愛污传媒

Politics

    • Feds dismiss suggestion they should 'step in' as trucker convoy protests continue

    Share

    Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is dismissing a suggestion from one Ottawa city councillor that it's time for the federal government and RCMP to 'step in' to secure the downtown core, as the trucker convoy protests continue.

    鈥淥ttawa police are the police of jurisdiction when it comes to Wellington Street and the city generally, but federal public safety partners, including the RCMP, PPS [Parliamentary Protective Service], sergeant-at-arms, have been in constant communication with Ottawa police,鈥 he told reporters on Tuesday.

    The convoy has now been entrenched on Wellington Street and along other main downtown roadways for four full days, with organizers digging in and stating an intent to stay indefinitely, despite their supporters thinning out considerably since the weekend.

    On Tuesday, city councillor for the Somerset Ward Catherine McKenney called for the federal government to step in.

    鈥淭his is federal jurisdiction, this should be turned over to the RCMP, allowing our police services to come back into our neighbourhoods, and deal with things like dangerous driving, illegal parking, the noise, the harassment of people in our neighbourhoods, it just has to stop,鈥 McKenney said.

    Ottawa police have indicated that local officers would soon begin to be repositioned back to their community-level responsibilities given the diminishing number of demonstrators, though McKenney said constituents are 鈥渁t their wit鈥檚 end.鈥

    Leading up to and throughout the protests, Ottawa police have been working with the RCMP, the PPS, and other regional and national security agencies that were called in to help monitor and police the area.

    鈥淚 think that you've seen a really co-ordinated and concerted effort to ensure that there's public safety. We recognize, obviously, that there is still visibility of the convoys and the truckers on Wellington Street, and as for any decisions that will be taken, those need to be taken independently by police services,鈥 Mendicino said.

    In a statement the RCMP National Division said that 鈥渢he Ottawa Police Service is the lead policing agency,鈥 when it comes to 鈥渢he operational response to public order matters.鈥

    Mendicino said he is aware that Ottawa residents have been greatly impacted by the continued presence of the protesters, which former Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau described to CTV Ottawa on Tuesday as 鈥渘o longer a protest,鈥 but rather 鈥渁n occupation.鈥

    "The level of personal commitment expressed by those online and on our streets is significant,鈥 said Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly during a briefing on Monday afternoon.

    The public safety minister vowed communication across all levels of government and police services would continue, saying that the safety of all is the top priority and using law enforcement would be a 鈥渓ast resort.鈥

    While their stated aim is to pressure the federal government to end 鈥渁ll鈥 COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions, the business of Parliament has been ticking along this week undeterred while protesters spent Tuesday afternoon playing hockey in the street outside of the Supreme Court of Canada.

    Meanwhile, area residents continue to express fears about venturing from their homes given reported incidents of threatening behaviour and harassment.

    鈥淲e have to remember there are two Ottawas: there is Ottawa which is Parliament鈥 and then there is Ottawa, which is our local neighbourhoods. And my message really is that at this point, it is spilling over into our local neighbourhoods, the harassment, the torment in our neighbourhoods must stop,鈥 McKenney said.

    Federal Liberal and NDP politicians have condemned the protests and said it is time for those who remain in town to go home, while the Conservatives 鈥攃urrently embroiled in a caucus revolt against their leader 鈥 have been supporting the trucking convoy and its supporters. All federal parties have condemned the examples of hate and desecration that transpired over the weekend.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated that he has no intention of meeting with the protesters, amid suggestions from some that their wide-ranging grievances should be listened to.

    鈥淭here is always a legitimate right to protest鈥 But when those protests appropriate symbols that are nasty, appropriate symbols that are racist, call on violent acts towards the prime minister, result in people defecating on the doorsteps of people flying gay pride flags -- rainbow flags, that goes too far,鈥 said Justice Minister David Lametti on Tuesday ahead of a cabinet meeting.

    Following question period on Tuesday MPs passed a series of unanimous consent motions condemning some of the behaviour, rhetoric, and symbols displayed in Ottawa during the weekend鈥檚 large-scale demonstrations.

    Specifically, four motions were moved by Liberal MPs and passed:

    • That the House of Commons 鈥渄eplores the use of Nazi and anti-Semitic symbols in demonstrations on Parliament Hill, and denounces their use at all times.鈥
    • That the House of Commons 鈥渃ondemns the display of hateful and harmful Islamophobic rhetoric by protesters on the streets of Ottawa.鈥
    • That the House of Commons 鈥渃onsider that the display of racist flags in Ottawa this weekend as shameful and a testament to the divisiveness and hateful rhetoric of the protests.鈥
    • That the House of Commons 鈥渁ffirms that there is nothing peaceful about harassing residents of Ottawa for displaying pride flags in their homes and their neighborhood. And secondly, agrees that harassment, transphobia, and all forms of homophobia that have been seen this weekend are an insult to truth and our democracy.鈥

    A Conservative MP then moved a motion asking that the House 鈥渄eplores the use of Blackface and denounces its use at all times.鈥 It did not get the unanimous consent required after some Liberal MPs objected.

    This prompted outrage among the Official Opposition benches. The Conservatives have been making reference to the prime minister鈥檚 past wearing of Blackface in the context of the condemnation of what some Conservative MPs have said are a small number of bad actors amid the convoy protests.

    The Liberals spoke up to say that their objection was not to the substance of the motion, but how it was worded suggesting that there had been discussions among the parties ahead of time, as is tradition for these kinds of motion. The Liberals said if unanimous consent was sought again for the motion, they would support it. It was not.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    Canada

    • British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio 鈥 potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

    • Two Vancouver city councillors are questioning why they鈥檝e been ousted from city appointed roles.

    • The rain has only just stopped pummelling parts of Metro Vancouver, but for the hundreds of residents left with flood-damaged homes, the nightmare is far from over.

    • Cole Mcleod was home with his roommate in their 21st floor apartment on Monday afternoon when the fire alarm went off in the downtown Vancouver building. Then, he smelled smoke.

    • The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) and opposition leaders at Queen's Park are calling on the government to reduce, or eliminate, parking fees at hospitals for staff, patients and visitors.

    • Taylor Swift fans from far and wide will head to Toronto next month to see the superstar perform a series of six sold out shows at the Rogers Centre.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • Bricks along the pathway at Calgary鈥檚 Olympic Plaza have been removed and it wasn鈥檛 by the city. It appears people are coming to grab bricks with their names, family members鈥 name or a saying ahead of the plaza closing.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      An Orl茅ans property that once belonged to a religious order is now in the City of Ottawa's hands.

    • You will be able to pick up beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages at Costco, Walmart and more grocery stores in Ottawa next week.

    • Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    • The Quebec government wants to hear Quebecers' thoughts about scrapping the twice-yearly time change, but it isn't promising to act on them.

    • The death of a woman in her 50s in Montreal's Anjou borough is being considered as 'suspicious' by authorities.

    • Police are looking for a man and a woman who robbed an Edmonton jewelry store earlier this month.

    • Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) custodians have voted 97 per cent in favour of going on strike.

    • A new commentary suggests the Government of Alberta purposely pushed false narratives around public safety to scale down safe supply in the province.

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • The president of a popular New Brunswick potato chip company has been arrested for domestic violence in Bangor, Maine.

    • A special weather statement is in effect Wednesday as Environment Canada warns of possible heavy rain and strong winds in parts of Nova Scotia later this week.

    • Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break鈥 at least for now.

    • The Manitoba government is restoring the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio.

    • A number of Manitoba communities kicked off the week by breaking decades-old heat records.

    • Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) has found that former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal violated legislative rules by profiting from hotels while they were party to government contracts.

    • A determined group within Moose Jaw has stepped up to provide assistance to those in need 鈥 following the closure of one of the city's shelters.

    • Saturday's matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders could determine if they clinch the West Division title, however the results from Winnipeg's game earlier in the day could make their matchup meaningless.

    • Waterloo Regional Police are investigating a sudden death in Kitchener.

    • No one was hurt after playground equipment went up in flames at a Kitchener, Ont. park.

    • A bloodstain pattern analyst expert testified Tuesday at Erick Buhr鈥檚 second-degree murder trial.

    • A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.

    • Hundreds of voter information cards have landed in the wrong hands.

    • A city planning document for the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) sparked controversy over the weekend, with three civic election candidates alleging Confederation Mall was at risk of being demolished and replaced with dense housing.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • The Sudbury jury is still out deliberating whether or not Felicity Altiman killed Robert Keskinen, 75, in December 2020.

    • Police said the house is believed to be empty and abandoned and it's not known yet if the driver of the truck is injured.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • A collision between a pickup truck and SUV shuttered the intersection of Base Line and New Road for several hours.

    • A thriving circular economy extends the lives of products.

    • Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a serious collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.

    • Drivers are asked to be on the lookout for deer and other wildlife crossing our highways.

    • Residents living in central Windsor are calling for after-hours construction to expand a commercial development to stop.

    • NextStar Energy is celebrating the official start of battery module production.

    • The University of Windsor board of governors has upheld its decision to disqualify a motion that aims to pause a pair of agreements with pro-Palestinian protesters.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    • Premier and NDP Leader David Eby says he's been told by the B.C. Green Party that it's too early to begin talks about a minority government agreement after the weekend's still-undecided provincial election.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • Alberta is offering infrastructure funding to help municipalities accommodate recent population growth. The province has added a little over 500,000 people over five years, putting pressure on public services.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒