Emergencies Act: What's next for Ottawa?

As the Freedom Convoy protest enters its 19th day, it comes amid new federal powers granted by the Emergencies Act; however, it's presently unclear how these new powers will be used by the Ottawa Police Service.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the act—a first in Canadian history—on Monday. The move enables the RCMP to enforce municipal bylaws and provincial offences and prohibits taking part in a public assembly where it’s considered a breach of peace and goes beyond lawful protest, among other measures.

However, it's presently unclear how these new powers will be used by the Ottawa Police Service, which remains the police service of jurisdiction in Ottawa. The Emergencies Act does not make the RCMP the lead agency, nor does it bring in the military.

The Ottawa Police Service did not make any public comments Monday evening on the invocation of the act. A special Ottawa Police Services Board meeting is scheduled to take place today at 10:30 a.m. to address the ongoing situation downtown.

Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly has said during other emergency declarations that the Ottawa Police Service lacks the resources to fully deal with the protest downtown. Last week, the city appealed to the federal and provincial governments for 1,800 additional police officers, including 100 civilian members, to help bolster the ranks. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the federal government has sent "three installments of reinforcements" to ensure OPS has the support they need.