A letter from Freedom Convoy lawyers to Ottawa's mayor outlined a plan on how participating individuals would “ensure a safe and peaceful protest," court was told Thursday..The letter was written by Eva Chipiuk and addressed to Jim Watson, former Ottawa mayor, on February 4, 2022, and presented in court on Day 12 of the trial..Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, Freedom Convoy leaders, face charges of mischief, intimidation, obstruction and counselling to commit the same offences not committed. .Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services at the City of Ottawa, appeared on the stand for the third day in a row. .Upon reviewing the letter presented by Lawrence Greenspon, counsel to Tamara Lich, Ayotte agreed he had seen it before and was accurately represented. .The document “outline[s] the safety measures that individuals in the convoy took to ensure a safe and peaceful protest,” The Democracy Fund tweeted from the courtroom. “It indicates that participants immediately reported any unlawful/unsafe events to police.”.“[The] Freedom Convoy have actively campaigned that criminal activity will not be condoned and information regarding safety or concerns have been forwarded immediately to appropriate authority,” Greenspon said. “So you were never tasked with confirming the accuracy of the contents?”.“No,” Ayotte said. .Greenspon moved on to a February 13 agreement between Watson and Lich, which Ayotte confirmed would have been brought to the attention of the federal government. The agreement was about moving the trucks to a designated area. .“Yes, I was in I charge of logistics,” Ayotte said, “we discussed where they could go. .The witness agreed with Greenspon he had a meeting on February 13 with “a number of other people,” “produced maps,” and made an “outline on the maps” of where truckers could position their trucks. .“So that would be an agreement the trucks can stay indefinitely,” Greenspon said. .“We couldn’t agree to that, because the police would not agree to that,” Ayotte replied. .“Does this refresh your memory the city is agreeable to staging indefinitely?” Greenspon said to the Crown attorney. .“No, the police didn’t agree with this agreement,” Ayotte said. .Greenspon asked Ayotte to clarify that “subject to police coming up with an operational plan” for moving the trucks, the city agreed they “could stay and would be there indefinitely.”.“I would not agree to that,” Ayotte said. .“But that’s what the notes say,” Greenspon said. .“I don’t have any notes from that meeting,” Ayotte replied. .Finally Justice Heather Perkins-McVey interjected and said, “So no staff took any notes of that important meeting?".“No,” Ayotte responded. .Greenspon asked him if he has those maps or has looked at them since February 13. .Ayotte said “No” to both questions. .“So you don’t know where those maps are?” Greenspon clarified. .“I disclosed what I had,” Ayotte said. .Again the judge interjected. .“Did you give the original [maps] to POEC [Public Order Emergency Commission]?" Perkins-McVey asked. .“I don’t know exactly what was disclosed,” Ayotte said. .“You are manager, what did you instruct your staff?” Perkins McVey said. .“I don’t micromanage, there are thousands of pages,” he said. .“[It should] be easy to find them,” the judge said.
