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The public inquiry investigating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act began on Oct. 3. As part of the government's obligations following the invocation of the Act, a commission must be convened within 60 days and its subsequent report must be tabled in Parliament within 360 days after the Act is revoked.

This inquiry, deemed the Public Order Emergency Commission, was announced by Trudeau on April 25 after the Emergencies Act was revoked on February 23. The mandate delivered from the prime minister tasks the commission with handling the examination and assessment of the basis for the Trudeau government's decision to use the Emergencies Act, the circumstances leading up to the invocation and whether this was an appropriate and effective measure chosen by the government to address the Freedom Convoy. 

A review of the legislative policy and regulatory framework will also be part of the commissions duties, which could feature potential amendments to the Emergencies Act. The full order in council relating to the Public Order Emergency Commission can be read here.

According to the Public Order Emergency Commission, today's witness list is:

• Steve Kanellakos (City of Ottawa)
• Serge Arpin (City of Ottawa)
• Jim Watson (City of Ottawa)
• Diane Deans (City of Ottawa)
• Patricia Ferguson (Ottawa Police Service)
• Craig Abrams (Ontario Provincial Police - OPP)
• Carson Pardy (OPP)
• Pat Morris (OPP)

Sheila Gunn Reid is live tweeting the hearing today as it happens. Follow along below:

Today's the third day of the Emergencies Act Inquiry in Ottawa.

City Manager Steve Kanellakos is currently testifying in front of the committee. Serge Arpin will follow this afternoon.

Follow our full coverage at https://t.co/YpdRcagI0C#EmergenciesActInquiry

— William Diaz-Berthiaume (@wdiazberthiaume) October 17, 2022

This has been the most bizarre few days. I've never seen anything like it. We had two days of testimony last week, where a lot of people reported 3rd and 4th hand anonymous anecdotes of violence from the truckers who spent nearly 4 weeks in Ottawa protecting covid measures.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

As it turns out, the only real violence that happened, according to the testimony of Xexi Li, the woman who was behind the injunction to end the honking of air horns was egg-throwing from people she knew at the truckers. Tho, they didn't get mischief charges and accounts seized.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Rebel News is rotating a team of journalists through our satellite office in Ottawa during the duration of the proceedings. In the same manner, we were there during the convoy bringing you the truth, not the pro-Trudeau subsidized nonsense the mainstream media was puking out.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

By the way, if you want to see the so-called national sovereignty threatening Pearl Harbour-level event that Trudeau and his goons thought needed a terrorism law to deal with, check out https://t.co/KFz8kFEm9C and see for yourself

Singing, feeding the homeless and hot tubs.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Today we are going to suffer through some real minutiae.

Steve Kanellakos, City Manager - City of Ottawa, is currently testifying. Kanellakos says one of the problems the city had was that the protest went on for so long.

"3 days? We could have gotten through that"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

This has been the most bizarre few days. I've never seen anything like it. We had two days of testimony last week, where a lot of people reported 3rd and 4th hand anonymous anecdotes of violence from the truckers who spent nearly 4 weeks in Ottawa protesting covid measures.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos is testifying about his comms with OPS

"We cannot direct the police force in operational matters. We are there in a support role"

"Chief Sloly didn't think he had the legal authority to prevent trucks from coming into the core based on their Charter Rights"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

(and that's probably why Sloly is no longer chief. He was trying to balance the right to protest with security)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

As it turns out, the only real violence that happened, according to the testimony of Zexi Li, the woman who was behind the injunction to end the honking of air horns was egg-throwing from people she knew at the truckers. Tho, they didn't get mischief charges and accounts seized.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Steve Kanellakos (City of Ottawa) is testifying to an 90-minute he had with @ikwilson and @forevaeva79, lawyers for the convoy, that resulted in an agreement to move the trucks.

The mayor and the police chief and deputy chiefs were updated later in the day.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Steve Kanellakos (City of Ottawa) testified that a finalized agreement with the truckers was reached Feb 13 - Sunday.

he says moving trucks was contingent on the mayor meeting with truckers. Dean French then suddenly inserted himself into the affair as a "helpful third party"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos, city manager, testifies that the majority of the negotiations with the truckers were done with Serge Arpin, chief of staff City of Ottawa.

They even got these so-called "terrorists" to move 400 trucks out of the core. Mayor's office sent letter acknowledging this

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

So the trucks were set to be moved on Monday morning, February 14. Former Chief Sloly was concerned about the size of the operation to get trucks out.

(That is the day the feds invoked the Emergencies Act to seize bank accounts, seize property, and arrest peaceful protesters)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Steve Kanellakos (City of Ottawa) is testifying to a 90-minute meeting he had with @ikwilson and @forevaeva79, lawyers for the convoy, that resulted in an agreement to move the trucks.

The mayor and the police chief and deputy chiefs were updated later in the day.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

"The deal had fallen apart by the Tuesday (Feb 15) to move the trucks."

Steve Kanellakos testifies he did tell the Feds about the deal that was reached and says he sent them the letters between the truckers and the mayor.

(but the Feds brought the hammer down anyway on 14th)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

(yeah no kidding the deal fell apart. They counter-terrorism'ed the truckers ON THE DAY THEY WERE TO MOVE THE TRUCKS)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

It's important to remind people that even the lawyer representing Ottawa residents in the class action lawsuit and the Public Order Emergency Commission viewed the Emergencies Act as an unnecessary and "dangerous" tool. https://t.co/7k78bWiabG

— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) October 17, 2022

up next, the lawyer for former Chief Sloly, Tom Curry, is examining Kanellakos.

"When the commissioner considers your experience, what was coming to Ottawa with the Freedom Convoy was something that no one expected?"

"that's fair"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Curry, the lawyer for previous ChiefSloly, mentions a previously admitted email where Kim Ayotte, head of emergency services for City of Ottawa, said police were doing a very good job balancing the right to protest with the potential for a riot during the Freedom Convoy.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

at one point, Sloly sent an email saying "patience was thin....everyone is looking for confrontation"

Everyone, not just the convoyers.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Curry: Minister Sylvia Jones said there were 1500 OPP officers deployed here

Kanellakos: that was inaccurate

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos says he never spoke to Premier Ford. He said he may have speculated that senior Ford ministers were sympathetic with the convoy.

Weird, because today in Kanata, Ford said he stood shoulder to shoulder with Trudeau against the convoy and supported the EA invocation

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Rob Kittredge of @JCCFCanada forces Kanellakos to admit no two trucks were damaged during the towing of some 30+ vehicles in the weeks before the EA. No tow truck drivers were assaulted. No bylaw officers were assaulted while ticketing vehicles, either.

not a violent situation

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kittredge notes that standing-offer towing contractors were all unwilling to tow the trucks (some supported the convoy, some didn't want the reputational damage of being Jim Watson's goons), forces Kanellakos to admit they didn't offer to increase compensation to the companies.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Miller "it was not the truckers who did not follow through with the deal to move trucks?"

Kanellakos "there were people who refused to move"

Miller: "roughly 25% were moved until Ottawa police stopped the operation"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Miller is now showing Kanellakos screenshots of texts with trucker lawyer Keith Wilson from Feb 13 showing how helpful and accommodating the organizers were.

Wilson: "FYI, trucks are ready to be moved but police have stopped them"
Kanellakos: "I will have that fixed"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

wow. A series of texts between Wilson and Kanellakos show how quickly and eagerly the truckers were to move trucks out of residential areas

text message from Kanellakos says it was not the truckers' fault the deal to move them fell apart.
OPS did not allow the trucks to move

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

So Sloly had just resigned. The new OPS chief prevented the truckers from moving the trucks.

and Kanellakos says at the same time, OPS, OPP and RCMP were moving into a tactical response.

The city goons wanted to bust heads when a resolution had been reached.

Just astounding

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos testified that Wilson always operated in good faith with him and did everything he could to resolve the problem of the trucks being in residential areas.
(too bad the new OPS chief Bell didn't)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

so all the crying we heard in earlier testimony about diesel fumes? blame the city and the new police chief. That's on them. The truckers were trying to move but the police wanted to get all jackboots on the pavement on them.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos testifies that he had meetings with several fed ministers and was kept apprised of Mayor Jim Watson's meetings with the PM.

On Feb 3 Watson had a meeting with Mendocino. Requested more RCMP officers.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos has extensive experience in policing operations.

Miller is asking a lot of questions about police operations and why the police didn't do different things to deal with the convoy that didn't involve a terrorism law.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

lawyer for govt of Canada up now (Andrea Gonzales)is now examining Kanellakos.

She keeps describing the intersection of Rideau and Sussex as a "volatile" part of the protest.

But again, what was volatile? nothing.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

next up, lawyer for Canadian Civil Liberties Association. She makes Kanellakos admit he sent the comms between Tamara Lich and Mayor Watson to Mendicino's office.

The timeline shows feds knew the day before they invoked the Emergencies Act that an agreement was reached.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

lawyer for govt of Canada up now (Natalia Rodriguez) is now examining Kanellakos.

She keeps describing the intersection of Rideau and Sussex as a "volatile" part of the protest.

But again, what was volatile? nothing.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Kanellakos is done.

Next, Serge Arpin, Chief of Staff to Mayor Watson.

He's bilingual, and is told if "you are going to switch languages" to "give us a heads up," referencing nonsense Matt Fleury pulled on Friday when he responded in French to English Qs he didn't like.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

"the truckers appeared to be dealing in good faith with the city manager and the PLT team. And we engaged with the truckers to move trucks as a sign of goodwill"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Serge Arpin is talking about his comms with Dean French, formerly of Doug Ford's office.
the PLT (Police Liaison Team) approached the city manager and the mayor's office to engage in dialogue with the convoy.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Arpin: it became quite apparent in our first meetings with the PLT that the truckers did not want to hurt residential people. They expressed a willingness to move trucks out of residential areas.

We wanted to see big progress. It wasn't a stunt or a bluff (moving the trucks).

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Arpin is repeatedly acknowledging the desire of the truckers to get trucks out of residential areas.

paraphrasing here, but he said the truckers began moving trucks in good faith, and it showed the sincerity they had in their negotiations with the city.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

So totally terrorism. Obviously! https://t.co/pT1llo6pSY

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Now they're going through text messages between Arpin and Mendicino's staff. Arpin also provided MINO a copy of the agreement between Lich and the city to move the trucks before the EA was invoked.

So it was not only the city manager but also Watson's COS informing the feds

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Arpin told Mendicino's office that they* should be meeting with protesters, after the MINO told city officials to begin* meeting with the convoy

(At that point the city was already negotiating with protesters and, it seems, they didn't appreciate MINO telling them what to do)

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

there is now an email exchange with Arpin and the PMO. Arpin wanted to speak with Telford to ask for additional resources two days after he first asked for them. He says he felt like there was "friendly fire" from the feds telling city officials to do their job in the media.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

lol Arpin calls the convoy an "insurgency"

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

now going through Arpin's comms with Bill Blair's office. The mayor had been assured they would be getting additional support from the RCMP - but received about 60 officers as opposed to 250 they were promised.

City had no idea what sort of help Blair was sending.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

50 additional officers were assigned to Trudeau's cottage for extra security.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

"you can tell him he is being lied to by the RCMP. Those boots are not under OPS command" wrote Arpin in a text exchange.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Arpin: "we were at the height of the implosion of the confidence in our city"

Ah, I see. Nuke those civil liberties to save face.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022

Arpin says he reached out to Ford's office for help - I suppose after he was lied to by the feds- and he wanted the province to declare a state of emergency to deal with the protests.

— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 17, 2022