Heather Paterson

Title
Counsel
Organization / Affiliation
Windsor Police Service / City of Windsor (Win-WPS)

Heather Paterson spoke 56 times across 7 days of testimony.

  1. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Good evening. Heather Patterson for the Windsor Police Service. I don't think my camera is working, unfortunately, but we have no questions for this witness, so you don't need to see me.

    23-348-19

  2. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Thank you.

    23-348-25

  3. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Good evening. Heather Patterson for the Windsor Police Service. Our questions have been asked and answered, and we have nothing further for this panel. Thank you.

    24-256-01

  4. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Hi, good evening, Heather Paterson here for the Windsor Police Service. Good evening, Minister Blair. Can you hear me okay?

    27-286-02

  5. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Thank you. In your testimony today, you praised the Ottawa enforcement operation because -- and I’m going to paraphrase what you said -- you said because it moved slowly, it took care, and it allowed for the least amount of force possible. I think you described it as a “textbook operation”.

    27-286-06

  6. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And would you agree that it’s a hallmark of good police enforcement, that type of slow, careful, least-amount-of-force-possible type operation?

    27-286-13

  7. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Great. And you praised the Ottawa enforcement action even though you had to explain to colleagues the need for police to move slowly and carefully in an enforcement operation?

    27-286-19

  8. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. So then let me put it to you this way. Would agree it’s important to move slowly with an enforcement operation even when others feel there’s a sense of urgency?

    27-287-01

  9. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And would agree that that equally applies to the situation in Windsor and the Ambassador Bridge?

    27-287-14

  10. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And would agree that citizen and officer safety is the forefront in any public order operation?

    27-287-18

  11. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And you would agree with that despite the fact that you felt there was a need for urgency of action in Windsor?

    27-287-24

  12. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay, great. Mr. Sloly’s counsel briefly referred to the letter you received from Chief Mizuno on February 9th requesting assistance from Windsor.

    27-288-06

  13. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Just for the record -- I don’t need to see it -- it’s WPS000000788. And you advised that you passed that along to others but didn’t respond to it directly; is that correct?

    27-288-10

  14. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And do you know who that minister was?

    27-288-21

  15. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And if I -- Mr. Clerk ---

    27-288-25

  16. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Yeah.

    27-289-01

  17. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay, great. And Mr. Clerk, could you please pull up SSM.CAN.NSC.00002671? And while that’s coming up, you’re going to see that this is a W -- that after receiving the WPS request, this seems to be a draft between Caroline Williams and Radey Barrack. These are members of your staff; correct?

    27-289-07

  18. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And did you direct them to prepare a draft response to Chief Mizuno’s letter?

    27-289-14

  19. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And if we go down toward the end of page 1, we see that this is a draft, but I’ve never been able to find whether it was actually sent or not. Do you know?

    27-289-18

  20. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And if look in the last paragraph on that page, it says: "Local communities are the ones ultimately paying the price for the actions of these demonstrators." Do you agree with that sentiment?

    27-289-23

  21. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And would you agree that it’s vital that government ensure that police have resources required to maintain public safety and bring about a peaceful resolution to a public order event?

    27-290-05

  22. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Great. Thank you. Commissioner, I just have three more questions, if I could have a brief indulgence, please?

    27-290-13

  23. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Yes, they will be. And are you aware the Ambassador Bridge is privately owned?

    27-290-17

  24. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And you’re aware that it’s the Windsor Police that will respond to incidents on the bridge, such as a traffic accident?

    27-290-21

  25. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And we looked earlier this afternoon at a February 12th text exchange that you had, for the record, SSM.NSC.CAN3129. I don’t need to see it, unless you do, Minister. But this is where you said police are finally doing their job in Windsor.

    27-290-26

  26. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Are you aware that the enforcement action took place over February 12th and 13th ---

    27-291-04

  27. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    --- and the bridge was opened in the early hour morning of February 14th?

    27-291-07

  28. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And so you would agree that any difficulties the OPP or the WPS were having in Windsor were resolved before the Emergency Act was invoked?

    27-291-12

  29. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. Thank you. And lastly, would you agree with me that the Windsor enforcement operation was a success ---

    27-291-22

  30. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    --- and that there was no loss of life or serious injury to either the public, protestors, or police?

    27-291-26

  31. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Thank you very much. Those are my questions.

    27-292-02

  32. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Hi there. Good afternoon. Heather Paterson for the Windsor Police Service. Our questions have already been canvassed by the City of Windsor, so we have nothing further.

    28-203-22

  33. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Thank you.

    28-203-27

  34. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Good afternoon, Minister Lametti; can you hear me okay?

    29-158-21

  35. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay, wonderful. My name is Heather Paterson and I’m the lawyer for the Windsor Police Service. I just have a couple of questions for you today. You said several times this morning that Government cannot direct operational decisions of police; correct?

    29-158-25

  36. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And that extends to the police decision of how to allocate news resources; correct?

    29-159-03

  37. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Right. And you said that, you referenced the Ipperwash a couple of times this morning.

    29-159-10

  38. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And that sort of non- directional would also apply to the police operational decision on the timing of actioning their plans; correct?

    29-159-13

  39. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Right. And you’d agree that any enforcement operation by police needs to be planned and methodical and properly resourced?

    29-159-19

  40. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And that it should be peaceful as possible and in line with protecting protestor rights and Charter rights?

    29-159-23

  41. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And my friend just took you to it, but I just want to confirm, you were aware that enforcement actions were underway in Windsor on February 12th and the 13th and that the bridge was reopened just after midnight on the 13th or morning of the 14th; correct?

    29-159-27

  42. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And prior to those enforcement actions on the 12th and 13th you weren’t provided with a copy of the operational plan; correct?

    29-160-08

  43. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And you’re not receiving regular briefings by Windsor Police Service on the operations; correct?

    29-160-12

  44. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    And you’re not ---

    29-160-16

  45. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And you also were not being – receiving regular briefings from the OPP as the enforcement action took place in Windsor; correct?

    29-160-20

  46. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    So was the source of the information you were receiving about the enforcement action at the Ambassador Bridge on February 12th and 13th, was that mostly from say television or news reports?

    29-160-24

  47. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And just to be clear, because I actually don’t remember. So February 12th and 13th was a weekend and it was actually Super Bowl weekend; was there Cabinet meetings happening over the course of that weekend?

    29-161-05

  48. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. So I just want to take you –- we’ve looked at a lot of your text this mornings so I’m just going to bring this particular one up. If we could have SSM.CAN.00007861. So when you said at 10:30 in the morning that not enough was happening in Windsor, that wasn’t based on any situational awareness as the plans were undergoing in Windsor that morning; correct?

    29-161-11

  49. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay, thank you. Those are my questions.

    29-161-22

  50. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Hi, there. Heather Patterson for the Windsor Police Service. We have no questions.

    29-281-23

  51. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Hi, there, Heather Paterson for the Windsor Police Service. We have no questions for Minister Freeland and have ceded our time to the Government of Saskatchewan.

    30-142-25

  52. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Good afternoon, Mr. Prime Minister. My name is Heather Paterson; I’m counsel to the Windsor Police Service. Minister Blair testified earlier this week, and he agreed that the Windsor enforcement operation on February 12th and 13th was a success with no loss of life or serious injury to public, protesters, or police. Would you agree with Minister Blair’s assessment?

    31-173-16

  53. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. And you’re aware the Ambassador Bridge was reopened by police in the early hours of morning -- sorry; early hours of the morning of February 14th; correct?

    31-173-26

  54. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay. My friend for the OPP took you to the First Ministers’ conference call on February 14th, 2022 at SSMNSCCAN625, please? And I’ll just put your comments back up; it’s the same paragraph we’re going look at again, on page 6. (SHORT PAUSE)

    31-174-03

  55. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    My focus, obviously, will be a little bit different than the OPP’s. And in that paragraph for the comments attributed to you, you say the, “Windsor operation was outstanding.” And would that accurately reflect your comments that you gave to the First Ministers that day?

    31-174-09

  56. Heather Paterson, Counsel (Win-WPS)

    Okay, great, thank you. Those are my questions.

    31-174-17