With an anticipated half-million visitors to Ottawa for Canada Day 2017, the Police Chief and the Mayor are urging everyone to be ready for big crowds, and long waits to get on to Parliament Hill.
The RCMP will be screening anyone who wants to get on the Hill for the show this year. Security tents will be set up along Wellington Street, where officers will be checking backpacks and other belongings.
This means there will be road closures earlier than usual this year. Those details will be available in the coming days.
Mayor Jim Watson’s main message is “plan ahead and plan early.”
“It’s going to take you a little longer to get through security, to get on the Hill,” Watson said. “There are going to be a lot of people in the downtown and you’re going to have to go through a security screening to get onto the Hill. With literally hundreds of thousands of people, that’s going to take some time.”
“Our city is used to big crowds and major events, whether it’s a visit from the Pope or the President of the United States,” Watson added. “We remain a very, very safe city. Every statistic tells us that. I have full confidence that we will do everything we can to minimize any kind of an attack on this important celebration.”
But Watson reiterated his message that no one can guarantee 100% safety, and called on the public “to be the eyes and the ears out in the crowd” and report suspicious activity to police.
Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau wouldn’t comment on other security specifics for Canada Day, but said they would be “evident upon the event actually taking place.”
“Rest assured that we are confident in our plan that the adequate security measures are being taken to ensure the safety of all of those who are attending the events and the facilities over the weekend,” Bordeleau said.
Bordeleau reiterated that Canada’s national terrorism threat level remains at medium.
Despite the heavy security, both Watson and Bordeleau say they want people to have a good time.
“The bottom line for us is we want people to have a great time in Ottawa as they visit Parliament Hill and the surrounding areas, but we also want them to have a safe time,” Watson said, as he thanked first responders and security partners.
“All of the people that are involved in public safety out there, their number one goal is public safety,” Bordeleau said. “But they also do that in a way that allows people to enjoy themselves.”