Public Order Emergency Commission – November 21, 2022

The Public Order Emergency Commission begins its final week of hearings in Ottawa. David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, testifies alongside Michelle Tessier and Marie-Hélène Chayer, two other CSIS officials. Also appearing before the commission is Bill Blair, the federal minister of emergency preparedness. Led by Paul Rouleau, the commission is studying the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in February 2022 to declare a public order emergency. The declaration of emergency came in response to protests, at a number of Canada–U.S. border crossings and in downtown Ottawa, opposing the government’s COVID-19 public-health measures. The Emergencies Act requires an inquiry to be held following any declaration of emergency, with the mandate of examining both the circumstances of the declaration and the measures taken under it.

Please note: Video with ASL sign language interpretation is available at https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/