The arrival of the “Freedom Convoy” in January of 2022 made international headlines and remains one of the most polarizing events in this city’s history. To take stock of what happened, what we learned and how we should respond if and when it happens again, author and journalist David Moscrop hosts a conversation with Paul Wells and Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah. Join us for a deep dive into the convoy itself, the response from government and community and the aftermath of it all.
Paul Wells is an award-winning author and journalist whose latest book, An Emergency in Ottawa: The Story of the Convoy Commission takes stock of justice Paul Rouleau’s commission of inquiry in the Emergencies Act. As a regular visitor to the inquiry, Paul heard witnesses describing layer on layer of dysfunction and acrimony in every organization that converged on Parliament Hill -- three levels of government, three police forces, and the protesters themselves.
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity and brought her years of local and international advocacy experience to her role as one of four Comissioners tasked with leading the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation. During the Commission, local residents shared their stories and presented their views at 14 hearings held online and in different downtown neighbourhoods during the fall of 2022.
PLEASE NOTE: For the safety and comfort of all patrons, masks are strongly encouraged for those attending in person this Spring. Livestream tickets are available upon request for those who prefer to attend remotely.
Books are available from our friends at Perfect Books.
The Ottawa International Writers Festival is supported by generous individuals like you. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter and making a donation to support our programming and children’s literacy initiatives.
One of the challenges… was to remember how angry and exhausted everyone was when the convoy happened. To remember how poorly any of the protagonists understood the others’ motives or intent. The hardest thing, when you know how the story ends, is to remember what it felt like not to know how it would end.
The arrival of the “Freedom Convoy” in January of 2022 made international headlines and remains one of the most polarizing events in this city’s history. To take stock of what happened, what we learned and how we should respond if and when it happens again, author and journalist David Moscrop hosts a conversation with Paul Wells and Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah. Join us for a deep dive into the convoy itself, the response from government and community and the aftermath of it all.
Paul Wells is an award-winning author and journalist whose latest book, An Emergency in Ottawa: The Story of the Convoy Commission takes stock of justice Paul Rouleau’s commission of inquiry in the Emergencies Act. As a regular visitor to the inquiry, Paul heard witnesses describing layer on layer of dysfunction and acrimony in every organization that converged on Parliament Hill -- three levels of government, three police forces, and the protesters themselves.
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity and brought her years of local and international advocacy experience to her role as one of four Comissioners tasked with leading the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation. During the Commission, local residents shared their stories and presented their views at 14 hearings held online and in different downtown neighbourhoods during the fall of 2022.
PLEASE NOTE: For the safety and comfort of all patrons, masks are strongly encouraged for those attending in person this Spring. Livestream tickets are available upon request for those who prefer to attend remotely.
Books are available from our friends at Perfect Books.
The Ottawa International Writers Festival is supported by generous individuals like you. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter and making a donation to support our programming and children’s literacy initiatives.
