With border crossings now clear in Windsor, Emerson and Coutts, and days after protesters and trucks were cleared following a three-week occupation of downtown Ottawa, many are wondering how long the Emergencies Act will be deemed necessary by the federal government and law enforcement.
The extraordinary powers of the act remain in place while the Senate debates a motion that the House of Commons passed Monday night by a vote of 185 to 151.
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk says the government doesn't want the act extended a single moment past what is needed, and they remain in contact with police.
"The emergency may have passed, but the threat is still there right now," he continued. "And I know law enforcement is also utilizing some of those measures in order to go and pursue some of the unlawful protestors that were there supporting the protest and occupation."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in invoking the Emergencies Act that the border blockades at the Ambassador Bridge and across the country were the tipping points.
Border security remains a top priority, and Kusmierczyk says Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is currently visiting the area to speak to affected businesses, stakeholders and municipal leaders.
He says the local situation showed gaps in being able to respond, especially when it came to jurisdiction.
"The protest itself actually took place on a municipal road, so the first order of policing and law enforcement was the Windsor Police and OPP. I think there were gaps there that need to be looked at because at the end of the day we need to do everything that is necessary to prevent a protest from blocking that critical trade route even for one hour, let alone five days," Kusmierczyk said.
Kusmierczyk says discussions remain ongoing with various levels of government over border security and the proper channels, as well as speaking to affected stakeholders and businesses.
The situation does highlight a current vulnerability for trade in Windsor, but he says the Gordie Howe International Bridge will help alleviate some of these concerns in the future.
"The federal government is spending nearly $6 billion building the Gordie Howe Bridge to create sort of that redundancy so that if something incapacitates one bridge there is another bridge that is able to handle that traffic. But we know that the bridge is going to take a couple more years before it opens, so there's a recognition we are vulnerable."
The vote to approve the Emergencies Act measures will keep them in place until mid-March at the latest, while conversations with both federal and municipal partners on next steps continue.
In terms of the impact on local businesses, Kusmierczyk says the critical next step is getting handle on the damages and levels of cost that were incurred.
He says the government has stepped up to support businesses in Ottawa, and he's advocating for help here as well because they know there has been and continues to be a negative impact on businesses located on or near Huron Church Road as a result.