The federal government in Ottawa has announced that it is lifting the emergency powers it enacted more than a week ago to get the trucker protests under control.
At a news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the unprecedented authority wielded through the Emergencies Act is no longer needed.
Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party invoked the never-before-used Emergencies Act after hundreds of truckers blockaded downtown Ottawa for three weeks. The demonstrations in Ottawa sparked offshoots that shut down key U.S. border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.
The legislation gave authorities financial tools to cut off funding to the protesters and compel towing firms to clear out the vehicles, among other measures. Canadian banks froze about a total of $7.8 million in more than 200 accounts under the emergency powers.
The Government of Ontario government also said that the provincial state of emergency will also be lifted shortly.
Over the weekend, a large deployment of police sourced from around the country cleared Ottawa’s downtown streets of vehicles and protesters, although some demonstrators have now relocated to encampments outside the city.
Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said banks have already started the process of unfreezing bank accounts now that the blockades are over but added some bank accounts could stay frozen under court orders not related to the emergency powers.
Ottawa city council estimates that policing and managing the three week occupation will cost taxpayers $30 million. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has said the city will seek to recoup the costs from the provincial and federal governments.
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