Blockades at Canadian border crossings are coming to an end, but protests persist in Ottawa

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced Tuesday that they have “worked to peacefully resolve the situation” with demonstrators at the last remaining major blockade in Emerson, Manitoba, and are expecting their departure Wednesday. “We are now confident that a resolution has been reached and that demonstrators will soon be leaving the area and that full access to the Emerson Port of Entry will be restored,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Rob Hill said in a The presence of the protesters — who agreed this week move out of residential areas and stick to streets directly in front of Canada’s national parliament — has been an ongoing source of frustration among Ottawans and city officials, who said Tuesday Police Chief Peter Sloly is While Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Diane Deans thanked the former chief for his service, she opened a meeting of the board Tuesday by saying authorities were so far unable to achieve peace in the city. “The OPS (Ottawa Police Service) has been unable to adequately enforce our laws and our residents continue to be terrorized, it isn’t good enough,” said Deans, adding that, “I have watched in disbelief as this carnival of chaos has been allowed to continue.”Residents have told CNN they were dismayed by the chief’s lack of enforcement on their city streets. City officials have said some protesters Four in every five Canadians are fully vaccinated, and nearly 90% of Canada’s truckers are fully vaccinated and eligible to cross the border, the government said.While there are no indications the trucker vaccine mandate will be dropped, some modifications to Covid-19 safety measures were announced this week — though officials have been quick to note the changes are not because of the protests but due to decreasing Covid-19 cases and strong vaccination numbers. Starting February 28, the country will In British Columbia, restaurants, nightclubs, fitness centers, movie theaters and other venues will go back to full capacity by Thursday, according to the provincial government.Ontario plans to drop its vaccine passport requirements and indoor capacity limits on March 1 if the province’s Covid-19 hospitalization rates continue to improve, Premier Doug Ford announced Monday. Masking requirements will remain in effect for “just a little bit longer,” he said.”Let me be very clear, we’re moving in this direction because it’s safe to do so,” Ford said. “Today’s announcement is not because of what’s happening in Ottawa or Windsor, but despite it.” Canada, US governments coordinating over protestsThe disruptions at border crossings have had impacts in both Canada and the US, and the two nations are The blockade at the Ambassador Bridge impacted about $390 million worth of commerce a day, Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland said Monday, and the combined impact of blockades at border crossings, including those in Alberta and Manitoba, has been $500 million each day.On Monday, Canadian officials moved to allow financial institutions the power to freeze personal or corporate accounts they believe are being used to fund the illegal protests as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was invoking the Emergencies Act.The law, passed in 1988, can temporarily suspend citizens’ rights to free movement or assembly, though Trudeau cautioned at a news conference, “We are not preventing people from exercising their right to protest legally.” The act provides for the use of the military but Trudeau said he won’t take that step.”This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting peoples’ jobs and restoring faith in our institutions,” Trudeau said, adding that the law will be limited geographically and in scope.CNN’s Paula Newton, Jenn Selva, Kelly McCleary, Holly Yan, Paradise Afshar, Priscilla Alvarez, Raja Razek and Abby Bustin contributed to this report.