Mathieu Fleury, municipal councilor for Rideau-Vanier, welcomes the improvements made to the perimeter, but shares the fears of his constituents. Why do people have the right to demonstrate, but to have an impact on our security and our quality of life? This is a very pertinent question that I am still trying to get answers to.
says the adviser.
Mathieu Fleury, Municipal Councilor of Rideau-Vanier.
Photo: Radio-Canada
However, he believes that the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) have done a good job of preventing this demonstration from turning into an occupation. What I’m comfortable with is that we won’t have an occupation like last time where people are going to settle in and get organized. I think that at the police level, there is really firmness.
continues Mr. Fleury.
” Where there is a level of risk is the movement of vehicles through communities and residential areas, where they park, the risk of gatherings. […] I think that’s very worrying. »
The concern is shared by Catherine McKenney, who represents voters in the Somerset ward. Since yesterday, a map of the city has been circulating among the members of the convoy indicating places to park their vehicles. Catherine McKenney relayed it on Twitter, saying she feared that members of the convoy would settle in areas where there were children, the elderly and people with disabilities
.
The comments of the authorities to the municipal council on Wednesday regarding the risk very, very minimal
that this demonstration does not turn into an occupation, however, reassured Catherine McKenney.
Traders and residents on the alert
A shaken restaurateur welcomed the Radio-Canada team to his establishment on Wednesday. We suffer
he says without naming himself, referring to the years of pandemic and the financial vagaries he has encountered.
Maybe some customers who fear for their safety will stay home. […] During the previous convoy, several clients told me that they were afraid to leave their homes. The noise was really loud here.
says Wenyi Liu, owner of a downtown restaurant.
Maxine Hill is the owner of the Canada in a Basket store in Ottawa’s ByWard Market.
Photo: Radio-Canada
For her part, tradeswoman Maxine Hill had just obtained compensation from the federal government for the convoy of truckers. It’s really disheartening. […] I have a sigh of relief, we have a revival, a few tourists in the area, and there, we have another convoy of motorcyclists
laments the owner of the store Canada in a Basketball.
” I really hope the city puts in place what it says it will put in place. […] The city center has suffered a lot. We are still struggling to get civil servants back in town. […] It’s really disturbing that people downtown are still being held hostage. »
Residents we met in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday are curious to see how the protest unfolds. If the fact that these are motorcycles rather than trucks worries the passers-by encountered in the street much less, the fact remains that many of them will avoid the area at the end of the week.
I don’t think I’ll be around. I think I’ll hold off!
laughs Sylvie Courchesne, downtown resident.
I’m afraid of being attacked.
fears for his part Olivier Laperle, a Quebecer visiting Ottawa for the weekend. He was present during the last convoy, an experience he did not appreciate. It was really loud on the ears, and I have sensitive ears. It will hurt.
A special meeting of the Police Services Board is scheduled for this evening at 5:30 p.m.
With information from Frédéric Pépin and Rebecca Kwan
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca