A “wide variety” of witnesses are expected to testify through Oct. 28, the Public Order Emergency Committee said in a press release Monday. Protesters, police officials, officials from federal, provincial and municipal governments, businesses and people affected by the protests are expected to testify about the events that led Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke the Emergency Act for the first time in his history Canada. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson will appear before the commission, his office confirmed. From late January to February 19, protesters in downtown Ottawa rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking the streets with trucks and other vehicles. Other blockades were in place at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., to Detroit and the U.S. border crossing at Coutts, Alta. On February 14, Trudeau invoked the emergency law that gives authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. The invocation of the act also allowed officers from outside Ontario to participate in operations to end protests. The act was revoked on February 23 after police successfully cleared Ottawa’s streets. By law, an investigation into the use of the deed must be conducted within 60 days of the revocation of the declaration.

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Former Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Rouleau is leading the commission, which will hear testimony and make recommendations on possible changes to the law and how to “prevent these events from happening again,” according to the government’s release announced the committee in April. “The committee will examine and assess the basis for the government’s decision to declare a public order emergency, the circumstances that led to the declaration and the appropriateness and effectiveness of the measures chosen by the government to deal with the then existing situation ». states the mandate document posted on the committee’s website. The government’s decision to activate the act has come under scrutiny elsewhere and led to a legal challenge from the Canadian Civil Liberties Union. A special joint committee of seven congressmen and four senators began examining the use of the emergency law in March. The city of Ottawa’s auditor general is looking into how the city responded to the crisis and the impact the protests had on residents. An independent Ottawa People’s Commission on the convoy protests has also been launched, with organizers saying they don’t feel government hearings and investigations have gone far enough. Public Security Minister Marco Medicino’s office again defended the decision to invoke the act last week, saying “the situation remained volatile and the threat of future blockades remained.” The public inquiry will be held at Library and Archives Canada, located at one end of the section of Wellington Street that was lined with trucks and other vehicles during the protests.
“I intend to conduct the hearings in as open and transparent a manner as possible to help Canadians better understand the events of February 2022 and their impact across the country,” Rouleau said in the commission’s announcement. The survey will also be streamed live. Details on how members of the public will be able to share their views during the process are expected soon, the commission added.