Ottawa’s former police chief tried to avoid attacks on his reputation Monday under questioning about his leadership during protests against pandemic restrictions that gridlocked the capital with vehicles last winter.
“Everything that is being claimed about me has come from a rumor or something that happened around the station,” Sloly told the Emergency Law inquiry on Monday during his second day of testimony.
Sloly answered questions from Ottawa Police Service lawyer David Migicovsky on Monday as part of the inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergency Act in February to end the demonstration of weeks
The Public Order Emergency Commission has heard conflicting testimony from members of the Ottawa police and Ontario Provincial Police about Sloly’s approach to policing the protest and planning in place ahead of the first weekend .
LOOK | Former Ottawa police chief attributes attacks on him to ‘rumours’
Sloly says that the testimony of others about himself is based on hearsay
Former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly says the testimony about him during the Emergency Act inquiry has been based on hearsay.
Sloly answered questions from Ottawa Police Service lawyer David Migicovsky on Monday as part of the inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergency Act in February to end the demonstration of weeks
The Public Order Emergency Commission has heard conflicting testimony from members of the Ottawa police and Ontario Provincial Police about Sloly’s approach to policing the protest and planning in place ahead of the first weekend .
Migicovsky suggested several times that Sloly was concerned about losing his job and didn’t want to be the scapegoat.
“You were pretty worried about losing your job,” Migicovsky said. “What you were looking for was to blame someone else.”
“Absolutely not, sir,” replied Sloly.
“I don’t manage my email inbox:” Sloly
On Friday, the former chief told the commission he first learned of a crowd of protesters traveling to Ottawa on Jan. 13, when he received a report about the self-styled “Freedom Convoy” from the Hendon Project, a network of ‘intelligence directed by Ontario. Provincial Police (OPP).
Sloly said he remembers sending that report to deputies. An email chain confirming that this claim has not been submitted as evidence.
At the time, Deputy Chief Steve Bell said he did not receive a report until Jan. 27.
The OPP continued to send Ottawa police Hendon reports warning of “fringe ideologies” active within the protest movement and noting that the organizers had no exit strategy to end the protest.
Sloly told the commission that he wasn’t able to read everything in his inbox and sometimes consulted the reports.
“I don’t manage my email inbox, I have one [executive assistant] this backs it up,” Sloly said.
Migicovsky accused Sloly of trying to blame Bell.
“At some point you decided you could blame Deputy Chief Bell at this point for not planning this event.”
“This is absolutely wrong,” Sloly said. “I take offense at that idea.”
The crisis paid thousands last winter
Bell, who has served as interim chief since Sloly’s resignation, has previously told the commission he had serious misgivings about his predecessor’s use of a private communications company to handle the communications.
According to a summary of Bell’s pre-investigation interview with the commission’s attorney, which was entered into evidence last week, he felt the discussions with Navigator were inappropriate and strayed into police operations .
LOOK | Former Ottawa police chief says he didn’t manage his own email
Former Ottawa police chief says he didn’t manage his own email
Former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly is testifying for the second day at the Emergency Act inquiry.
“Like the [self-styled] The “Freedom Convoy” event continued, Navigator’s role expanded, and Chief Sloly used Navigator as a channel to engage with City of Ottawa, provincial and federal politicians, to develop communications information and to engage in discussions about operational issues,” said the summary of The Bell Interview.
Sloly said Navigator was enlisted to provide general communications advice to Ottawa police.
Migicovsky presented an invoice Monday showing Ottawa police paid $186,000 to a private crisis communications team between Jan. 30 and Feb. 15; the day Sloly resigned.
He also showed the commission a Feb. 6 “reputation audit” by Navigator, which included a scan of media articles and social media posts related to Sloly’s reputation.
Sloly said he didn’t recall any specific reports about his reputation “but I’m sure it came up in the reports.”
Sloly says he never threatened to use nuts as ‘bookends’
Bell isn’t the only lawmaker to voice concerns to the committee about Sloly’s decisions.
Acting Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson painted a scene of confusion within the force after the first weekend of protests, describing the service as “broken”.
He said a plan wasn’t released until Feb. 9, more than a week after the protesters arrived.
According to Ferguson’s handwritten notes, Sloly said during a meeting that if anyone undermined the plan, he would “smash it.”
Sloly said Monday that the use of “crush” was inappropriate.
Former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly reads a document presented to him as he appears for his second day of testimony at the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 31 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
One of the problems within the force was the belief that Sloly was disinclined to use PLTs (a police acronym that stood for Police or Provincial Liaison Teams) and favored tough enforcement. These units are responsible for front-line work during demonstrations and are meant to coordinate with organizers, build relationships and ensure protests run smoothly.
At one point, Migicovsky showed Sloly handwritten notes from Ferguson, who was concerned about Sloly’s approach to the application. He wrote that members of the OPP, including Insp. Dave Springer, were expressing their displeasure with how the operation was running
Migicovsky asked Sloly if he remembered “saying you were going to cut up Dave Springer’s nuts and use them as bookends.”
“No, sir, I don’t remember saying that,” said a dazed Sloly. “I don’t think I’ve ever said anything like that.”
Sloly said Ferguson’s handwritten notes say more about her than about him.
He said his confidence in Bell and Ferguson took a hit during the response, but maintains he never lost faith in them.
OPP describes ‘disrespectful’ meetings.
Last week Ottawa Supt. Robert Bernier, who oversaw the plan to eventually wipe out the protests, told the commission that he accepted the job on the condition that Sloly not interfere with his work.
A former senior OPP officer described a strained and sometimes distrustful relationship between his team and the City of Ottawa police during what organizers called the “freedom convoy” protests last winter
Carson Pardy, a now-retired OPP chief superintendent, said meetings with Sloly were often tense and uncollaborative.
“The overall tone of this meeting was somewhat unprofessional and disrespectful,” he told the commission.
“Chief Sloly was very clearly under tremendous pressure to perform and was very suspicious of the levels of commitment from police agencies.”
During the questioning, Sloly’s own attorney, Tom Curry, at times objected to the line of questioning with commissioner Paul Rouleau who had to play referee at times.
Convoy organizers testify later this week
Later this week, the Public Order Emergency Commission will hear from some of the key organizers of the protest.
Two of the first organizers involved in planning the protest, Chris Barber and Brigitte Belton, are expected to give their version of events as early as Tuesday.
Other organizers such as Tamara Lich and Pat King, who face criminal charges related to their participation in the protest, are also on the witness list.
Before the inquest began, Keith Wilson, a lawyer representing a number of key convoy organizers, said his clients were eager to tell their side of events.
“They expect it to become clear, as many already know, that there was no need to invoke the Emergency Law,” he said.
Wilson himself has since been added to the witness list.
After weeks of demonstrations, police move to clear protesters from downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill on Saturday, February 19, 2022. Key leaders of the protest movement will appear in the public inquiry into the the government’s use of the Emergency Law this week. (The Canadian Press)
Earlier this month, the inquiry heard from residents who described stressful days and nights due to relentless early honking and a general sense of lawlessness. Business groups whose members took a hit when they closed last winter also testified to the turmoil caused by the demonstrations.
Protesters began arriving in Ottawa on January 28 to express their anger and opposition to the federal government and its COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine mandates.
What Ottawa police thought would be a weekend turned into more than three weeks.
LISTEN | What happened last week at the Emergency Act inquiry:
Former Ottawa police chief defends handling of convoy protest
After days of criticism of the investigation into the use of the Emergency Act, former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly defended the actions of his officers and offered his own criticisms of the information gathered before the convoy descended into the city.
On February 14, the federal government invoked the Emergency Law, which allowed authorities to freeze the finances of those involved in blockades and protests, ban travel to protest areas, prohibit people from bringing minors to assemblies and legal and require tow trucks.
On February 18, a massive and coordinated police operation was underway to remove protesters from the streets of Ottawa.
The protesters…