Protesters wait for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to arrive at a campaign event in Bolton, Ont. on Friday, August 27, 2021. The event was delayed by two hours and eventually cancelled.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
It was supposed to be a routine rally for Justin Trudeau during the 2021 election campaign – an outdoor event in Bolton, Ont., about 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
But it quickly turned ugly. Protesters, many of whom opposed COVID-19 vaccination mandates, surrounded a hotel parking lot. Local police had difficulty keeping the angry crowd back from a cordoned-off area where Mr. Trudeau was to speak. The event was delayed by two hours and eventually cancelled.
As a bus transporting journalists left the location, some demonstrators approached the vehicle and slapped its sides. Some could also be heard yelling that the tires should be slashed.
Later that day, at a park in Brampton, Ont., Mr. Trudeau told reporters that he had never seen that level of “intensity of anger on the campaign trail, or in Canada.”
Since then, the Prime Minister has seen a lot more of that anger, much of it directed at him and his government: the truckers who descended into downtown Ottawa in early 2022, prompting one of the largest police responses in history, and the armed reservist who in July of that year crashed the gates at Rideau Hall with a loaded firearm and issued threats against Mr. Trudeau.
This past November, pro-Palestinian protesters drove Mr. Trudeau out of a Vancouver restaurant and followed him to a cocktail bar across town, where 250 demonstrators were eventually dispersed by 100 local police officers.
In the summer, security was a major concern during the Prime Minister’s travels which is why limited details were shared about his whereabouts, a senior government source said. The Globe is not identifying the individual because they were not permitted to speak publicly about security matters.
Mr. Trudeau’s security is the responsibility of a dedicated RCMP security detail afforded to prime ministers. MPs, including other party leaders, are not granted this level of protection. Security is offered to politicians, such as cabinet ministers, in some circumstances.
Parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Patrick McDonnell, confirmed to a parliamentary committee in May that threats to MPs have skyrocketed in the past five years.
Veteran politicians say the online and in-person threats need to be discussed in a serious way before the next campaign, which could come earlier than expected after the recent collapse of the supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP.
MPs fear a situation similar to July’s attempted assassination of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump could happen in Canada. Again on Sunday, Mr. Trump was the target of a suspected assassination attempt at one of his golf courses in Florida.
Charlie Angus, a long-time NDP MP who is not running in the next campaign, says that he predicts the Canadian security situation to worsen and that the “language of escalation” in politics is becoming “more reckless.”
“I think someone is going to get hurt,” he said.
Mr. Angus said he has faced situations that underscore his concerns. One example is when he went to Bass Lake in July, his “sacred space” in northern Ontario, for a usual afternoon dip. It’s where he taught his three daughters to swim and the “last place on the planet” that he thought he would face an abusive confrontation about politics.
While Mr. Angus made his way to an empty beach on July 15, he said a man confronted him saying: “I know you.” The Ontario MP said he then faced a “lot of harassment” and threats.
“He said ‘It’s just you and me. There’s no witnesses and there’s no cameras,’ ” Mr. Angus said of the individual, who has since been charged by police. “That pretty much made it clear that we were going into uncharted territory.”
Mr. Angus said he worries more about someone who sees an opportunity in a situation when no one can witness the intimidation.
Mr. Angus believes the RCMP could play a greater role in offering protections to politicians but he also recognizes that there is an issue with resources. In July, The Globe reported that the RCMP has struggled for years to fulfill demands to increase the number of officers who protect politicians and that the unit has been significantly short-staffed, according to records.
The national police force is already examining security measures for the next federal election. In addition, it is looking at other jurisdictions, such as the recent election held in Britain, as part of its preparations.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said he is open to former environment minister Catherine McKenna’s suggestion that protecting federal politicians could be handled by an agency akin to the U.S. Secret Service. Ms. McKenna has said that when she was targeted, along with cabinet colleagues, it was clear that the force did not have sufficient capacity nor did she think they took the “threats seriously.”
In July, Toronto MP and former public safety minister Marco Mendicino called for “protective zones” around constituency offices.
John McKay, a Liberal MP for 27 years, said Mr. Mendicino’s idea is “worth exploring” but questions what this would achieve unless security was set up around each zone. He fears that individuals have come to disrespect political figures in a way where they believe they can disobey the law without consequence.
As a result of vandalization to his constituency office, he said work was completed this summer to redo the “entire security apparatus.” Staff also have to keep the doors locked and only those who are buzzed in can enter the office – something he said is “quite unfortunate” and creates a sense of distance between elected representatives and constituents.
Mr. McKay said he takes some pride in his level of accessibility. But he’s had to change his behaviour, such as planning for a recent annual barbecue. He and staff considered whether they were going to hold the event but “decided to take the risk. Five police officers came by during the event that ended up taking place without incident.
It is a “reasonable assumption” candidates in the next election will have to conduct security assessments every time they do a public event, whether that be simply door-knocking or holding rallies, he added.
A “dangerous shift” is unfolding in Canadian political life that demands greater discussion, Mr. Angus said.
“It’s a shift we’ve never dealt with before.”
With reports from Ian Bailey in Ottawa and Colin Freeze in Toronto