Ontario Introduces Bill to Ban Blockades at Border Crossings

Protestors block traffic at the Ambassador Bridge, linking Windsor, Ontario and Detroit on Feb. 9, 2022. The demonstration was held in solidarity with Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa against COVID-19 restrictions. The Canadian Press/Nicole Osborne

The Ontario government has introduced a new bill that would ban illegal blockades of international border crossings and give police new powers to suspend drivers’ licences and seize the licence plates of vehicles used in such blockades.

“The intent of this act is to protect critical transportation infrastructure such as international bridges and airports from unlawful disruptions that, as demonstrated by recent events in Windsor, hurt people and businesses,” the government said in a March 21 news release.

The proposed legislation comes following recent convoy protests, including the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., one of the busiest border crossings in North America.

If passed the legislation would make it illegal to block certain transportation infrastructure “if the blockage disrupts economic activity or interferes with the safety, health or well-being of members of the public.”

Law enforcement is also granted the power to remove and store objects used for the road blockade, including vehicles, for up to 30 days.

Police officers can impose a roadside suspension of drivers’ licences and vehicle permits or seize licence plates for 14 days when a vehicle is used in an illegal blockade of “protected transportation infrastructure.” Protected infrastructure is defined as international borders, international airports and other prescribed transportation infrastructure “that is of significance to international trade.”

The government says it is investing nearly $96 million in tools that support the enforcement of these measures, including enhanced training through the Ontario Police College, improvements to the operational strength of the Ontario Provincial Police, and the purchasing of equipment such as tow trucks.

The blockade at the Windsor border was held in solidarity with protesters encamped in downtown Ottawa for over three weeks starting Jan. 29, to oppose the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed on cross-border truck drivers. The protests grew into a national movement with many joining to call for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions.

The Windsor border blockade was one of several set up by protesters at the time. Border crossings in Manitoba, Alberta, and B.C. were also blocked by protesters demanding an end to COVID-19 mandates.