After more than three weeks of demonstrations, the only engines heard around Parliament on Sunday were those of tow trucks working to remove the last remaining "Freedom Convoy" vehicles from downtown Ottawa.
The scene marked a dramatic shift from just a day or two earlier, when police and protesters engaged in tense standoffs around Parliament Hill — one side looking to end weeks of anti-mandate and anti-government protests in the nation's capital, the other trying to extend them.
“We’ve taken back our city,” Ottawa city councillor Eli El-Chantiry, chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, said in a media update Sunday afternoon.
With the size of the protests having diminished considerably over the last few days, Ottawa police have reported at least 191 total arrests and 76 vehicles towed.
Interim police Chief Steve Bell said in a media update Sunday afternoon that of the 191 arrestees, 107 have been charged. A total of 389 charges have been laid so far, ranging from mischief and obstruction to assault of a police officer, and Bell added that there will be updates on more charges in the next few days.
Eighty-nine people were released with conditions, while the rest were released unconditionally.
The police action was a relief for many residents, who have suffered through weeks of traffic congestion, constant honking and reported harassment from some protesters.
“It’s been hell,” Chris Mockler, an Ottawa resident, told CTV National News. “It’s been an occupation and it’s been intimidating, it’s been threatening, it’s been frightening to walk out on the street.”
But while the bulk of the protestors have left, the city is still in the process of recovering from the weeks of demonstrations, and police measures have not yet eased.
Police set up about 100 checkpoints around the downtown core, allowing only those who live and work in the area or have a "lawful" reason to be there. The city is dotted with fences and barriers, as well as garbage left over from the convoy.
Around the War Memorial, in a vast area where one of the trucker encampments once stood, there is now a police staging area closed to residents, who have to walk around the zone to get to their destination.
“It’s like we’ve gone from being in the midst of Duck Dynasty to being now a police state,” Mockler said.
Bell explained that they do not have a timeline at this stage for ending the increased police presence.
“I still can’t say when we will ultimately be completed this operation,” he said, adding that they are currently in a “maintenance” stage in which they will “make sure that nobody returns to occupy our streets again.”
He said that while they are keeping their presence in Ottawa, officers are gathering intelligence on whether people are trying to amass again.
“It’s going to be necessary to keep the streets closed for some time until they’re sure nobody’s going to come back,” said Arthur Rest, an Ottawa resident.
The arrests come after officers took a more aggressive approach to "Freedom Convoy" demonstrators on Saturday, carrying batons, wearing helmets, using pepper spray, and deploying the Anti-Riot Weapon ENfield (ARWEN), considered a "less-lethal" firearm, after demonstrators allegedly assaulted police with weapons.
“Every one of these arrests has a backstory,” Bell said. He gave the example of one protestor who was arrested after they allegedly attempted to take a Taser from an officer.
He mentioned that police were also aware of some protestors aiming slurs and abuse at journalists attempting to cover the police action on Saturday, and that there is one ongoing investigation related to this.
The escalation in enforcement marks the fourth straight weekend of demonstrations in Ottawa, where protesters have called for an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions, and in some cases, for a new government to be installed.
Police and political leaders have commonly referred to the protests as an unlawful "occupation."
City officials and police have faced criticism for not taking action sooner, and Bell acknowledged that there isn’t a single resident who was not impacted by the occupation.
“We know as a police service, we have public trust to gain back,” he said. “We’re deeply committed to the community healing that we know now needs to take place.”
Businesses that were set to reopen on the Friday that the convoy arrived never did, shut down first by COVID-19, then by protesters and now by the ongoing police operation.
“It’s terrible. It’s like a city in ruins,” said Michael Hannas, a bar manager in Ottawa. “You can’t do anything. I can’t even go to work to see how the fences are.”
Police revealed Sunday that many of the 76 vehicles towed are from provinces outside of Ontario. Thirty-six passenger vehicles were seized, including 12 from Ontario and 24 from out of province.
The minister of transport is also taking action against 36 commercial motor vehicles that were towed, including 23 from out of province.
Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP, Mike Duheme praised the Emergencies Act enacted earlier this week, saying it allowed officials to choke off financial support for the protestors.
He said that they froze 206 financial accounts, 306 entities, 253 Bitcoin orders, and an account worth $3.8 million that were connected to the protests.
The police service, meanwhile, announced another arrest on Sunday related to the organizers of the protests.
Tyson George Billings, 44, of High Prairie, Alta., is charged with mischief, counselling to commit the offence of mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order, obstructing police and counselling to commit the offence of obstructing police.
George Billings was listed as the co-founder of a cryptocurrency website called "Freedom Convoy Token," which appeared to be inactive as of Sunday morning.
He appeared alongside key organizer Pat King in a virtual conference last week, urging protesters not to budge following the arrest of a number of individuals at the border blockade in Coutts, Alta., some of whom have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
King is one of a number of other organizers and influencers charged in relation to the protests. He is expected to appear at a bail hearing early next week.
An Ontario judge granted bail to Chris Barber and released him on a $100,000 bond, on the condition he leave Ontario by Feb. 23, and not publicly endorse the convoy or have any contact with other major protest organizers.
A judge will decide on Tuesday whether to grant Tamara Lich bail. Ontario courts are closed this Monday because of the Family Day holiday.
Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer, turned himself in near the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel on Friday. However, charges have not been formally announced.
None of the charges against any of the organizers has been proven in court.
Police officers walk past the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Police officers walk past the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
According to preliminary information released by the SIU, a 49-year-old woman reported a serious injury following an interaction Friday afternoon with a Toronto Police Service officer on horseback.
Videos circulated on social media showed protesters being knocked to the ground by police horses on Friday. A Fox News contributor who claimed a woman involved in the protests died in hospital after being trampled by police horses later admitted those reports were wrong.
The SIU also is investigating the use of the Anti-Riot Weapon Enfield by Vancouver Police Department officers on Saturday. No injuries have been reported so far, according to the SIU, and Bell added Sunday that he was not aware of any reported injuries.
Anyone with information, including video, involving either incident is asked to come forward.
The Ottawa Police Service responded on Twitter saying it respects the "oversight process and will always fully cooperate.”
Ottawa paramedics say since Friday, 21 people have been transported to hospital from the secured area of the downtown with non-life threatening injuries.
Pierre Poirer, chief of the Ottawa Paramedic Service, said in an emailed statement that on Saturday that the “Ottawa Paramedic Service responded to 16 calls within the secured zone, including 13 that were transported to local hospitals.”
All involved non-life-threatening injuries.
“The majority of these calls were not related to the demonstration,” he said.
A statement Saturday from Freedom Convoy organizers said they were "shocked at the abuses of power by the law enforcement in Ottawa."
Bell defended the tactics used by police, saying there will be an opportunity to review all complaints made by those who feel officers used excessive force.
“It’s been my observation and experience […] that the vast majority of our members have been extremely professional,” he said Sunday.
He also thanked the RCMP, OPP and the multiple municipalities in Ontario that sent members to assist the Ottawa Police on Saturday.
Police move in to clear protesters from downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill on Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)
Police move in to clear protesters from downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill on Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)
Parliamentarians resumed debate Saturday on the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act, which among other things, has banned protests deemed to be illegal and frozen the bank accounts of some of those involved in the "Freedom Convoy."
The parliamentary precinct went into a "hold and secure" position Saturday in response to the ongoing police operation, meaning the doors were locked and access was interrupted for some.
Other protests in solidarity with the Ottawa "Freedom Convoy" took place Saturday in Surrey, B.C., near the Pacific Highway border crossing, Quebec City and Fredericton.
Vehicles also converged in Edmonton, while police stopped a convoy north of the Regway border crossing in Saskatchewan, allowing only groups of 10 through.
Toronto police closed a number of roads in the city's downtown ahead of potential protests Saturday.
Meanwhile, another convoy is currently rolling through Nova Scotia on its way to Halifax.
With files from CTV News, Joyce Napier, and The Canadian Press
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested an 18-year-old man from the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal on Thursday morning in connection with allegations of terrorism.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he feels it is his role to see the Safe Third Country Agreement upgraded, in order to make sure Canadians can continue to have confidence in Canada's immigration system.
The largest recorded earthquake in Alberta's history was not a natural event, but most likely caused by disposal of oilsands wastewater, new research has concluded.
The Manhattan district attorney investigating Donald Trump rebuffed U.S. House Republicans' request Thursday for documents and testimony about the case, dismissing it as an "unprecedented inquiry" with no legitimate basis.
Han Dong has announced he will be sitting as an independent MP after being the subject of allegations involving interference by China in Canadian affairs.
Embattled South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom will resign next month after a US$3.5 billion accounting error in the year-end financial report he oversaw.
Investigators with York Regional Police issued Canada-wide warrants for two men who they say are involved in the Richmond Hill attack on Ontario woman Elnaz Hajtamiri weeks before she was allegedly abducted.
United States President Joe Biden is set to deliver a speech to Parliament on Friday, becoming the ninth president to address Canadians in Ottawa. Here's a look back at past presidential speeches and the eras that defined them.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in 'What Happened to Ben' on CTV W5.
The RCMP knew about a potential cocaine shipment from the Dominican Republic to Toronto aboard a Canadian charter flight but inexplicably allowed the crew that discovered and reported the drugs to be detained for months without intervening, a W5 investigation has revealed.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
A 64-year-old grandmother from Barrie, Ont. faces life in prison in Hong Kong, accused of smuggling drugs, after being duped twice in what her family believes was a sophisticated romance scam.
Anishinaabe podcaster Ryan McMahon sought to uncover the truth behind the deaths of several Indigenous people in Thunder Bay, Ont. in a new Crave Original documentary.
Police are reissuing calls to help locate an Oshawa, Ont. man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant after allegedly stabbing two women – one, fatally – earlier this month.
Ottawa police and the city of Ottawa have warned residents and visitors will see an increased police presence across the downtown core on Thursday and Friday, and there will be "significant traffic and transit disruptions" during the visit.
Ottawa's mayor says although LeBreton Flats would be a great location for a new rink for the Ottawa Senators, there are other possible locations for a new NHL arena in the city.
The quick thinking and immediate actions of two people are credited with possibly saving the life of a Midland councillor after he collapsed at a meeting Wednesday evening.
Investigators with York Regional Police issued Canada-wide warrants for two men who they say are involved in the Richmond Hill attack on Ontario woman Elnaz Hajtamiri weeks before she was allegedly abducted.
The resurrection of Zellers is officially underway in Waterloo region with the Cambridge location opening its doors to a handful of eager fans who lined up ahead of the store's official reopening.
Charges have now been laid after a stabbing in London earlier this week. A 19-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after the incident happened on Tuesday.
From the moment employees opened the doors to White Oaks Mall on Thursday morning, hundreds of people flocked to Zellers. Curiosity and low prices have enticed many to head to the mall for Thursday's official opening.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested an 18-year-old man from the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal on Thursday morning in connection with allegations of terrorism.
Former Quebec premier Jean Charest pocketed just under $70,000 in compensation during his brief stint as a director of Canadian National Railway (CN). Charest was appointed a director in early 2022, but resigned two months later to run unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. In total, he received $68,987 in compensation during his time at CN, according to regulatory documents released by the company.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
The rate of snow and rain falling in the Maritimes will pick up late Thursday afternoon into evening as a weather system makes its way across the region.
Two staff members who were stabbed at a Halifax-area high school have been released from hospital, while the student accused in the stabbing remains in custody.
Winnipeg's city council has voted unanimously in favour of renaming several roadways currently named after a bishop remembered as one of the architects of the residential school system.
A Winnipeg hospital official says another nurse has resigned from a sexual assault examination program, and other health-care professionals are stepping in to fill the gap.
The Hitmen didn't lead for very much of the game Wednesday night, but they led at the right part of it – the end – en route to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes Wednesday night in Lethbridge.
Dozens of people lined up outside the Hudson's Bay store at Kingsway Mall in Edmonton on Thursday to be amongst the first to shop at the new Zellers location.
The largest recorded earthquake in Alberta's history was not a natural event, but most likely caused by disposal of oilsands wastewater, new research has concluded.
At least one National Hockey League team with a Russian player on its roster has decided against wearing special warmup jerseys to commemorate Pride Night because of a Russian law that expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting LGBTQ2S+ rights.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he feels it is his role to see the Safe Third Country Agreement upgraded, in order to make sure Canadians can continue to have confidence in Canada's immigration system.
Han Dong has announced he will be sitting as an independent MP after being the subject of allegations involving interference by China in Canadian affairs.
He's hell-bent on restoring blue-collar American manufacturing to its former glory, considers free trade a dirty word and wants Canada to wade voluntarily into a failed, gang-ravaged state that's a quagmire waiting to happen.
Canada's race to procure ventilators for COVID-19 patients in the early days of the pandemic had researchers, scientists, industry and a notable astrophysicist working 'night and day' to design machines that could be quickly manufactured domestically.
Neurodivergent education expert Mary Klovance says there are several approaches educators can take to help students with such conditions as ADHD and autism to flourish in the classroom.
A Winnipeg hospital official says another nurse has resigned from a sexual assault examination program, and other health-care professionals are stepping in to fill the gap.
U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned.
Sky-gazers will be treated to a parade of planets near the end of month when Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Mars will appear together in the night sky.
A rocket made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts made its launch debut Wednesday night, lifting off amid fanfare but failing three minutes into flight -- far short of orbit. There was nothing aboard Relativity Space's test flight except for the company's first metal 3D print made six years ago.
Protests continued Wednesday at a university in the Texas Panhandle after the school's president said a planned campus drag show wouldn't be allowed and expressed the view that such events 'discriminate against womanhood.'
A neuropsychologist who treated the man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski collision cast aspersions on the testimony of medical experts hired by the celebrity's legal team -- and argued that, as his personal doctor, she was better suited to speak about 76-year-old Terry Sanderson's post-concussion symptoms.
After a years-long hiatus, Zellers has announced the locations of its first 25 store 'experiences.' The stores are set to open within Hudson's Bay locations across Canada in 2023. Here is a list of the locations.
Strength in the technology sector helped lead a broad-based rally as Canada's main stock index gained more than 100 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also surged higher.
Neurodivergent education expert Mary Klovance says there are several approaches educators can take to help students with such conditions as ADHD and autism to flourish in the classroom.
Nancy Rose is the creator behind the "The Secret Life of Squirrels" – a series of children’s books and calendars capturing real-life squirrels engaging in human activities.
More than 50 current and former Canadian fencers have joined a growing call for a Canadian judicial inquiry on maltreatment in sport, saying the fear of retribution has kept them silent for nearly 20 years on fencing's toxic culture and abusive practices.
California lawmakers on Thursday will vote on whether to allow penalties on oil companies for price gouging at the pump, a first-in-the-country proposal aimed at stopping the kind of spikes last summer that caused some drivers pay up to US$8 per gallon as the industry reaped super-sized profits.
The Chevrolet Camaro, for decades the dream car of many teenage American males, is going out of production. General Motors, which sells the brawny muscle car, said Wednesday it will stop making the current generation early next year.
U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints from Honda Civic drivers that their steering can stick, causing a momentary increase in effort and increasing the risk of a crash.
Police officers walk past the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 20, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Police move in to clear protesters from downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill on Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted)
