Ottawa, February 14: Mayor Jim Watson says an agreement has been reached with the president of the “Freedom Convoy” demonstration to remove trucks out of residential neighbourhoods starting Monday.
The 17-day demonstration against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures has gridlocked the downtown core, closing roads, businesses, the Rideau Centre and a COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
The Mayor’s Office told councillors Sunday afternoon that an agreement was reached through “backchannel negotiations” this weekend for vehicles to exit residential streets in the coming days. Watson asked organizers to limit the perimeter of the demonstration to Wellington Street, between Elgin Street and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.
In a letter to Mayor Watson on Saturday, “Freedom Convoy” president Tamara Lich said organizers are working to get “buy-in” from the truckers.”
“We have made a plan to consolidate our protest efforts around Parliament Hill,” Lich said, telling Watson the Freedom Convoy Board agreed with his request to reduce pressure on residents and businesses.
“We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get buy-in from the truckers. We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.”
Watson’s offer to meet with the protesters if they move all the vehicles to Wellington Street is an about-face for the mayor. Last week, he said that he would only meet with the protesters “the minute they clear out the downtown.”
The mayor sent a letter to Lich on Saturday, saying residents “are exhausted and on edge, and our small businesses impacted by your blockades are teetering on the brink of closure.”
Watson says he wants to see “clear evidence” that the truck convoy will be departing residential streets before 12 p.m. Monday. The mayor says he will meet with Lich and the organizers to discuss their concerns if they meet three conditions.
1. Remove all trucks from the residential districts south of Wellington Street, and from all other residential areas including the market, the Ottawa Baseball Stadium on Coventry, etc.;
2. Agree to not backfill the residential areas currently occupied with trucks, other vehicles and/or demonstrators; and
3. Agree to not displace the truck convoy, vehicles and/or demonstrators to other residential areas in the City of Ottawa.
“We’re not giving them any deals, we’re not giving them any special treatment. If they have tickets they have to pay tickets,” Watson said.
“At least for the foreseeable future when this issue is over at least some of those people in Centretown can have their streets and sidewalks back.”
The mayor acknowledged there will be criticism for agreeing to negotiate with organizers that have led an occupation of downtown streets.
“This is a completely unique crisis that our city is facing,” Watson said.
“There will always be criticism for new ideas; the bottom line is the people in these downtown urban communities need some help and need a reprieve from the horror and the hell that they’ve been through.”
The “Freedom Convoy” demonstration arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 29 to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other public health measures. Trucks and vehicles have been parked on Wellington Street and roads around Parliament Hill since the protest began 17 days ago.
Residents have complained about horn honking, fireworks, loud music and harassment in residential areas around the demonstration zone. A stage with a giant TV screen has been set up on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, while a DJ truck is parked at Rideau and Sussex Drive. Demonstrators have set up barbecues, tents, a hot tub and a bouncy castle in the area during the demonstration.
Last week, an Ontario Superior Court judge agreed to an injunction to stop the horn honking as part of a class-action lawsuit filed by a Centretown resident.
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