Towing industry concerned for safety, business if told to help under legislation

Associations representing the towing industry in Ontario and Alberta say expecting operators to clear blockades under the Emergencies Act is easier said than done.

Associations representing the towing industry in Ontario and Alberta say expecting operators to clear blockades under the Emergencies Act is easier said than done.

Mark Graves, president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, says demanding private companies remove trucks is a massive undertaking and the government needs to first show it will protect the industry from threats to safety and business.

“This is all about the protection of our employees,” Graves said during a phone interview.

“We have our members and companies asking us what their rights are. And we're telling everybody once we have written documentation, then we'll look at that and get back to everybody. But right now we don't know anything.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since it came into force in 1988.

One of the extraordinary powers that law enforcement now has is the ability to demand towing companies either help police remove vehicles from blockades when asked, or police could seize their tow trucks to remove the vehicles themselves.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told a news conference Tuesday that the blockades are “driven by an ideology to overthrow the government” and there are elements within them that pose a serious threat to safety.