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By: Michael Kempa. (Version française disponible ici) The report of the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) provides the framework for bringing Canada’s long-ailing policing system back from its collapse under the weight of the 2022 occupation of Ottawa. It should be read and implemented conjointly with the compatible details furnished by the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission (MCC). Both reports – dropped within six weeks of one another earlier this year – address two essential fault lines in Canadian policing that produced not only these failures but also a half century of policing b ..read more

By: Vanessa MacDonnell and Eric Champagne. (Version française disponible ici) In February 2022, the federal government declared a controversial national state of emergency after a convoy of protesters from across the country blocked access to downtown Ottawa and key border crossings in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta. While the “spark” for the protests was opposition to vaccine mandates, there was evidence that some of the protesters were connected to right-wing extremist groups, and there were reports of racism, sexism and homophobia associated with the convoy. There were also concerns th ..read more

By: Nomi Claire Lazar. (Version française disponible ici) Last February, the federal government used the Emergencies Act for the first time, ending the convoy crisis that had paralyzed Ottawa for weeks. That action led Canadians to debate how well the act worked and whether the rule of law was respected in the process. But Canada sits at a critical juncture regarding emergencies and we would be remiss to restrict our attention to future public order crises that might repeat past singular events. Climate change is already causing layered, multijurisdictional crises, the shape and rhythm of whi ..read more

By: Vanessa MacDonnell. (Version française disponible ici) In late March, Joe Biden made his first trip to Canada as president of the United States. His speech to the House of Commons emphasized the importance of the Canada-U.S. relationship, noting that the countries’ interests are “fundamentally aligned.” In a joint statement issued at the end of the trip, Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made several commitments on issues of shared concern, the most controversial of which were measures to clamp down on refugee flows at unofficial border crossings. The visit was a reminder of how clo ..read more

By: Carissima Mathen. (Version française disponible ici) Three weeks into the ongoing occupation in Ottawa last year, the federal cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time. The government passed a series of measures, including one which made it a crime to participate in public assemblies that might lead to a “breach of the peace.” That measure has been attacked as violating protesters’ right to peaceful assembly protected under Section 2(c) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In the Rouleau report, a commission of inquiry concluded that the use of the act was appropri ..read more

By: Eric Champagne. (Version française disponible ici) In early 2022, the capital of a G7 country was paralyzed by a few hundred protesters who arrived with their trucks. Ottawa was under siege, and the federal, provincial and municipal governments seemed completely overwhelmed.  How could this happen, and what lessons in governance can we learn from the public authorities’ response to the “Freedom Convoy”? The findings of the Public Order Emergency Commission, chaired by Commissioner Paul Rouleau, suggest some possible remedies to strengthen governance mechanisms so that our government ..read more

By: Eric Champagne. (Version française disponible ici) The federal Emergencies Act lay dormant for nearly 34 years until the convoy protests rolled into Ottawa and other Canadian cities and border points in the winter of 2022, paralyzing trade for several days and the heart of the national capital for several weeks. The movement started as a protest against vaccine mandates related to COVID-19, and soon morphed into a general anti-government manifestation. It became the first stress test of the Canada’s Emergencies law.   Local authorities in Ottawa appeared powerless to break up the pro ..read more

By: Mark Winfield. The most recent federal budget reinforced the focus on electrification of transportation, building heating and industrial activities to meet Canada’s climate change targets and obligations. The situation has led to suggestions that there may be a need to double or triple production to meet increased demand for electricity. At the same time, provincial electricity utilities and system operators have only begun to consider their implications.      Ontario finds itself in the strange position of being, in many ways, the furthest ahead among the provinc ..read more

By: Brigit Carroll. Canada must act swiftly to remain on track with modernizing its financial sector policies that affect how consumers make payments. Other countries are adopting fintech innovation at a much faster pace, leaving Canadians with limited consumer choice and competition among financial service providers compared with other parts of the world. This is largely due to the Canadian market being long dominated by an oligopoly that has a strong hold on the movement of money.  Canada’s big six banks control nearly 90 per cent of the country’s banking assets, which dictates how mon ..read more