Two blockades removed, CBSA says

Two blockades at the Canada-U.S. border have been dismantled, less than a day after the federal government introduced a series of new powers under the Emergencies Act.

Operations have resumed at the border crossing at Coutts, Alta., as well as the Pacific Highway crossing in B.C., a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokeswoman confirmed to trucknews.com.

The Coutts border blockade has been home to some of the longest-standing protests since the Freedom Convoy and other supporters began to occupy downtown Ottawa in the fight against pandemic-related restrictions.

That border protest began to emerge on Jan. 29, and at times allowed limited traffic to pass. But the situation began to deteriorate yesterday when 13 people were arrested.

Eleven of those arrests came when police seized multiple weapons and body armor. Two other arrests came when a northbound truck accelerated at an RCMP check stop north of Milk River, Alta., swerving at the last minute and hitting traffic cones.

Arrests in BC

RCMP in Surrey also arrested four people for mischief on Sunday after a blockade began to disrupt the Pacific Highway border crossing in B.C. Another 12 arrests came Monday night.

“Over the weekend I was on scene to support policing operations and to assess the situation on Highway 15 firsthand. I understand the frustration of the public who wish to see this situation end,” said A/Commr. Brian Edwards, the officer in charge of Surrey RCMP, in a press release.

The Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., reopened late Sunday after a weeklong blockade. An Ontario Superior Court of Justice injunction against that protest was issued late Friday afternoon.

Windsor Police say they made 46 arrests during the blockade, 43 of which involved mischief over $5,000 and breaching a court order. Thirty-seven vehicles were also seized since the demonstrations began.

The border crossing at Emerson, Man. remains closed.