Cynthia Lau

Title
Counsel
Organization / Affiliation
Government of Canada (GC)

Cynthia Lau spoke 75 times across 1 day of testimony.

  1. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Good afternoon, Mr. Commissioner, Mr. Leshied. Cynthia Lau, one of the counsel for the Government of Canada. Mr. Leschied, you had testified that you co-own a contracting business. You are the owner of a custom cabinetry business in Ontario; correct?

    19-181-07

  2. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you’ve -- that has been in operation for 12 years as far as your co-ownership; is that right?

    19-181-14

  3. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you offer services for designing, building, installing kitchens and cabinetry, bathrooms, and custom living spaces; correct?

    19-181-18

  4. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You would agree with me that your business uses higher quality material, would you not?

    19-181-22

  5. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    This is a background information pertaining to the overall business and economics of the Ambassador Bridge in the Windsor area.

    19-182-05

  6. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And some of these supplies are imported from outside of Canada; would you agree with me?

    19-182-12

  7. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And some of these supplies are also imported through the Ambassador Bridge Port of Entry; would you agree with that?

    19-182-15

  8. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You would also agree with me that maintaining a healthy supply chain has a significant impact on your revenues, would you not?

    19-182-19

  9. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And would agree with me that interruption in the supply chain impacts other businesses aside from your own?

    19-182-24

  10. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And it would also impact the automobile industry?

    19-182-28

  11. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You have testified that you’ve been a resident of Essex County for approximately 44 years?

    19-183-03

  12. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you also testified that it’s a strategic spot to garner attention to have your voice heard?

    19-183-06

  13. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You are aware of the importance of the Ambassador Bridge for the effective, efficient free flow of trade and goods into and out of Canada and the US; fair to say?

    19-183-10

  14. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you’re also aware that the Ambassador Bridge is a vital commercial land border crossing, are you not?

    19-183-15

  15. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you would agree with me that traffic disruptions will affect Canada’s economy and supply chain?

    19-183-19

  16. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Before February 7th, there was a slow roll in the area of the Ambassador Bridge for a couple weeks, as I understand it; is that your understanding?

    19-183-23

  17. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Right. And I take it that, based upon your evidence, you were following what was happening in Ottawa mostly through social media?

    19-184-01

  18. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And a blockade was ultimately set up at Ambassador Bridge on February 7th?

    19-184-05

  19. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Right. And you were present there on that date?

    19-184-10

  20. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Do you also understand that the blockade was inspired by the events in Ottawa?

    19-184-13

  21. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And the vehicles that were parked were parked on Huron Church Road, which is the main entrance and exit to the Ambassador Bridge; is that correct?

    19-184-16

  22. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you had testified that on the first evening, February 7th, you parked your vehicle on Girardot and Huron Church and then you walked in from the side street onto Huron Church; is that right?

    19-184-20

  23. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    All right. So I understand that you were at the site of the blockade from February 7th to the 11th each evening, approximately 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. until about midnight or one o’clock; is that correct?

    19-184-27

  24. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And for the other evenings -- I’m talking about the 8th to the 11th -- were you parked on Huron Church?

    19-185-04

  25. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You were parked on the side street?

    19-185-08

  26. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Right. And then you would attend Huron Church by way of walking and you would be one of the pedestrians on the street; is that fair to say?

    19-185-13

  27. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And then would you situate yourself on the street as a pedestrian at some point during the evenings?

    19-185-19

  28. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    The general area of a street?

    19-185-25

  29. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    During the time of the protests, you were communicating with other protesters by way of chat applications and text messages, as I understand it; is that correct?

    19-185-28

  30. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And throughout these exchanges, you were communicating relevant information about the status of the protests; is that fair to say?

    19-186-05

  31. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. So general information, for example, about planning?

    19-186-10

  32. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    No. General information about developments?

    19-186-13

  33. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Observations that were ---

    19-186-17

  34. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    --- happening on the ground?

    19-186-19

  35. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Would you agree with me that there was no one person or group in charge of the protesters?

    19-186-21

  36. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you’d further acknowledge that -- you’ve described it as a “leaderless movement” -- there was a diverse group of protesters; is that fair to say?

    19-186-24

  37. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    There was no one directing the protests?

    19-186-28

  38. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And there was no agreement on strategy?

    19-187-03

  39. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And there was no agreement on which intersections to block? As I understood it, you said that some of the protesters you’d overheard wanted to block Wyandotte Street to Ambassador Bridge, other wanted to block Tecumseh and Huron, but ultimately there was no agreement.

    19-187-06

  40. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you would be making assumptions about the goals of the protesters; is that fair to say?

    19-187-12

  41. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    The last day that you were at the protest site was February 11th, 2022?

    19-187-16

  42. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And I understand from your interview that at that point, you saw that law enforcement was building and they were encouraging people to leave; is that a fair description?

    19-187-19

  43. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    But by February 11th, it had increased in that building up of their presence and their involvement at the site; is that fair to say?

    19-187-25

  44. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And things were escalating, in fact?

    19-188-01

  45. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    It was escalating insofar as the encouragement for people to leave and that there was a perception that the law enforcement was pending; fair to say?

    19-188-05

  46. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you did go home? In fact, didn’t return on February 12th; correct?

    19-188-12

  47. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You would agree with me that a potential unlawful protest did not deter all of the protesters from returning after February 11th; correct?

    19-188-15

  48. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Because the didn’t have a leader to direct them whom they followed?

    19-188-19

  49. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And it was also your belief that on February 12th, there would be skirmishes or mass arrests; correct?

    19-188-23

  50. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Sure. On February 12th, you had anticipated, as I understand from your interview summary, that there would be skirmishes or mass arrests.

    19-188-28

  51. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And some of your friends were actually present at the site of Huron Church on February 12th; correct?

    19-189-07

  52. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. And they told you what was happening on the ground floor?

    19-189-12

  53. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And some of that third-hand information that you heard was that there were individuals who were shouting slurs at police?

    19-189-16

  54. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You would agree with me that that could increase a level of aggression of the crowd?

    19-189-21

  55. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And police, as I understand it, were giving protesters the option to leave the blockade area?

    19-189-25

  56. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Police were ---

    19-190-01

  57. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    --- giving protesters the option to leave?

    19-190-03

  58. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    But they didn't all leave; did they?

    19-190-06

  59. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Well, did you hear from your friends? Did all the ---

    19-190-10

  60. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. So based upon what you saw, you knew that not everyone had left?

    19-190-15

  61. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Starting February 7th, I put to you that no other vehicles except for emergency vehicles could get through the Huron Church area due to the blockade?

    19-190-18

  62. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Well, the Windsor witnesses would say to the contrary. As I understand it, you were motivated to attend the protest because you were skeptical of mainstream media; correct?

    19-190-24

  63. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    What was the other reason?

    19-191-03

  64. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And I put it to you that the small business owners would include people who relied upon the supply chain being viable coming through the Ambassador Bridge port of entry.

    19-191-12

  65. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And you wanted a firsthand account of what was happening?

    19-191-18

  66. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    You had testified, as I understand it, that you never saw trucks backed up across Ambassador Bridge beyond the first night?

    19-191-21

  67. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    So that would be February 7th; correct?

    19-191-25

  68. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    And as I understand it, among other things, you do not believe that the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge overall has been accurately portrayed?

    19-191-28

  69. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    I'd like to turn to a video, PB.CAN.00001800_REL.0001. And I'm going to turn you to video footage from the WDIV of February 8. Mr. Clerk, could you please turn up that video for me at timestamp 1:14.

    19-192-04

  70. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. (VIDEO PLAYBACK)

    19-192-11

  71. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Pause, please. Mr. Leschied, you would agree with me that this is an accurate video clip of the impacts caused by the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge; would you not?

    19-192-13

  72. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Mr. Commissioner, may I just show one one-minute video?

    19-192-20

  73. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Thank you very much for your indulgence. I'd like to turn to PB.CAN.00001802_REL.0001, and the timestamp 3:27. This is a video of the February 10th Bluewater Bridge area. (VIDEO PLAYBACK)

    19-192-24

  74. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Thank you very much. So I would put to you that you would agree that these are accurate -- this is an accurate video clip of the impact caused by the blockade at Bluewater Bridge, which is one hour and 12 minutes away from Ambassador?

    19-193-02

  75. Cynthia Lau, Counsel (GC)

    Thank you. Those are my questions. Thank you, Mr. Commissioner, for the time.

    19-193-11