BREAKING: Ontario Superior Court grants injunction against honking in downtown Ottawa

The temporary 10-day injunction makes it illegal for truckers parked on city streets in downtown Ottawa to constantly honk their horns.

BREAKING: Ontario Superior Court grants injunction against honking in downtown Ottawa
The Canadian Press / Justin Tang
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Ontario Superior Court Justice Hugh McLean has granted a 10-day injunction restricting truckers parked on city streets in downtown Ottawa from constantly honking their horns.

McLean says the injunction is temporary because he needs to hear more evidence, but says he has heard enough to make this ruling today.

The ongoing demonstration in Ottawa has seen truckers from across Canada converge on the streets of the city's downtown core since January 28, with many stating they will not leave until their demand of an end to COVID restrictions is met.

The truckers in Ottawa have garnered global attention, with many commentators weighing in on whether or not the protesters' perpetual honking equates to any real harm.

Paul Champ, a lawyer representing Ottawa residents in a proposed multimillion-dollar class-action lawsuit, had argued the loud and prolonged honking is causing irreparable harm to local residents.

As reported by the CBC,

"The horn tactic is organized and planned by the defendants to cause serious discomfort and inconvenience," reads the document filed with the court outlining the grounds for the motion.

"The air horns and train horns are extremely loud and can cause permanent hearing damage … the air horns and train horns are blasted at sound levels of 105 to 120 decibels for prolonged periods."

The judge said that while the participants have a right to protest, taking their horns away would not rob them of that right.

Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing three protest organizers named in the suit, argued that his clients are not personally responsible for the noise, stating that Ottawa is experiencing a grassroots protest against pandemic measures.

"There is more evidence before you that downtown Ottawa residents don't feel they're being harmed and this is part of the democratic process," he said.

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