Evidence of meeting #9 for Declaration of Emergency in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was laws.
A video is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I'm talking about up to that point.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
On February 12, the Ottawa Police Service said “we ... await the necessary reinforcements to do so.”
Do you know how many additional police it requested?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Initially, I think it requested 1,800 officers, according to the former police chief.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Ultimately, nearly that many police were sent.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
Right.
Did you send those police?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
The RCMP sent about 1,000 officers.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
It was the middle of the following week.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
Those police had been requested before that, though.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Yes. They were requested almost at the beginning.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
Right.
Were you aware that the City of Ottawa would not ask the Canadian army for tow trucks?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
No. I'm not aware of that.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
Right.
So you have no knowledge of the fact that on February 10, the general manager of emergency and protective services for the City of Ottawa, Kim Ayotte, said that he would not ask the army for tow trucks because it was like asking the army to come to Ottawa.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
No, I'm not aware of that.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I was aware that there were discussions concerning the army in general.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
However, concerning the army tow trucks...
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
You didn't hear that comment by Kim Ayotte, a City of Ottawa official, on February 10?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
No, I had no conversations with...
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
It wasn't brought to your attention? It wasn't highlighted in your media review?
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Thank you.
That brings our rounds to a close. I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being with us this evening. You are certainly free to go. I appreciate your contribution to the discussion tonight.
We do have a matter before the committee that needs to be resolved. It has come to our attention that Interim Chief Bell of the Ottawa Police Service is unable to attend our next meeting. I would like to propose that we invite former police chiefs Peter Sloly, Charles Bordeleau and Matt Torigian for that particular session to provide us with....
I'm sorry. It's the 21st. I should remind us that the next meeting we have is on June 14.
Yes, Senator Boniface.