Public consultations begin in audit of city of Ottawa response to convoy protest

Ottawa residents gather outside Ottawa Police Headquarters on Elgin Street, calling on police to end the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration near Parliament Hill. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)

Citizens of Ottawa are weighing in this week on the city of Ottawa’s response to the “Freedom Convoy” occupation last winter, as the city's auditor general looks into the issue.

The first of two days of public consultations takes place Tuesday, with a Zoom meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. A second public consultation will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents can also submit a survey by July 31.

Details on how to participate can be found on the auditor general's website.

Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon tells CTV News Ottawa that her office’s audits don’t typically hold consultations of this nature, but the convoy protest was unique.

“I felt we would be remiss if we didn’t reach out to the public … to gain an understanding of how they may have been impacted during the demonstration and how and in which way city services and programs could be improved,” Gougeon said.

She said her office has not yet determined the scope of the audit into the convoy response, but it will look at both the city of Ottawa’s and the Ottawa Police Service’s actions during the demonstration.

“What we’re trying to get out of these sessions today and tomorrow is that we’re hoping to have constructive sessions that will help us further clarify the key areas that we should be focusing our audit work on,” she said.

The “Freedom Convoy” protest rolled into Ottawa on Jan. 29 with thousands of people the first weekend. However, once the weekend was over, a core group of demonstrators remained behind and used heavy trucks and disabled vehicles to block city streets. City officials and the police were roundly criticized for an apparent failure to act and it would not be until after the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act—several weeks later—that the protesters would be removed.

The AG’s office has been working with city and police staff to gather information and conduct interviews. It has also been coordinating with the multiple federal reviews into the convoy and its aftermath, including the Public Order Emergency Commission, to avoid duplication of efforts.

A timeline for the audit has yet to be established, but Gougeon says she is committed to a thorough investigation.

“I would anticipate that our field work would be done sometime in the fall and we would report in the winter timeframe, once the new council is assembled,” she explained.

Join us tonight at 5:00pm to hear about the experiences of City of #Ottawa residents and business owners and how they were impacted by the convoy protest. https://t.co/hWLa0BbNGk#ottnews #OAG #publicconsultation

— Office of the Auditor General - City of Ottawa (@oagottawa) July 12, 2022