The province of Ontario has invoked a state of emergency and says it will use the threat of hefty fines, jail time and vehicle licence seizures to end a blockade that has crippled trade between Canada and the United States.
Border traffic at the Ambassador Bridge, which links Windsor to Detroit, has been shut down since Monday as part of a nationwide protest against pandemic restrictions, snarling nearly C$300m (US$235m) of trade each day.
On Friday afternoon a court granted the city of Windsor an injunction to forcibly remove protesters from the international bridge. Mayor Drew Dilkens has called the blockade “a national crisis” and officials in the US have grown impatient with the stalemate. The injunction was due to come into effect at 7pm in order to give protestors time to leave.
The ruling came after the Ontario premier, Doug Ford, announced the province’s plan to combat the “disruption, intimidation, and chaos” of protests that have paralyzed the country’s most critical trade route. “There will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe,” he said.
He also called on protesters to end a “siege” of Ottawa that has dragged on for more than two weeks, saying they were effectively holding residents of the city hostage.
“It’s time to leave. And it’s time to do so peacefully.”
Penalties for blocking key routes, including bridges and highways, would include fines as high as C$100,000 and up to a year in jail, Ford said.
Justin Trudeau described the measures announced by Ford as “responsible and necessary”, adding that his government was looking at various options to end the blockade.
“Everything is on the table because this unlawful activity has to end, and it will end,” the prime minister told reporters Friday.
Trudeau said officials were worried about the prospect of violence but said that bringing in the military was a last resort. “We’re taking every precaution to keep people safe, but the absolute safest way for this to end is for everyone to return to your communities, now.”
The prime minister also promised Joe Biden quick action to end a crisis that has disrupted North America’s auto industry.
Adding to earlier calls for action by US officials and business leaders, the US president expressed concerns over auto plant closures and production slowdowns during a phone call with Trudeau on Friday, the White House said in a statement.
“The two leaders agreed that the actions of the individuals who are obstructing travel and commerce between our two countries are having significant direct impacts on citizens’ lives and livelihoods,” the statement said.
The US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, urged their Canadian counterparts “to use federal powers to resolve this situation at our joint border”, a White House official said on Thursday.
Ahead of Ford’s announcement, protesters opened one lane of the bridge to allow traffic through. But as the delays ripple through the economy, a number of automakers, some of the largest employers in the region, have been forced to scale back production.
“Today, the best advice I have for people illegally blocking the Ambassador Bridge is to GO HOME,” tweeted Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. “The immeasurable damage you have SELFISHLY done to [Canada] will be shouldered by your fellow citizens who will be talking about you for the next 30 years. ‘I lost my job for your stunt.’”
Friday’s announcement by Ford, leader of the Progress Conservative party of Ontario, marks his government’s second legal action against protesters and their truck blockades. Earlier this week, his government obtained a court order to freeze any donations meant for the protesters raised through GiveSendGo, using a provision of Canada’s criminal code includes a clause that allows funds outside the country to be frozen. On Thursday, the American online fundraising platform claimed that Canada had “absolutely ZERO jurisdiction” over how the company managed its funds.
Ford’s declaration of a state of emergency in the province follows a similar declaration by the city of Ottawa last week, and comes in sharp contrast to federal Conservatives, who previously cheered on the protesters but have started backtracking their support.
On Thursday, however, the interim Conservative leader, Candice Bergen, called on protesters to dismantle their blockades and return home.
Bergen had previously described the convoy as a “passionate, patriotic and peaceful” group of Canadians concerned about freedom at a time of Covid-19 restrictions, posing for pictures with protesters.
Trudeau met with opposition leaders Thursday night, but he has so far ruled out meeting with the protesters, who have called for pandemic health measures like vaccine and mask mandates to be fully repealed.
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have scaled back their public health restrictions in recent days and Ontario has indicated it too might rescind certain rules.
But Ford said any decision will be made based on consultations with the province’s health officials, rejecting the notion that the protests have played a role.
“I will never ever negotiate with people that break the law,” he said.
Reuters contributed to this report
