Ford declares state of emergency

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Friday morning, Feb. 11, announced he was declaring a provincial state of emergency and that emergency orders would follow to break the “siege” of Ottawa by anti-COVID mandate protesters and the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit.

He said those temporary orders, with fines of up to $100,000 for non-compliance, would soon be followed by legislation to permanently outlaw the blockading of infrastructure vital to business and trade, including bridges, 400-series highways, ports, airports and public transit.

He supported the right to peacefully protest, he said, but that had limits.