The File
Canada invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in its history on February 14, 2022, in response to the Freedom Convoy protests that had entrenched themselves in Ottawa for three weeks. The Public Order Emergency Commission, led by Commissioner Paul Rouleau, found the threshold to invoke the Act was met and the decision appropriate, while issuing 56 recommendations.
The Documented Record
February 14, 2022: The federal government proclaimed a Public Order Emergency, invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time since it replaced the War Measures Act. [DOCUMENTED]
The proclamation responded to a series of protests across the country, centered on the Freedom Convoy, a loosely organized collection of groups that traveled to Ottawa and entrenched itself there for three weeks demanding changes to government policy. [DOCUMENTED]
February 17, 2023: Commissioner Paul Rouleau released the Report of the Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency, spanning five volumes. [DOCUMENTED]
The Commission's Final Report found that the threshold to invoke the Emergencies Act was met and that the decision was appropriate, and it issued 56 recommendations. [DOCUMENTED]
March 2024: Minister Dominic LeBlanc released the Government of Canada's formal response to the Commission's recommendations. [DOCUMENTED]
What the Record Does Not Establish
The Commission found that the threshold for invoking the Emergencies Act was met. Separately, the Federal Court later found the invocation unreasonable and outside the legal constraints of the Act, a ruling the government appealed. These are distinct records: one is the public inquiry finding, the other is subsequent judicial review.
Sources
- Report of the Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency, Public Order Emergency Commission, 2023
- Report of the Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency, official catalogue entry, Government of Canada
- Government of Canada Response to the Public Order Emergency Commission's Report, Public Safety Canada, 2024
- Statement from Minister LeBlanc, Government of Canada, 2024
- Statement by the Prime Minister on POEC report
- Federal Court Ruling on the Invocation of the Emergencies Act and Appeal, Public Safety Canada
Connected Files
RVLT-001 and RVLT-002 document comparable European protest movements arising from distinct policy grievances.