On anniversary of Trudeau's invocation of Emergencies Act, anticipation builds for release of commission report

On the one-year anniversary of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's invocation of the Emergencies Act, anticipation is building for the release of the national inquiry's report into the historic series of events surrounding the powers used to end 'Freedom Convoy' Ottawa occupation and Canada-U.S. border blockades.

On the one-year anniversary of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's invocation of the Emergencies Act, anticipation is building for the release of the national inquiry's report into the historic series of events surrounding the powers used to end "Freedom Convoy" Ottawa occupation and Canada-U.S. border blockades.

So far, the occasion is being marked in a muted way on Parliament Hill, where Wellington Street remains closed to vehicle traffic and is devoid of "Freedom Convoy" protesters, a marked change from this time last year when the street was jammed with transport trucks, inflatables, and numerous anti-Trudeau and anti-vaccine signs.

"I think it's important to acknowledge not only because it was a significant event in Canada, but also because… in a week we're going to get some answers from the Commission … after what I think was a fairly thorough independent review, what that body has determined," said Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) Director Cara Zwibel on Tuesday.

Zwibel, who played a leading role for the CCLA during the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) and is continuing to fight the federal government's use of the Act in court, called it a "sad anniversary for Canada," and said the CCLA "anxiously await" the release of the POEC's report on Monday, Feb. 20.

On Feb. 14, 2022, Trudeau made history in enacting the Emergencies Act and declaring a national public order emergency. The invocation allowed the federal government to enact wide-sweeping but temporary powers to help officials crack down on protesters’ access to funds, grant the RCMP jurisdiction to enforce local laws, designate critical infrastructure and services, and impose fines and imprisonment on participants who refused to leave the protest zone.

The invocation of the Act prompted the launch of the Public Order Emergency Commission, which seized federal attention this fall as it examined the "appropriateness and effectiveness" of the measures taken by the government in its deployment of unprecedented national powers. 

After six weeks, more than 70 witnesses including key convoy organizers as well as Trudeau and his top advisers, and the submission of more than 7,000 documents into evidence, the public hearing portion of the commission's work wrapped up in late November 2022.