Ottawa mayor hopes for orderly convoy demonstration

The mayor of Ottawa hopes convoy participants remain peaceful and law-abiding this weekend, as a rolling demonstration heads for Parliament Hill.

Jim Watson reiterated the police chief's message from Wednesday, for residents in other neighbourhoods to avoid the downtown area if they can, to maintain access for emergency vehicles, and reduce congestion on routes into and out of the downtown that is expected to be clogged with convoy trucks and their supporters.

“I hate to say that because it's counter-intuitive; we've been encouraging people to shop local and these people have been through a lot with their small businesses,” Watson said, referencing the pandemic's effects on downtown shops. “Particularly with employees not working from their office, they've lost a lot of business.”

Watson said accommodating what is expected to be a large number of large trucks and people in the downtown area will be a challenge, and he hoped that convoy organizers have planned for all of the logistics of such a large protest.

“Normally when these protests take place, the organizers are responsible for working with the city to get porta-potties, for instance,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “I don't know if that's happened, and there are only so many restaurants that will be open where people can use the washrooms.”

Watson urged participants in this weekend's rally on Parliament Hill to be peaceful, to follow the rules, and to maintain a clear path for emergency vehicles in the downtown area.