closed during a weeks-long protest against COVID-19 public health measures.
The force issued a tweet saying Rideau Street is now open at Sussex Drive but closed westbound at Dalhousie Street.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie Avenue southbound, Sussex Drive northbound and Colonel By Drive are open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Police thanked businesses and residents for their patience during their efforts to put an end to the protest, while noting that supporting local businesses is considered lawful if residents are entering the secure area.
In an earlier tweet, police said they distributed notices under the Trespass to Property Act to protesters at their base camp on Coventry Road, declaring that people are prohibited from having any fires and having and/or driving any motor vehicle on the premises unless expressly permitted.
Police say demonstrators were given until 4:30 p.m. today to clear the site and a police operation was underway to « ensure the area is vacated. »
UPDATE: 2 p.m.
Interim Ottawa police Chief Steve Bell says 191 people have been arrested and 389 charges have been laid against 107 people in connection with anti-government blockades in the city.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Duheme says law enforcement, federal partners and financial institutions have frozen 206 financial accounts, and proactively froze a payment processor’s account valued at $3.8 million.
Bell says police are not finished securing the streets of downtown Ottawa, and will eventually demobilize once they have determined there is no threat of further demonstrations coming to the city.
UPDATE: 12:55 p.m.
Ottawa police say 79 vehicles have been towed from downtown Ottawa.
The force issued an afternoon tweet saying officers have laid 389 criminal charges in connection with operations to disperse anti-government protesters in the city’s downtown core.
Earlier in the day, police said 103 people are facing criminal charges.
They say 191 people have been arrested since law enforcement operations began in the city last week.
Interim Chief Steve Bell is speaking to reporters this afternoon.
UPDATE: 10:25 a.m.
Ottawa police say 103 people are facing criminal charges after they were arrested during police operations to disperse anti-government protesters in the city’s downtown core.
The force issued a tweet saying those arrested primarily face charges of mischief and obstruction.
Of those who have been charged, 89 have been released with conditions that include a boundary, requiring them to stay out of certain designated areas, while the rest were released without condition.
Police say 191 people have been arrested since law enforcement operations began in the city last week.
Photo: The Canadian Press
ORIGINAL: 9:40 a.m.
Ontario’s police watchdog says it’s investigating two incidents stemming from Saturday’s massive enforcement operation to clear anti-government protesters from downtown Ottawa.
The Special Investigations Unit says preliminary information suggests a Toronto Police officer on horseback allegedly had an encounter with a 49-year-old woman resulting in an undisclosed, serious injury.
They say they’re also looking into the use of anti-riot weapons, which they say were deployed by members of the Vancouver Police Department on Saturday evening.
The SIU says no serious injuries were reported during that interaction.
It’s asking anyone who may have been struck by a projectile to contact the unit.
The alleged incidents come amid an enforcement blitz that Ottawa Police say has resulted in 191 arrests since it began on Thursday.
The Canadian Press – Feb 20, 2022 / 9:30 am | Story: 360656
Photo: The Canadian Press
Police in Laval, Que., are investigating the deaths of a man and a woman in their 70s.
Police in the Montreal suburb say the couple’s son called 911 shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, after finding the bodies of his parents in their home.
Police spokeswoman Const. Stéphanie Beshara says police believe the deaths may have been a homicide followed by a suicide. She says an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.
The names of the couple, a 71-year-old woman and a 75-year old man, have not yet been released.
Meanwhile provincial police say they are investigating a separate incident in Dunham, Que., around 100 km south-east of Montreal, in which another couple was found dead in their home late Friday afternoon.
Spokeswoman Sgt. Marythé Bolduc says investigators believe the deaths of Patrizia Rao, 59, and Frédéric-Lynn Blair, 62, Friday were the result of a homicide followed by a suicide.
The Canadian Press – Feb 20, 2022 / 7:10 am | Story: 360652
Photo: The Canadian Press
Visitors to a roadside memorial pay their respects in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020.
A public inquiry into the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history is set to begin hearings this week in Nova Scotia.
And as the proceedings open Tuesday in Halifax, the three presiding commissioners will be facing skeptical participants, lawyers and experts who have come forward in recent weeks to criticize the inquiry for being too secretive and unclear about how it will function.
« The public and those most affected by the (killings) have been looking for answers for nearly two years, but have been either kept in the dark or misled by the RCMP and governments, » said Nova Scotia lawyer Adam Rodgers, who has been offering analysis of the inquiry through an online blog.
« They fought hard for an inquiry that would provide those answers, yet so far that inquiry has only featured delays and secret meetings. »
For the past 15 months, the federal-provincial commission of inquiry has been conducting an independent investigation of the shooting rampage, which started on the night of April 18, 2020 when a lone gunman disguised as a Mountie killed 13 people and set fire to several homes and vehicles in rural Portapique, N.S.
The next day, the shooter, driving a replica RCMP cruiser, killed another nine people — including a pregnant woman and a Mountie. After leading police on a chase that spanned more than 100 kilometres, he was shot dead by police at a gas station north of Halifax.
The commission received its mandate from the federal and Nova Scotia cabinets in October 2020 after a series of public protests forced the two levels of government to order a fully independent inquiry rather than a less rigorous internal review.
Since then, the commission has pored over 40,000 pages of documents and interviewed more than 100 witnesses. Its investigation has led to the production of what it calls « foundational documents, » which will be used to guide the inquiry.
Spokespeople for the inquiry have stressed these documents were created with feedback from those most affected by the killings, including shooting survivors, victims’ relatives, first responders, RCMP officers and others touched by the tragedy. In all, there will be 61 recognized participants at the inquiry, including the two levels of government.
« The process is designed in a way that works with participants, » Emily Hill, the inquiry’s lead counsel, said in an interview last week. « Indeed, we have trusted them a great deal through this process, asking them for their feedback and inviting their contributions …. We’ve done that in an attempt to be as transparent and accountable to the public as we can. »
The hope is that these documents will help the inquiry process a huge volume of information without having to rely on witness testimony to account for every twist and turn. The commissioners have until Nov. 1 to complete their work.
But these key documents could prove problematic, said Ed Ratushy, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and author of the 2009 book, « The Conduct of Public Inquiries. »
« Moving things along is one thing, » he said in a recent interview. « Doing the right thing is another. »
Ratushy said the foundational documents could place undue influence on the inquiry’s work. « Once they’ve written their own report, it’s going to be very difficult for them, if different information comes up, to change what they seem to be committed to being the facts, » he said.
That’s why the information should be tested during the hearings, which is what typically happens when witnesses face cross-examination by the participants’ lawyers, he said.
Last week, however, a Nova Scotia law firm representing 23 participating families and individuals said it was unclear who will be called as witnesses, how they will be asked to give evidence and whether lawyers would be allowed to question them or test the evidence in the foundational documents.
« Our clients continue to watch for signs that the public inquiry will proceed as it should, but feel greatly disappointed … there is no assurance that it will be anything other than the review that our clients marched to oppose in the summer of 2020, » said a statement issued by Patterson Law, based in Truro, N.S.
Asked if the inquiry could be facing a loss of public trust, the inquiry’s investigations director, Barbara McLean, said she could only speak about the work of the commission.
« A lot of it is going to made public next week, » she said in an interview. « I think once they start to see what we have, I think there will be a more informed opinion of the work that we’ve done. And if there are any gaps, I invite people to come forward and help us with our work. »
On another front, critics have noted the inquiry rules state that lawyers for the participants will not be allowed to cross-examine witnesses unless the three commissioners grant approval.
Ratushy said that’s not what usually happens at public inquiries, but he also noted that such bodies do have a great deal of flexibility when it comes to interpreting their mandate.
« I’ve never seen it done the way they are doing it, » he said. « It is essentially an experiment to see whether this way of conducting this kind of so-called inquiry will work. »
Rodgers, who has been involved in a high-profile fatality inquiry in Nova Scotia for the past two years, said this inquiry appears to have unusual — and possibly innovative — features.
« But they will need to build credibility for those features through their actions over the coming weeks, » he said. « In time, they may be lauded for their approach, but they cannot presume that it will be seen as legitimate until the public sees how it will work. »
The Canadian Press – Feb 19, 2022 / 6:32 pm | Story: 360608
UPDATE: 6:32 p.m.
Ottawa police say they deployed mid-range impact weapons after protesters were allegedly assaulting officers with weapons.
Police say the use of the ARWEN weapons was warranted to stop the « violent actions of the protesters. »
They say the weapons were used by police this evening.
Police told the Canadian Press that they do not know of any reported injuries.
UPDATE: 1:25 p.m.
Ottawa’s interim police chief says officers are using more force against protesters because they are facing a « barrage of resistance. »
Steve Bell says 47 new arrests have been made, bringing the total number since the operation began to clear Parliament Hill to 170.
Bell says protesters have been shoving officers and hurling vitriol at them.
He says officers are now wearing helmets and wielding batons.
UPDATE: 11:05 a.m.
Ottawa Police say they’ve made 47 arrests so far today as they continue to try and clear protesters from the heart of the downtown core.
They also say they’ve towed 38 vehicles since Friday and have cleared a stretch of Wellington Street that runs in front of Parliament.
They issued a tweet saying the road is now clear up to O’Conner Street.
But enforcement operations continue amid a tense atmosphere, with police using batons and a « chemical irritant » as they try to disperse the crowds.
Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says police are proceeding methodically and responsibly in dealing with the ongoing occupation.
Mendicino defended the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, saying the exceptional measures are targeted, time-limited and Charter guaranteed as MPs resumed their debate on the act today.
He says it has given police additional tools to restore order in Ottawa and keep the country’s borders open for trade and economic security.
Mendicino told a virtual news conference today that authorities have frozen 76 bank accounts with $3.2 million attributed to the blockade.
UPDATE: 9:25 a.m.
Police clashed with antigovernment protesters in Ottawa on Saturday, pushing deeper into the national capital and closing in on the heart of the site where they have been encamped since late January.
The second day of the massive police enforcement effort comes as members of parliament resumed debating the government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in a bit to quell demonstrations in Ottawa and further afield.
Rows of officers clad in riot gear and carrying batons massed along Wellington Street near the Prime Minister’s Office in downtown Ottawa.
Police moved towards the protesters swinging batons at them, while the crowd pushed back amid shouts of « shame » and « freedom. »
Police later tweeted that they had arrested protesters wearing body armour and carrying « smoke grenades and miscellaneous fireworks, » noting more were found in a nearby vehicle.
The ongoing police operation prompted Parliamentary Protective Services to place the precinct under a Hold and Secure order on Saturday, limiting movement between buildings. The service notes the area is not under lockdown and staff are on hand to manage the situation.
The clashes occurred after police issued warnings to protesters to clear the area and appeared to have made some arrests.
One man who fled the melee said he had been pepper sprayed in his eyes. The Canadian Press saw a plume of smoke in the air but it was not clear if it was gas launched by the police or the protesters.
It marked the second day of a massive police operation to clear demonstrators out of Ottawa’s downtown core as the protest against the federal government and COVID-19 public health measures entered its fourth week.
In the nearby West Block, where the House of Commons was up and running, MPs resumed their debate on the government’s historic invocation of the Emergencies Act that had to be paused Friday because of security concerns.
« When I look at the role that the police have played over the last few days, you know I talked earlier about my frustration with the failure of Ottawa police, but what we saw yesterday was policing at its best in this country, » NDP MP Charlie Angus told the Commons on Saturday to a light smattering of applause.
Angus called for a public inquiry into the “national embarrassment” that led to the trucker blockades of the Canadian capital.
Angus said an inquiry is needed to determine why Ottawa police let large trucks enter the national capital and set up a blockade that included bouncy castles, while racist members of the freedom convoy harassed local residents and forced businesses to close.
He is also called for an inquiry into foreign funding of the so-called freedom convoy.
He called the leaders of the protest “racists” who belong in the “crowbar hotel.”
« We cannot be made to look like a failed state to the world, » he said.
The debate was begun on Thursday but Government House leader Mark Holland said in a Twitter post that House leaders from all parties agreed to cancel Friday’s session on the advice of parliamentary security. Holland said MPs will vote early next week on the Emergencies Act motion.
Meanwhile, some of the protest’s most high-profile organizers prepared to face charges in an Ottawa courtroom following their arrests in recent days.
This includes Pat King, one of the leading figures behind the Parliament Hill protest, who Ottawa police said was arrested on Friday.
King, 44, faces charges of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police.
King, who hails from Red Deer, Alta., livestreamed his own arrest on Facebook Friday.
He was among the more than 100 people police arrested as part of Friday’s enforcement blitz.
Two other protest organizers — Chris Barber and Tamara Lich — were arrested earlier on charges of counselling to commit mischief. Barber also faces charges of counselling to disobey a court order and obstructing police.
An Ontario Court granted Barber bail, while Lich appeared in an Ottawa courtroom Saturday for the start of her bail hearing.
Justice Julie Bourgeois released Barber on a $100,000 bond and on the conditions he leave Ontario by next Wednesday and not publicly endorse the convoy or have any contact with the other major protest organizers.
King, Lich and other organizers of the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ 2022 protests also saw a temporary freeze to their bank accounts — including Bitcoin and cryptocurrency funds — following an Ontario Superior Court ruling on Thursday.
Police say at least 21 vehicles were towed Friday as hundreds of officers — some of them on horseback — fanned out across the area to take back the streets from the hundreds of big rigs and trucks idling there.
The well-coordinated police action began peacefully on Friday, but tensions escalated as the day wore on with police accusing protesters of assaulting officers, trying to take their weapons, and in one case throwing a bicycle at a police horse. Some protesters claimed they were assaulted by officers.
Ottawa police interim chief Steve Bell told a Friday evening news conference that clearing the area would take time, but the operation was « deliberate and methodical » and police were in control on the ground.
He said no serious injuries had been reported, and those arrested had been charged with various offences including mischief, adding that police were still urging demonstrators to leave peacefully.
UPDATE: 7:40 a.m.
Police are closing in on the heart of the protest site in downtown Ottawa where protesters have been encamped for the past four weeks.
Rows of officers carrying batons are assembled along Wellington Street near the Prime Minister’s Office.
Police are issuing warnings to protesters to clear the area and appear to have made some arrests.
Meanwhile, police in Quebec City say they’re preparing for the arrival of heavy trucks and protesters opposed to COVID-19 measures in the provincial capital today.
A planned party near the provincial legislature on Friday evening was cancelled, with a man supervising the stage setup blaming Quebec City’s mayor for the event not going ahead.
A spokesman for Mayor Bruno Marchand’s office told The Canadian Press that organizers of the convoy had the right to demonstrate but did not have a permit to put on a show.
It’s unclear how many people will turn up for the weekend demonstration near the National Assembly, amid a heavy police presence and with certain streets around the legislature blocked off by city vehicles.
Photo: The Canadian Press
Toronto Police mounted unit charges the crowd in a dispersion tactic as police take action to put an end to a protest, which started in opposition to mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandates and grew into a broader anti-government demonstration and occupation, in Ottawa, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
ORIGINAL: 6:30 a.m.
Pat King, one of the leading figures behind an antigovernment protest on Parliament Hill is set to appear in court today to face charges related to his role in the demonstration.
Ottawa police say King, 44, faces charges of mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to obstruct police.
King livestreamed his own arrest on Facebook Friday.
Police say King, who hails from Red Deer, Alta., will appear in court today.
King is among the more than 100 people police say they have arrested as part of a massive police operation to clear demonstrators who have been blockading Parliament Hill for nearly four weeks.
Two other protest organizers — Chris Barber and Tamara Lich — were arrested earlier on charges of counselling to commit mischief. Barber also faces charges of counselling to disobey a court order and obstructing police.
An Ontario Court granted Barber bail and Lich is set to appear in an Ottawa courtroom Saturday for a bail hearing.
Justice Julie Bourgeois released Barber on a $100,000 bond and on the conditions he leave Ontario by next Wednesday and not publicly endorse the convoy or have any contact with the other major protest organizers.
King, Lich and other organizers of the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ 2022 protests also saw a temporary freeze to their bank accounts — including Bitcoin and cryptocurrency funds — following an Ontario Superior Court ruling on Thursday.
Police say so far at least 21 vehicles were towed Friday as hundreds of officers — some of them on horseback — fanned out across the area to take back the streets from the hundreds of big rigs and trucks that have been idling there for weeks.
The well-coordinated police action began peacefully Friday, but as the day wore on tensions escalated with the police. Ottawa Police accused protesters of assaulting officers, trying to take their weapons, and in one case throwing a bicycle at a police horse.
Some protesters claimed they were assaulted by officers and livestreamed video appeared to show several people trampled by officers on horseback.
Ottawa police interim chief Steve Bell told a Friday evening news conference that clearing the area would take time, but the operation was « deliberate and methodical » and police were in control on the ground.
He said no serious injuries had been reported, and those arrested had been charged with various offences including mischief, adding that police were still urging demonstrators to leave peacefully.
Meanwhile, inside the House of Commons today MPs will resume debate on the use of the Emergencies Act to respond to the illegal blockades. The debate began on Thursday but Government House leader Mark Holland said in a Twitter post that House leaders from all parties agreed to cancel Friday’s session on the advice of parliamentary security.
Holland said MPs will vote early next week on the Emergencies Act motion.
We hear your concern for people on the ground after the horses dispersed a crowd. Anyone who fell got up and walked away. We’re unaware of any injuries. A bicycle was thrown at the horse further down the line and caused the horse to trip. The horse was uninjured. pic.twitter.com/4AYiw1q3W0
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 19, 2022
The Canadian Press – Feb 19, 2022 / 12:35 pm | Story: 360624
Photo: The Canadian Press
Tamara Lich on Thursday.
An Ottawa judge says she will decide on Tuesday whether to grant bail to Ottawa protest convoy organizer Tamara Lich.
That means the 49-year-old Alberta woman will be returned to the local Ottawa detention centre until then.
Lich was charged with counselling to commit mischief in connection with the protests that have snarled Ottawa for more than three weeks.
There was no publication ban on the evidence heard at the hearing, which is shedding new light on the inner workings of the convoy organizers.
Tamara Lich appeared in person, wearing a mask in the prisoner’s box of an Ottawa courtroom. She told court she just wants to return to Alberta and be with her family.
Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois says she wants to take the time necessary to render a decision.
Ontario courts are closed this Monday because of the Family Day holiday.
Lich’s husband, Wayne Lich, says he flew to Ottawa Feb. 2 on a private jet, the $5,000 cost of which was covered by a “really nice gentleman” he doesn’t really know.
He testified to that and other details at his wife’s bail hearing Saturday.
Lich testified she just wants to return to Alberta to be with her husband and kids, and pledged a $5,000 bond, saying that was all she could afford.
She promised to leave Ottawa by vehicle and give up her advocacy of the protest, saying she would need several days to make those arrangements because she does not have the required vaccine passport enabling her to fly and because her bank accounts are now frozen.
Another prominent protest organizer, Patrick King of Alberta, is expected to appear at a bail hearing early next week after he was arrested by police on Friday.
Another organizer, Chris Barber, was granted bail Friday.
Justice Bourgeois released Barber on a $100,000 bond and on the conditions he leave Ontario by next Wednesday and not publicly endorse the convoy or have any contact with the other major protest organizers.
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