Alberta received no federal help to deal with border blockade last winter

Alberta received no help from Ottawa to clear protesters blockading the main border crossing with the United States until after the crisis had passed, a public inquiry investigating the federal use of the Emergencies Act heard Thursday.

Alberta received no help from Ottawa to clear protesters blockading the main border crossing with the United States until after the crisis had passed, a public inquiry investigating the federal use of the Emergencies Act heard Thursday.

And a provincial minister accused his federal counterpart of lying about the role the state of emergency played in ending the blockade in Coutts, Alta.

A convoy of 1,000 vehicles of all types drove to the small border town on Jan. 29 to protest provincial and federal COVID-19 health restrictions, blocking the highway in both directions.

The Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, the same day RCMP in Alberta moved in to arrest protesters in Coutts. The prime minister argued the temporary and extraordinary powers were needed to end blockades in Ottawa and at border crossings.

A public inquiry, known as the Public Order Emergency Commission, is now tasked with determining whether the government was justified in triggering the legislation, which had never been used since it became law in 1988.

On Thursday text messages released by the inquiry revealed that Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver accused federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair of lying about whether the Emergencies Act was used to clear the blockade.

On Feb. 21, Blair texted McIver to tell him that the Emergencies Act was effective at addressing "the tow truck issue."