‘Freedom convoy’ protests: Ford declares state of emergency over ‘siege’; Ottawa eyes changes to COVID-19 border measures

There's an intensifying demand for an end to the protests paralyzing downtown Ottawa as well as border crossings near Coutts, Alta., Emerson, Man., and the busy Windsor-Detroit Ambassador Bridge. Follow live updates here on Friday.

1:30 p.m.: Flyers posted to social media suggested protesters from both sides of the border were planning to converge on the Peace Bridge that links Fort Erie, Ont. and Buffalo, N.Y. on Saturday.

Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop said his community was bracing for possible disruptions to traffic, businesses, emergency services, and residents who either have family or work on the U.S. side of the border.

Having seen what's going on in other places in Ontario, we certainly are concerned that something of a similar nature would occur here. We're hoping that it won't and we're hoping that good sense will prevail, that peaceful protesters will be peaceful and that they will keep their convoy moving along," he said.

While Fort Erie's 30,000 residents might bear the brunt of any protests, Redekop said that given the importance of the crossing to the provincial and federal economies, other levels of government need to get engaged here."

He said local officials have been in contact with regional, provincial and Niagara Parks police, as well as the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, and would assist with issues like directing traffic. But there is only so much the town can do.

These are also provincial and federal issues that we need assistance on ...You cannot expect municipalities to manage international borders without help," he said, adding that he had confidence the police will do what they need to do."

The Peace Bridge is Canada's third-busiest crossing for trade and its second busiest for all traffic. It's used by more than 1.2 million trucks and more than 4.7 million passenger vehicles each year, according to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Redekop said his hope was that those who want to express their rights will recognize that there are large numbers of other people in our communities who also have rights, and that rights have a flip side, and that is responsibilities."

12:05 p.m.: Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Friday that federal changes to pandemic border measures are under constantly" under review and changes could come next week.

Duclos did not specify which measures would be dropped or kept.

With the worst of Omicron now behind us, our government is actively evaluating the measures in place at the border, and we should be able to communicate changes very soon."

He said some changes could come as early as next week.

Duclos told reporters, however, that we know that vaccine mandates work" in protecting people and boosting vaccination rates at the federal and provincial level.

Duclos said in January, arrivals testing showed a six to nine per cent positivity rate for incoming travellers who had shown up at border points with a negative PCR test.

Still, Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam admitted, we have to adjust our border measures because it is impossible to stop importation of every case."

Federal ministers welcomed Ontario's declaration of the state of emergency as a significant and positive step.

Intergovernmental affairs minister Dominic LeBlanc called the measures announced, especially penalties for those who use trucks for blockades, a very important series of additional steps."

Read the full story by Tonda MacCharles

11:55 a.m.: WINDSOR-Protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor could be removed from their posts as early as Friday evening if a court injunction is granted to the municipality and an auto manufacturing group this afternoon, says one legal expert.

At noon on Friday, the Ontario Superior Court is hearing an application for an injunction from the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, with the City of Windsor acting as an intervenor.

The city and industry group will likely argue before Chief Justice Morawetz that the blockade at the bridge is effectively breaking the supply chain" and depriving businesses of critical revenue by impeding the flow of goods worth millions of dollars per day, said Jason Squire, a legal expert and partner at Lerners LLP.

An injunction, which would give police the authority to remove the protesters from the bridge, could be granted as soon as this afternoon or this evening.

Mayor Drew Dilkens announced plans to seek an injunction Thursday afternoon. In legal terms, the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association and Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association will be the main applicants, with the City of Windsor and Chamber of Commerce as supportive intervenors," said Dilkens.

Meanwhile, the protesters have backtracked on earlier plans to open one lane of the Ambassador Bridge; they're now closing the lane again.

Read the full story by Jacob Lorinc

10:50 a.m.: Premier Doug Ford is declaring a state of emergency in Ontario over the trucking blockades that continue to paralyze parts of Ottawa and threaten jobs and manufacturing at border crossings.

Today, I am using my authority as Premier of Ontario to declare a state of emergency in our province," Ford said at a news conference Friday morning.

And I will convene cabinet to use legal authorities to urgently enact orders that will make crystal clear it is illegal and punishable to block and impede the movement of goods, people and services along critical infrastructure. This will include protecting international border crossings, 400-series highways, airports, ports, bridges and railways.:

He said the province will also be protecting the safe and essential movement of ambulatory and medical services, public transit, municipal and provincial roadways, as well as pedestrian walkways. Fines for non-compliance will be severe, with a maximum penalty of $100,000 and up to a year imprisonment."

The province will also provide additional authority to consider taking away the personal and commercial licenses of anyone who doesn't comply with these orders."

He said: We are now two weeks into the siege of the City of Ottawa. I call it a siege because that is what it is. It's an illegal occupation. This is no longer a protest. With a protest, you peacefully make your point and you go back home. And I know that the vast majority of people did that. They came, they peacefully demonstrated, they made their point, and they left. And I want to say to those people - you have been heard - Canada has heard you."

Read the full story by Kristin Rushowy

9:20 a.m.: At a news conference Friday ahead of a budget debate at his executive committee, Mayor John Tory said governments need to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain the peace."

The first thing I'm obviously concerned about, in looking at these potential protests here or elsewhere, is the safety of people and respect for everybody's rights ... People shouldn't have to, because someone is exercising their rights, worry then about their own right to go to work, or their own right to be safe, or their own right to get to the doctor's (office) ...

People need to be at work, they need to support their families, they want to be at work, they want to be able to go to the doctor, they want to be able to live peacefully in Toronto or elsewhere.

So I think you see that all kinds of actions being undertaken by police authorities and by other governments, including the one here, to try to make sure that you, yes, respect the rights of people to peaceful, respectful protest but, when it goes beyond that, to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain the peace.

This is a country founded on peace, order and good government. I think that those are very important words, that we could be taking a serious look at as I think we all are just now as we try to move forward."

9 a.m.: Mayor John Tory and Toronto police Chief James Ramer are set to announce details of the city's plans for the expected return of anti-vaccine mandate protests this weekend.

The pair will be speaking at a 1 p.m. Friday news conference live-streamed on YouTube.

The Toronto police board held a special confidential meeting Thursday, at which Ramer briefed the board on the details of the police plan.

In a statement, the board said the meeting was called because the anticipated truck protest meets this threshold for a major event/operation or organizationally significant issue."

Earlier this week, police closed streets around Queen's Park following online posts saying the protesters were set to relocate from Ottawa.

It was unclear at the time whether the protesters' threats were genuine; an organizer speaking to the Star said: No. It's a game."