On Day 16 of the proceedings, Stephane Bellfoy continued his testimony. He was asked by the Crown to describe his interactions with the protesters.
He mentioned that he was mocked for wearing a mask and heard fireworks at least a dozen times over 7 or 8 days. Bellfoy also said he heard noises during the night, including fireworks, honking, revving, and people celebrating in the streets. He stated that sometimes he was able to sleep through the noise at night, but sometimes he was not able to. During cross-examination, Bellfoy admitted that he did not call the police when he heard honking after the injunction was ordered.
During cross-examination, Magas showed Bellfoy an image taken during the protests of Lion street and Laurier Ave, close to where Bellfoy resided. Very few vehicles appeared to be on the street in the image. Magas asked if the image was reflective of his memory of Lion St in Feb 2022. Bellfoy agreed that it was.
The Crown then called their next civilian witness, Chantal Biro, who runs a high-end retail business in ByWard Market. Biro testified that she attempted to avoid "run-ins" with protesters as she "didn't feel safe" around them. She described hearing a lot of horns, swearing, and specifically recalls hearing the word "freedom" being used frequently. She recalls smelling "exhaust," "weed," and "cigarette smoke."
She states that the cigarette smoke stood out to her. Biro described seeing people with flags, megaphones, and the city "seized" by "so-called protesters." She said that protesters made fun of her for working in her store and for wearing a mask. During cross-examination, Biro admitted that she cannot identify anyone who made fun of her or swore at her during the protest. She further admitted that she has never had any interaction with Tamara Lich. Biro was asked whether she is participating in the class action lawsuit against the convoy. Biro admitted that she had been in contact with Paul Champ and Associates with the goal of joining the lawsuit as a plaintiff.
The Crown called Natalie Huneault as their next witness.
Huneault is the business projects and events coordinator with OC Transpo. She testified that she advises the public about demonstrations and areas that may be affected. Huneault described the removal of OC Transpo service in some areas following the arrival of protesters in Ottawa. She stated that OC Transpo buses were removed from some areas following the arrival of the protesters. She testified that she was involved in meetings regarding road closures and was privy to whether or not a number of road closures were at the direction of Ottawa police. Huneault also discussed participating in the changes made to specific OC Transpo routes, monitoring where road closures took place and monitoring the influx of people.
During cross-examination, Huneault admitted that the O Train was not impacted by road closures, and she was able to reroute all other road closures. Huneault further admitted that all of the road closures that had impacted OC Transpo were at the direction of Ottawa police.
Disclaimer: Please remember this update is given for information purposes only. It is not legal advice. If you have a legal issue, you should consult a lawyer for specific advice.