Policing expenses in truck convoy protest exceeds that of Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations

Over the past six days of truck convoy protests, Ottawa has incurred more policing costs and expenses than the city would have incurred during an average Canada Day celebration. 

In fact, it cost more than the 150th birthday party Ottawa put on for Canada in 2017.

According to Blair Dunker, chief administrative officer of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), Ottawa has racked up a bill of about $3 million for policing for the demonstration — and that cost is growing, she confirmed on Wednesday, February 2 in a media briefing.

As Dunker explained, the seven year average for policing costs for Canada Day celebrations is about $620,000. 

And Canada’s 150th? Well, we paid $1.44 million for that.

“The OPS is already facing significant pressures this year,” she said. “We have no ability to manage these costs, so at some point we will be turning to the federal and provincial governments to help us set off these costs.”

That’s not counting the funds other police services are incurring on their end as they help Ottawa manage the protest.

And those other resources include officers from York, Toronto, OPP, Gatineau, Durham Region, London, Sureté de Québec, Hamilton and the RCMP.

Ottawa police anticipate more demonstrators will be making their way back into the capital come Saturday, but OPS says they’ll be ready.