Reporters covering ‘Freedom Convoy’ in Ottawa describe safety concerns, intimidation following intense week downtown
Parliamentary Press Gallery and local Ottawa media members who have been covering the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest that’s taken over one of Canada’s most famous streets for more than a week have contended with intimidation and harassment and a “pretty intense anti-media sentiment” since downtown Ottawa has been besieged by the protest since Jan. 28, say […]
New chair of House LTVP working group aims to boost project awareness
The new chair at the helm of the MP working group overseeing plans to renovate the Parliamentary Precinct says he’s looking to do more to ensure people across Canada are aware of the massive and “complicated” project being undertaken. “I’m still being informed of the whole process but I think this is a Canadian project […]
Navigating the new normal: hybrid sittings bring pros, cons for Parliamentarians with disabilities
Though some may decry its continuation, as politicians settle into another winter sitting of a hybrid House and Senate, Parliamentarians with disabilities say the ability to conduct business via video has opened doors—but also introduced some new hurdles. The experience can be overstimulating, said Liberal MP and Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion Minister Carla […]
Trip-wires and trap doors abound as Parliament resumes
CHELSEA, QUE.—As MPs re-assemble today—another hybrid sitting, for now—there is only one safe, if very general, prediction about the session to come: no one will be happy. The Liberals will feel affronted and misunderstood, nit-picked to distraction by their inferiors. The Conservatives will continue to scan the horizon—with night scopes, if necessary—looking for something to […]
‘Freedom Convoy’ rolls into town, jams Parliamentary Precinct, thousands protest against COVID-19 mandates
The “Freedom Convoy,” a large convoy of big rig and pickup truck drivers from across Canada, who are here to protest against vaccine mandates and the Trudeau government, rolled into town and took over the entire Parliamentary Precinct on Saturday. They started arriving in big numbers late Friday night, with the main demonstration against COVID-19 […]
Peace Tower bells soon to fall silent as Centre Block reno reaches high-heritage spaces
Demolition and abatement work inside the Centre Block building has passed the halfway mark and reached the building’s high-heritage spaces, with the Peace Tower’s bells set to fall silent as early as January. “When I see the building coming apart, I see it as a positive thing and I see it as progress, and I’m […]
‘Important’ and ‘symbolic’ to speak Indigenous language in same Chamber that repressed their use, says Battiste
Speaking Indigenous languages in the same House of Commons Chamber that had historically tried to quash them can be a source of inspiration and can help revitalization efforts, says Liberal Jaime Battiste. Revitalization experts say having the languages spoken in Parliament can be effective and show the applicability of learning Indigenous languages. “There’s times in […]
The life of an MP is not as easy as it may seem
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—It is not an easy job, no matter what people may think. I am talking about being a Member of Parliament, which is, after all, what this election determined: in 338 constituencies, people voted for individuals to represent them. While the media and voters may focus on the leaders, with the exception of a […]
Election returns a familiar Parliament, but it won’t be so friendly for some
OTTAWA—Quick. What does $600-million get you? A doppelganger Parliament. Some 36-plus days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an election, it has ended with an outcome almost identical to when the race began. Canada now has its second consecutive Liberal minority and fifth already of the 21st century. Major political leaders may like majorities, Canadians […]
Wellington Street Ottawa-Gatineau LRT crossings ‘not feasible without mitigation measures,’ says PSPC
A proposal to create a light rail transit system in Gatineau that could cross along Wellington Street in Ottawa would cause several “structural, security, and traffic issues for the Judicial Precinct and Parliamentary Precinct,” according to Public Services and Procurement Canada. Gatineau’s transit agency, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), had been studying various […]
