Ryann Atkins

Title
Counsel
Organization / Affiliation
Government of Canada (GC)

Ryann Atkins spoke 60 times across 1 day of testimony.

  1. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Good afternoon, Mr. Commissioner, Mr. Huigenbos. For the record, my name is Ryann Atkins. I'm part of the legal team for the Government of Canada.

    19-282-23

  2. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    We heard that you're a town councillor for the Town of Fort Macleod in southern Alberta?

    19-282-28

  3. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And on March 28th, 2022, you were given a letter of reprimand from the Mayor of Fort Macleod. Is that right?

    19-283-03

  4. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And that's in relation to the events and your participation in the convoy at Coutts?

    19-283-07

  5. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    We also heard about the criminal charges that were laid against you. Are those charges still outstanding?

    19-283-10

  6. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Now, we've heard that there are two distinct protest sites. There was the one in Coutts itself near the weigh station, and another one just south of Milk River by the checkpoint?

    19-283-14

  7. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And I just want to understand where you were at various points of time. I think you said that you met Emily Motz at Milk River. Did you mean the protest site or the town?

    19-283-19

  8. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. Was that on the southern side of the police barricade, or did you actually traverse the police barricade?

    19-283-25

  9. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And that was on Saturday the fifth?

    19-284-04

  10. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Was that the same weekend that you were able to get out of the protest site for a family weekend?

    19-284-08

  11. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. So on two different weekends you were able to get out?

    19-284-13

  12. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    So the police were allowing you to go back and forth? Sorry, you have to articulate.

    19-284-19

  13. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And I think you said that you went down to Milk River, that is the protest site, a couple of times a day?

    19-284-22

  14. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And you also spent time at the saloon in Coutts?

    19-284-26

  15. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    You had mentioned that you brought your pickup truck to the protest and that initially it was parked in the parking lot by the saloon. Was that your evidence?

    19-285-01

  16. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And during the period of time that we're talking about, from January 29th to February 15th, it didn't remain in that parking lot?

    19-285-08

  17. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Was it ever parked on the highway?

    19-285-12

  18. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. And that's including during the time when all lanes of the highway were blocked; correct?

    19-285-15

  19. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Now, at the beginning of the blockade on January 29th, the RCMP asked that the protesters not block all lanes of the highway. Were you aware of that?

    19-285-19

  20. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And the reason you understand that request is because blocking all lanes could create a dangerous situation for residents of Coutts?

    19-285-25

  21. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Because blocking all lanes would restrict or impede emergency response vehicles for example.

    19-286-01

  22. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Eventually; right?

    19-286-07

  23. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. And you indicated that it wasn't your intention to completely block the highway, you personally.

    19-286-10

  24. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And in fact, I believe on January 31st, you made a statement to the media saying that "we had to shift gears because we were hurting people who were supporting us." Correct?

    19-286-14

  25. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    So you're reported on January 31st as saying that "we need -- we want to stop hurting those who are supporting us." You don't recall making that statement?

    19-286-21

  26. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    I'm just asking the witness if he recalls making that -- if he doesn't recall making that statement he doesn't recall.

    19-286-28

  27. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And you'd agree with me that not all of the people who were being -- upon whom that sacrifice was being imposed supported what you were doing; correct?

    19-287-12

  28. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. I'd like to take you to a video, if I can. And the number is PB.CAN.00001792. And if we could just queue it up at 5 minutes, 18 seconds please. (VIDEO PLAYBACK)

    19-287-16

  29. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And you can stop it right there. You're aware that that was your -- the convoy you were participating in was having that affect on truckers?

    19-287-21

  30. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And it's a foreseeable consequence of blocking that highway; correct?

    19-287-27

  31. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Unintended, maybe, but foreseeable; yes?

    19-288-04

  32. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Sorry. It's your evidence that completely blocking a highway all lanes wouldn't have consequences for truckers who use that highway?

    19-288-08

  33. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    I want to talk to you a little bit about what you call an inconvenience. On January 31st, and I can take you to it if you like, the Alberta Minister of Transport tweeted that there were 50 to 100 truckers stranded on the U.S. side since Saturday, so for several days, some hadn't eaten and some had medical issues. Were you aware of that tweet?

    19-288-19

  34. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. Were you aware that some truckers were facing those issues?

    19-288-27

  35. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. So you say -- okay. I'll leave that there. You also agree with me, I think, that Highway 4 is an important corridor for the people of Coutts?

    19-289-09

  36. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And they use it to access essential services in Milk River?

    19-289-14

  37. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    If we could just press play on the video where we left off at six minutes two seconds? [VIDEO PLAYBACK] You can stop it there. So watching that video, you would agree with me, I take it, that the Convoy posed a significant risk for the physical safety of people in Coutts?

    19-289-17

  38. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    But my question was, you agree with me that what we just saw in that video was an unsafe situation?

    19-290-14

  39. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Can we tee up Document PB.CAN.00001803 and just bring it to three minutes 18 seconds and just kind of freeze frame there, please? So I want to talk about the RCMP enforcement action on the -- in the early morning hours of February 14th. And I take it that this is a photo that you’ve actually seen before; correct?

    19-290-19

  40. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    You were asked about this photo in a news interview that you gave?

    19-290-28

  41. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    You don’t recall?

    19-291-03

  42. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay.

    19-291-06

  43. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    But you have seen this photo before?

    19-291-09

  44. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And you’ll agree with me that it shows a large quantity of guns, body armour, ammunition, including high-capacity magazines?

    19-291-12

  45. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    But high-capacity magazines?

    19-291-17

  46. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. And I don’t need to take you to it, but I believe you may have indicated that you thought there were more guns seized at Coutts than are depicted in this photo. Do you recall saying that?

    19-291-19

  47. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. That’s fine. But were you aware that there were weapons at Coutts before the seizure of this cache of weapons?

    19-291-25

  48. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. You told the media that the decision to leave was made after the arrests on the 14th; correct?

    19-292-01

  49. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And I believe you also said that it was made after the infiltration of extreme elements in the protest group?

    19-292-05

  50. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And the information that you were presented at the time involved the presence of Diagolon symbols or supporters?

    19-292-11

  51. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And I know you didn’t know about Diagolon before, but you learned about it at that time?

    19-292-15

  52. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And you didn’t want to stay after that, because you didn’t want to be associated with extremists?

    19-292-20

  53. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Were you at the Smuggler’s Saloon on February 3rd when Pastor Artur Pawlowski gave a speech?

    19-292-24

  54. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. So you didn’t stay for his speech?

    19-292-28

  55. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    That wasn’t my question. My question was whether you heard the speech.

    19-293-18

  56. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Okay. You didn’t hear about it on social media?

    19-293-22

  57. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    But before the Convoy ended?

    19-293-27

  58. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And so you didn’t hear anything about the substance of the speech while you were at Coutts?

    19-294-02

  59. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    And upon hearing the details of the speech, you didn’t decide to leave at that time?

    19-294-09

  60. Ryann Atkins, Counsel (GC)

    Thank you. Those are my questions.

    19-294-14