Police walk the line to remove all truckers and supporters in Windsor, Ont., Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
OTTAWA – The mayor of Windsor, Ont. says he alerted the federal public safety minister about a potential blockade at the busy Ambassador Bridge border crossing as soon as he first got wind of it in early February.
Mayor Drew Dilkens is testifying today at a public inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to clear “Freedom Convoy'” protesters blockading streets around Parliament Hill and several border crossings.
Dilkens says protesters began “slow-roll” convoys along the main road to the Ambassador Bridge in late January.
The Canada Border Services Agency warned the City of Windsor the agency might have to block the bridge for safety reasons as the number of protesters grew.
Dilkens says he passed that news along to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino in a text message on Feb. 4.
By the evening of Feb. 7, the bridge was completely blocked as protesters set up a camp and declared they would not leave.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2022.
