Testimony from Centretown, Lowertown residents on convoy occupation
OTTAWA (Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022) — The Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation will hold its first public hearings on Wednesday, Sept. 21 and Thursday, Sept. 22 at community centres in Centretown and Lowertown. These hearings will launch a series of in-person and online events over the next three months that will give community members — including downtown residents, business owners, service providers and others, including supporters of the convoy’s aims or actions — a chance to share their experiences and perspectives on the trucker blockade that paralyzed parts of the national capital for three weeks last winter.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21: McNabb Community Centre, 180 Percy Street, 2-4 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 22: Le Patro d’Ottawa, 40 Cobourg Street, 7-9 p.m.
Interpretation to English and French will be available.
Media protocols
- Media personnel are asked to arrive 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.
- To promote public health and respect those at greater risk, all attendees are expected to wear masks.
- OPC staff and volunteers will be available to assist journalists seeking interviews and background information. Media are asked to follow instructions and act in a respectful manner.
- All community members appearing before the Commission were required to register through the Commission’s website, opc-cpo.ca, and to provide verifying information ahead of their scheduled appearance.
- To ensure a safe space during hearings and the personal security of those sharing their stories, the Commissioners have agreed to accommodate some speakers who have asked that their full identities be withheld. We ask that members of the media attending the hearings respect these arrangements. Statements given at the hearings are on the public record.
- The Commissioners will gather testimony through both in-person and online public gatherings between September and December at times to be confirmed. Special consultations with affected communities will also take place. As well, the Commission will hold separate sessions for local residents who supported the aims or actions of those involved in the convoy occupation. Written submissions are also being accepted through the commission’s website, opc-cpo.ca
For more information visit opc-cpo.ca or contact:
Gaëlle Muderi, OPC project coordinator — [email protected] or 343-451-6352
Randy Boswell, OPC communications coordinator — [email protected] or 613-868-8447
Tim McSorley, French-language media contact — [email protected] or 613-608-9917
