'Sense of relief' in Ottawa, but police efforts are not over, mayor says

The current state of Ottawa's Wellington Street may be unrecognizable compared to what it looked like just three days ago, but the city's mayor says law enforcement efforts to clear the downtown core remain ongoing.

“There is a sense of relief, but it's not over,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told CTV News Channel on Monday. “We still have to make sure that these pockets of people that want to get in and reclaim Wellington Street do not happen and that's why we have to abide by the sage advice of our police officers.”

According to Watson, some of the protesters operating larger rigs involved in the demonstrations are still parked outside Ottawa’s jurisdiction, and regrouping in an effort to return.

“The police have to be very cautious, not claim full victory quite yet, and not open the streets fully until we have confidence that these people cannot come back in,” Watson said. “And if they are on their way here, how do we stop them well away from Parliament Hill and our central core?”

With businesses cleared to reopen and light rail transit service resuming, there are signs that daily life is returning to normal in Ottawa’s downtown core. However, the area between Elgin, Bay, Wellington and Queen streets remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians. A “secured area" has also been created to limit traffic flow into the area of the Queensway, Wellington Street, Bronson Avenue and the Rideau Canal.