Summary
Thousands of protestors, primarily affiliated with the trucking industry, have occupied sections of downtown Ottawa since January 29 in protest of the country’s vaccine mandates for essential workers engaged in cross-border commerce. The mayor declared a state of emergency on February 6, in response to reports of threatening behavior towards residents and blockages of public roads. This report provides an overview of the COVID-19 landscape in Canada, the ongoing protest situation in Ottawa, and resources for private-sector organizations operating in the area.
COVID-19 in Canada and Vaccine Mandates
Canada is currently reporting 182,477 active cases of COVID-19 throughout the country, with the highest numbers of active cases concentrated in the higher population provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia. As in much of the world, Canada experienced a notable spike in case numbers as the Omicron variant became dominant in the winter holiday season, although it has trended downward since mid-January. In order to control the spread of the virus, Canada has implemented strict restrictions on travel into the country throughout the pandemic, requiring that non-essential foreign travelers entering the country be fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, and that Canadian nationals comply with quarantine and testing requirements. As of February 6, roughly 30 million Canadians are fully vaccinated, representing about 80% of the total population of the country.
On January 15, the country announced that it would require certain classes of essential workers, including truck drivers, that had previously been exempt from some restrictions to comply with vaccine, testing, and quarantine requirements. Unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers entering the country will not be denied entry, but must comply with pre-entry and quarantine requirements. The final decision regarding entry and quarantine is made by a government representative at the port of entry, based on the information presented to them at the time; those that must quarantine are given a self-test kit to use on day 8 of their 14-day quarantine.
As of January 15, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated foreign-national truck drivers coming into Canada will be directed back into the United States. To qualify as fully vaccinated, travelers must have received at least two doses or a mix of two doses from the list of approved vaccines, or at least one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The second dose of the vaccine must have been administered at least 14 days prior to attempted entry into Canada.
All travelers, regardless of vaccination status, are required to enter information regarding their vaccination status, testing, and quarantine plans into the ArriveCAN platform at least 72 hours prior to entry into Canada.
Protests in Ottawa
On January 29, a group of protestors referring to themselves as the “Freedom Convoy” took control of several blocks of downtown Ottawa, centered on the areas surrounding Parliament Hill and City Hall. An initial estimated 8,000 people began demonstrating in the protests in its first weekend; following a dwindling in numbers over the course of the week, numbers of participants surged again during the weekend of February 5 and 6. While the gathering ostensibly targeted the expansion of vaccine mandates, protestors now allege that they will not lift their occupation of the downtown areas until all federal COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
At the time of this report’s writing, large sections of the city’s downtown core remain inaccessible due to the large numbers of trucks and pedestrians blocking street traffic. Protestors also built temporary encampments and a supply staging area in Confederation Park, located in front of City Hall, which was later relocated to the parking lot of the RCGT Park in East Ottawa.
Many businesses in Downtown Ottawa are currently closed or operating at reduced hours due to the protests. The city’s government declared a state of emergency on Sunday, and security forces have focused their efforts on denying fuel from entering the protest zones and ticketing protestors engaging in property damage and other disruptive behavior. In response to reports that Freedom Convoy members have ties to far-right organizations, the Ottawa city government established a hotline for reporting hate crimes; it has reportedly received over 200 calls since its establishment, which have included allegations of harassment against workers and patrons of a homeless shelter and of residents displaying LGBTI pride flags at their homes.
Private-Sector Impact
Demonstrations occur frequently in Canada, and are quite common in Ottawa due to its status as the national capital. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right to protest, as well as the rights of freedom of conscience and religion, expression, association, and peaceful assembly—law enforcement officers are generally present at protests to ensure lawful behavior, but violent conflicts are generally rare.
Canadian authorities currently recommend that travelers avoid downtown Ottawa due to the ongoing blockades of roads and the potential for the situation to devolve into violence. While the Canadian military has not yet intervened in the situation, recent operations by Canadian police show an increasing willingness for security forces to confront the protestors. Private-sector organizations operating in the city should prepare for continued inaccessibility of downtown areas near government buildings in the near term and avoid unnecessary travel through the area. Travelers should be aware of allegations of identity-targeted crimes committed by protestors on the basis of race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.
- For more information on maintaining security during protests, see OSAC’s report Surviving a Protest.
Associations representing the trucking industry in Canada have been quick to point out that they support the health mandates and do not condone the ongoing events; as such, should protests spread to other locations in Canada, it would not necessarily involve those from within the industry. The protests in Ottawa have received monetary and social media support from far-right groups across the globe; reports indicate that Facebook groups have been established to organize Freedom Convoy-inspired protests in other locations, including the U.S. Private-sector organizations should continue to monitor rhetoric surrounding the Ottawa protests’ potential to inspire demonstrations in other locations. Protest activity in other locations in Canada have led to major transportation delays, including a blockade of the international border crossing between Detroit and Windsor.
Additional Information
For more information on the security environment in Mexico and across Latin America, contact OSAC’s Americas team.
- OSAC Country Page: Canada
- OSAC Country Security Report: Canada
The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State or any affiliated organization(s). Nor have these opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This product is unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 12958. OSAC’s full disclaimer and copyright policy is available on our site at OSAC.gov/About/Disclaimer.
