OTTAWA — It is not an obvious place to pitch a tent in Ottawa, on a concrete plaza opposite Parliament Hill.
Yet federal authorities have seen fit to put up three no-camping signs — each picturing a two-person tent with a red line across it — near the statue of Terry Fox on Wellington Street.
To reinforce the message that vacationers and protesters should find somewhere else to plant their bed rolls, the authorities have put up an additional sign citing a subsection of public nuisance regulations that outlaws people from camping or sleeping in the area.
The sudden no-camping warnings, which have surprised people working on the Hill, are believed to be a response to recent protests, including the "Freedom Convoy" that blocked streets in central Ottawa with large trucks for weeks in February.
Earlier this month, pro-Ukraine protesters, angry that Canada decided to repair turbines despite sanctions against Moscow, pitched a tent next to the Fox statue.
Public Services and Procurement Canada, which is responsible for the parliamentary precinct, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2022.
Marie Woolf, The Canadian Press
