We can’t ignore the lessons of the Ottawa occupation

KAMOURASKA, QUE.—From the distance of this secure, rural Quebec village, the events in Ottawa might seem inconsequential. After all, the grocery stores shelves are full and there is no disruption in the lives of we Kamouraskois, aside from the cold snap last week. But for the people in the National Capital Region, my friends, family, and former colleagues, life is very different, and one would have to be a sociopath to not feel empathy for them. Sadly, on social media the supporters of the so-called “Freedom Convoy” have set aside any concern for the paralysis they are causing. All they care about is the impact of their occupation on the authorities they seek to throw out and the end of vaccine mandates. Oh, and equating freedom with anarchy. While residents of the National Capital Region are accustomed to the occasional disturbances that come with living in a capital, there are times they forget it is the home of Parliament. Most Ottawans live there for its small-town feel, green spaces, salaries, and because it is a good place to raise children. Few think of Ottawa as the equivalent to Washington, D.C., but for the crazies inspired by the events at Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, and people fed up with the pandemic, Ottawa was “Ground Zero.” The region’s citizens have become collateral damage in this battle. The stories are legion: everyone knows someone who was intimidated on the streets. Last week, a family friend went out for a walk near his home in downtown Gatineau and happened upon some protesters. He engaged one in a conversation, saying he wasn’t against the right to protest, but perhaps there were ways to avoid keeping people awake all night. The conversation was “quite positive” until a man appeared out of nowhere and started screaming at him, following him for blocks. He was traumatized. So those stories of the “fine, loving folks” among the parked trucks fails to include the hardliners. While every rational observer acknowledges the convoy does not represent Canadian public opinion, we forget the power of small groups to destabilize society. The FLQ, which had no more than 60 members, paralyzed Montreal for two months during the 1970 October Crisis. The IRA and the UDA were a tiny fraction of the population of Northern Ireland, but they killed thousands and wounded many more during the Troubles. And now, a handful of people have the capital in their grip. One of the reasons Canada is a success has been the creation of a strong social fabric, through opportunity, freedom of speech, and respect for human rights. But it has also been due to a pragmatic acceptance of the “delicate balance” between security and liberty. I would argue much of what historically contributed to that social fabric is wearing thin: governments are bigger and less responsive; our differences are magnified (see Quebec’s Bills 21 and 96); our history is seen as a sequence of failures and our past heroes are now portrayed as villains. It is a recipe for indifference. As a result, fewer Canadians describe themselves as “proud,” fewer than ever are voting, and fewer still care to be engaged in public life. The rise of an egregious populism, like that in Ottawa, has been the collective response of those who feel ignored or powerless. Any breakdown in the social order can be attributed to those who ignore the lessons of history or civics, but the fault also falls on leaders who fail to underscore their importance. In today’s social media world, without a counternarrative, people will accept lies as truth and nonsense as reality. The Ottawa occupation will have repercussions. The lessons learned will touch on the need for better intelligence, planning, and response. But it should move us to develop a greater understanding of where we are, and who we are as a country, as we exit the pandemic. A weak Canada in an unstable world is a gift to our enemies and a liability to our friends. The consequences of the undoing of the Canadian social contract could be the anarchy we are witnessing in Ottawa. It is not what any sane Canadian wants for our country. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and a town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times