QUEEN'S PARK — The Ontario government is introducing legislation to head off a repetition of the blockade of the major trade route between Canada and the U.S. in February.
The Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act will give police the authority to immediately suspend drivers' licences and vehicle permits at roadside, and seize licence plates from vehicles.
The legislation will also empower police to remove and store any objects being used for an illegal blockade.
In an announcement Monday, Premier Doug Ford said “We will do everything in our power to protect our workers, job creators and international trade relationships from any future attempts to block our borders."
Speaking to reporters, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said that when the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit was blocked "Ontario's reputation as a reliable place to invest took a hit, which caught the attention of the president of the United States at an important time in our trading relationship."
She said the proposed bill is aimed specifically at illegal blockades at border crossings where economic activity and international trade is affected.
"We scoped it very narrowly and it will have no impact on the right to peaceful lawful and temporary protests...elsewhere in the province," Jones said.
The government is also investing nearly $96 million in new measures and tools to support province-wide responses during unlawful demonstrations and illegal blockades that impede international borders and airports. These include:
- Enhanced training through the Ontario Police College for all law enforcement services to support safe and effective public order policing
- Improvements to the operational strength of the Ontario Provincial Police in the areas of emergency management and investigations and intelligence, including the establishment of a permanent Emergency Response Team, and
- Purchasing equipment such as heavy tow trucks that are necessary to keep borders open.
The government says the planned legislation will enable the province to deal with disruptions to critical border infrastructure without having to declare a state of emergency.
