State of emergency lifted in Windsor, Ont., following blockades
Published February 24, 2022 at 12:27 pm
WINDSOR, Ont. — The mayor of Windsor, Ont., has lifted a state of emergency enacted after a convoy of protesters opposed to COVID-19 measures blocked the Ambassador Bridge border crossing.
Drew Dilkens says the “immediate threat has been cleared” and goods have now been travelling across the border “unimpeded” for more than a week.
Protesters congregated at the foot of the bridge – one of the busiest border crossings in North America, which accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars in trade every day – on Feb. 7, blocking traffic, and they remained there for nearly a week.
Their blockade was one of several across Canada in solidarity with protesters who set up camp in Ottawa for three weeks in what politicians described as an illegal occupation.
Dilkens’ move comes a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revoked the Emergencies Act, used to grant police extra powers to clear out the Ottawa protesters, and Premier Doug Ford lifted a provincial state of emergency.
The mayor also says the city will make a formal request to provincial and federal governments for “financial support to cover all costs associated with clearing the illegal occupation” and securing a major road connecting to the bridge.
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“It would be unreasonable to expect the citizens of Windsor to shoulder the costs associated with this national security operation on our own,” Dilkens said in a written statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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