The federal government has set aside $6.9 million to cover the cost of dealing with last winter’s “Freedom Convoy” protests at Canada’s busiest border crossing, according to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
At a news conference Thursday, Mendicino said the funds set aside by Ottawa will help cover costs incurred by Windsor, Ontario, though the actual amount the city will receive is still up for debate.
Windsor had been asking for compensation since last winter, citing the high cost of closing businesses and restoring public order after hundreds of protesters opposing COVID-19 mandates blocked the Ambassador Bridge on February 7.
Similar protests closed border crossings in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and near the town of Coutts, Alta., while “Freedom Convoy” protesters blocked streets near Parliament Hill for several weeks.
Windsor police launched a major operation to end the blockade of the bridge on February 13, and the border crossing reopened the following day. The city subsequently applied to the federal government in April for $5.7 million to cover associated costs.
The Liberal government has said the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, which is the busiest border crossing between Canada and the US, cost hundreds of millions of dollars in trade every day, particularly for the auto industry.
Mendicino echoed that assessment Thursday, saying the protesters were jeopardizing Canada’s position as a trusted trading partner.
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“They didn’t just force auto plants to shut down temporarily,” he said. “They made things harder for working families across Ontario.”
Mayor Drew Dilkens said everyone in the city “intuitively knows” that closing the bridge has an impact on the community, which is why police launched a large-scale operation without concern for cost.
“We all knew that this was an issue that needed to be resolved and resolved in a timely manner,” he said.
#Windsor will receive millions in federal aid for the cost of blocking the #AmbassadorBridge. #CDNPoli #FreedomConvoy
The Ambassador Bridge blockade has figured prominently in the post-“Freedom Convoy” debate surrounding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in February.
The Liberal government cited the border closure as a key reason for declaring a public order emergency on February 14, the same day the Ambassador Bridge reopened to traffic.
But a public inquiry heard this fall that the extraordinary powers granted to government, police and banks under the law were not necessary to end the Windsor protest, which police shut down after the city got a court to ban the demonstrations.
Investigation commissioner Paul Rouleau is expected to deliver his final report in February.
Meanwhile, the City of Ottawa has also asked the federal government to cover the approximately $37 million in costs it incurred in connection with the downtown blockades. The Liberals have not announced a financing deal for the capital.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 29, 2022.