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The City of Ottawa is working in lockstep with the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and all other partners to ensure that the safety of our residents is maintained during the anticipated demonstration involving a large convoy of trucks.
As a member of Ottawa Police Services Board, I along with my colleagues received an operational briefing from the Police Service concerning this demonstration.
Emergency services throughout the City will be deployed and focused on ensuring that the safety of the public is maintained and that dedicated lanes are kept cleared for emergency vehicles.
If possible, residents should avoid unnecessary travel through or into the downtown core as early as Friday, January 28, going into Sunday, January 30, with the largest impact being Saturday, January 29. There is a possibility that disruptions may extend beyond Sunday. If you do travel, plan ahead and expect significant delays.
Pedestrians and cyclists should be aware that there will be a significant heavy truck presence on roads and they should exercise caution.
It’s anticipated the demonstrators will arrive in the area around Parliament Hill on Saturday. However, impacts will be felt as the demonstrators make their way to this destination on roadways and highways across the city.
A convoy estimated at 2,000 trucks is anticipated. Currently the rally is expected to be concentrated in the downtown core but there could be traffic back-ups along Montreal Road, Beechwood and the Vanier Parkway. These could cause serious delays and other disruptions that might affect businesses on Saturday and throughout the weekend.
Because this will be a significant and extremely fluid situation, the City is working with the lead partner, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), to keep the public informed on city-wide traffic and transit over the weekend through media and electronic forms of communication, including the City's Web site and social media channels.
Residents in close proximity to Rideau Hall can expect security measures to be implemented. “Road closed” barricades have been installed alongside Princess Avenue at Lisgar Road and at Princess Circle, so there could be closures along this connecting roadway near the backgate to the Governor General’s residence over the weekend. Other closures near Rideau Hall might be considered by the Police, if necessary.
