On the Doorstep: Engaging with Candidates about the Convoy Occupation*

Leilani Farha, Monia Mazigh, Alex Neve, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah**

There is a widely-held sense that the upcoming municipal election is a pivotal one, setting much-needed vision and direction for the city. There are many important issues for voters to sort out, including public transit, housing, community development, and the environment.

Also in the mix are numerous concerns spotlighted during the tense weeks of the Convoy Occupation in February. Reflective of how serious those concerns are, the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation has been established, and is holding hearings and community meetings, and receiving written submissions.

We are serving as its Commissioners. Dozens of city residents have shared their experiences of the occupation with us, and we will hear from many more over the coming weeks. We anticipate issuing our final report early next year. But already there are common themes emerging, which point to key questions to pose to candidates vying for office, be it as mayor or councilor. We offer six suggestions here.

• Should the city have seen the convoy coming and been better prepared?

We have heard repeatedly from people, mystified and frustrated, about what they perceived to be poor intelligence gathering and inadequate preparation for the convoy, given that it was apparent on social media, well in advance of the first trucks arriving, that they intended to dig in for a long and disruptive stay.  How can that be improved?

• How could an assessment of the human rights impact of the convoy have been carried out?

Many people have told us that it was particularly painful to hear their concerns given short shrift by police, officials and media, who described the protest as largely “peaceful”. It felt as if the human rights abuses they were experiencing meant nothing. And what of the consequences for businesses that were not able to operate? What needs to be done to ensure that human rights impact is comprehensively measured and meaningfully assessed?

• What should have been done to better ensure that those communities that were most vulnerable during the occupation received the support they required?

Indisputably, not everyone faced the same hardship during the occupation.  We have heard accounts from people with disabilities and people who are homeless or living in precarious housing, for instance, about the grave difficulties and abuse they faced. On the other hand, people with enough money were able to escape the hardship and live with family or friends in other neighbourhoods. What must be done to better protect the rights of vulnerable communities in the city?

• How could information have been more effectively and reliably shared with neighbourhoods bearing the brunt of the occupation?

So many people we have heard from describe a communications vacuum in terms of being provided with meaningful information about what was happening in their neighbourhoods and what was being done to address the problems that were arising. While police may need to be circumspect about the details of their operations, people have a right to timely information about circumstances impacting their rights. How can that be better addressed?

• Are the police fit for purpose when it comes to protecting Ottawa residents from the type of human rights abuses committed by protesters?

Other than supporters of the convoy, no one who has testified or made submissions to us has praised the police response to the convoy. They have described police failing or even refusing to intervene when incidents of harassment, vandalization or abuse were occurring or were reported to them. One witness told us she watched police officers walking in groups and simply looking the other way. Did police understand the important obligations they have to protect the rights of people living and working in Centretown, Lowertown, Overbrook, Vanier and other affected neighbourhoods? What does this tell us about how policing in Ottawa needs to change?

• Does the city need a human rights code?

So much of what people are concerned about with respect to the actions of convoy participants and the response of police and public officials comes down to human rights. The city has a range of plans and strategies dealing with specific human rights issues but lacks an overarching code that lays out the scope and nature of the human rights obligations that must guide all municipal policy-setting, decision-making and action. Do we need one?

There is much to discuss with candidates in the coming days. Learning from the Convoy Occupation and committing to do better next time must be high on everyone’s agenda.

* Originally published as an Opinion Piece in the Ottawa Citizen on October 11, 2022. 

**Commissioners of the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation.  To learn more about the Commission go to www.opc-cpo.ca.