Ambassador Bridge reopens after week of protests

Traffic is once again crossing the Canada-U.S. border at the Ambassador Bridge, following a weeklong protest that led the Ontario government to declare a state of emergency. Police arrested 25 to 30 people on Sunday, acting on an Ontario Superior Court of Justice injunction issued late Friday afternoon. Traffic resumed just before midnight, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.

"Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said in a statement.

But the challenges surrounding protests against pandemic-related restrictions continue. Protesters continue to block traffic in Coutts, Alta., and Emerson, Man. But police did limit the access of protesters at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont. this weekend.

The Ambassador Bridge typically handles more than 7,000 commercial vehicles per day, making it the busiest commercial link between Canada and the U.S. During the blockade, most trucks were diverted about 100 km away to the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, where delays lasted four hours or more. Several automakers and other businesses had to scale back production due to limited parts supplies.

"Ninety-nine percent of the truckers out there right now are working their backs off to put food on our table, to make sure parts get to the factories," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday, noting that just five trucks were among personal vehicles blocking the Ambassador Bridge. "That [protest] is not representative of our truckers." With the state of emergency, Ontario introduced penalties including potential fines of up to £100,000, up to a year in jail, and licence seizures. Close to 400 trucks continue to occupy downtown Ottawa in a protest now entering its third week.

More than 4,000 demonstrators were in the capital on Saturday alone, and counter protesters blocked some Freedom Convoy protesters as they tried to enter the downtown area. Police said aggressive and illegal behavior limited enforcement capabilities, but added that they managed a 300-vehicle convoy and a separate 20-km convoy of cars from Quebec on the weekend. Ottawa's Police Chief Peter Sloly has said the city will need 1,800 officers to address the occupation.

This weekend, the police service joined Ontario Provincial Police and RCMP in establishing an integrated command center.