The Ottawa Police Service Board is looking to modernize the policies that govern how local law enforcement officers handle major events such as mass demonstrations, Ottawa-hosted international meetings and royal visits.
The planned reforms to the OPS Major Events Policy (CR-17) will take place through a phased approach that aims to address a confluence of oversight findings, legislative reforms and community expectations.
On July 7, the police board’s policy and governance committee received an outline on the proposed roadmap for the modernization of CR-17. In effect since 2013, this policy dictates the board’s expectations for governance, planning and policing of “major events” such as mass protests — including the February 2022 “Freedom Convoy” occupation of downtown Ottawa — or meetings that bring together world leaders, such as the summit of G20 finance ministers that took place in Ottawa in November 2001.
The Ottawa Police Service and the oversight board comprised of city councillors and community representatives came under heavy criticism during and after the convoy occupation.
“From time to time, the City of Ottawa is the site of major events that are outside regular
day-to-day police operations and require a higher than normal degree of resources,
advance planning, and partnerships with other levels of government, police agencies
and City departments. They may also present a higher than normal level of potential
risk to public order and security,” the current major events policy states.
“During the planning and implementation of such events, the role of the Police Services
Board is to provide appropriate civilian oversight and governance to ensure the
continued delivery of adequate and effective police services in the City of Ottawa, as it
is mandated to do under the Police Services Act. In order to fulfil its statutory
responsibility of determining objectives, priorities, and policies for the police service and,
in the context of this policy, for major events, it is critical that there be an open
exchange of information between the Board and the Chief of Police.”
Through the development of an integrated framework of related policies, the proposed modernization will unfold in two stages — the formation of a “Critical Points Policy” followed by the adoption of a “Human Rights Framework” for guiding police action.
Built upon the recently adopted policy, Assistance in the Provision of Policing (CR-28), which addresses the use of external support for police services, the Critical Points Policy will expand on one of the concepts introduced following a 2025 review.
A Critical Point dictates when immediate attention must be taken by the police board to address certain issues or events to minimize the potential risk while capitalizing on opportunities for effective strategic planning and decision making. Currently, the Critical Points policy is limited in its scope applicable only to temporary assistance scenarios.
The revised Critical Points policy proposes to expand on this concept and formalize the board’s oversight during these key operational thresholds. It will define when information sharing and governance measures are triggered while clarifying the role the board will have in shaping logistical objectives.
In tandem, the board is proposing to pursue the development of a human rights-based framework for managing demonstrations to balance protesters’ rights and the rights of residents, bystanders and other affected groups.
What do we mean by community?
Police officials said the development of the Human Rights Framework will require careful, inclusive consultation to ensure effective policing of demonstrations will take into account the rights, needs and expectations of diverse communities while also being operationally sound.
‘I just want to be very careful about which communities we’re consulting. I mean the convoy protesters could see themselves as a community of convoy protesters. Are they a community we are going to consult?’
— Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry, police board member
“We haven’t conducted a full stakeholder mapping and we are currently in discussion with the city to identify stakeholders,” said Habib Sayah, the police board’s executive director. “But this would potentially involve consulting groups that are advocating for human rights — especially around protests, communities that are impacted by demonstrations . . . and community organizations.”
While the board plans to ensure they capture the broadest of perspectives, Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry — a member of the police services board — voiced concerns about how they plan define what a community is in Ottawa.
“I find that we use that term ‘community’ very generally” she said. “I just worry about our use of community because it gets very confusing . . . I just want to be very careful about which communities we’re consulting. I mean the convoy protesters could see themselves as a community of convoy protesters. Are they a community we are going to consult?”
The Community Policing and Safety Act, which came into force last April, will provide a clear set of guiding principles for the human rights-based approach, according to the report. Section 1 of the act emphasizes the importance of safeguarding Charter rights as well as the responsiveness to the needs of Ontario’s multicultural communities.
In parallel, Section 2 of Ontario Regulation 392/23, which sets out the generally applicable Standards for policing, highlights the importance of taking into account community needs, demographics and police service board practice definitions.
Taken together, according to the reform plan, these provisions will set the groundwork to ensure the development of the Human Rights Framework will capture wide public expectations for the management of demonstrations, while upholding charter rights.
For this reason, the police board office intends to launch a city-wide survey using the Engage Ottawa platform.
“We’re also in discussion with the city to secure the ability to use the Engage Ottawa platform to launch a city-wide survey in order to capture the broadest range of perspectives — not just from residents of the areas directly impacted,” said Sayah.
However, Michael Polowin, an OPSB member and municipal lawyer, cautioned against the board in using the platform.
“I’d offer a caution on Engage Ottawa. It’s sort of like internet polling. It (reaches) people with a particular axe to grind. But I think it’s worth discussing.”
Need for change
The CR-17 major events policy was last reviewed by the police board in 2017. Since then, several high profile reports in relation to major events — particularly the 2022 convoy occupation — have underscored the need to fully modernize the policy framework rather than carrying out a simple review of the policy.
The convoy protest highlighted the need for enhanced communication, information sharing and board consultation early in the planning and development process of logistical objectives, according to a 2023 audit of OPS’s response to the protest.
Likewise, there is a growing consensus — as reflected in the testimony and recommendations of the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation — that the board ensure policing of demonstrations is conducted in a manner consistent with constitutional standards and community expectations.
