An eviction notice posted on the doors of the deconsecrated church last Wednesday said members of the controversial Freedom Convoy-linked group had five working days to pack up their belongings and leave. This deadline ended at 12:01 AM. on Thursday, meaning the order can now be executed at any time. About two dozen curious onlookers and community members gathered across the street from the building shortly before midnight to see what would happen. Meanwhile, TUPC members gathered near the front steps of the building, some hugging, as the deadline passed with no sign of the bailiff.
TUPC offered popcorn to viewers “watching the show”
Lowertown residents said they still hope the group will leave. “I didn’t expect it to happen at 12:01, but I also knew there was no way I was going to sleep, so I went outside,” said Heather Cole, who lives nearby. “I was glad to find a group of like-minded neighbors here who were also just watching.” He said the past few months since TUPC was installed have been a rollercoaster of emotions. “The neighborhood doesn’t want any violence,” Cole said. “We don’t want violent evictions. We really want these people to recognize the reality of the situation … and leave.” Just before 1 a.m., TUPC supporters wearing red shirts with the group’s white tree logo crossed the street holding bags of popcorn that they offered to spectators, saying they wanted to give them something to eat while “watching the show.” TUPC members in red shirts offered bags of popcorn to people who had shown up to see if the controversial group would be forcibly evicted. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
The group categorically denies the existence of an eviction order
Among them was William Komer, one of the group’s directors. He previously told the CBC that the group has no plans to leave. “There is no eviction order,” TUPC wrote around midnight, adding that the group has been “asked, not ordered, to leave.” This is in contrast to the bailiff, who visited the property last week and said TUPC must go. “There’s no lease anymore. Now they’re basically squatting,” he said. “This won’t last long.” The owners of St. Brigid’s have not responded to repeated requests for comment. (Dan Taekema/CBC) In an interview Tuesday, Comer said he believes the group has the right to arrest the bailiff for trespassing if he appears. The owners of St. Brigid’s have not responded to repeated requests for comment. The locks on the Rectory Art House, which is on the same property, were changed last Thursday so that only the owners and the 10 artists who rent studios there have access. The eviction notice taped to his door was the same as the one posted at the church, which was removed. It said the landlord had terminated the lease effective Aug. 17 for $10,000 in unpaid rent and failure to provide proof of $5 million in liability insurance. An attached notice said TUPC is also in violation of the Ontario Heritage Act for altering the appearance of the sites without the written approval of the Ontario Heritage Foundation and in violation of the Ontario Building Code Act “for failing to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for building works’ at the construction site.
The church owner does not accept rent, group claims
Komer showed reporters a copy of a $5,650 bank statement dated July 15 and an original of another draft dated Aug. 15 for the same amount. He claimed the landlord refused to accept this month’s rent. He also shared a heavily edited piece of paper with the words “certificate of insurance” across the top. The Insurance Bureau of Canada said it could not validate the certificate and that only the broker or insurer issuing it can say whether it is legitimate. However, all broker information is blacked out, making it impossible to verify TUPC’s claims. When pressed, Komer said he has provided an unredacted certificate to police, but would not share it with the CBC. TUPC said the owners of St. Brigid’s are trying to “criminally prosecute” the organization after it raised concerns “about what we understand to be violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code by the property owners.” The statement also says the church owners are chastising TUPC “for refusing to discriminate against people based on their denomination.”
Spectators sprayed water weapons during a verbal confrontation
In the early hours of Thursday, some TUPC supporters and community members got into a verbal altercation. Comer and another man wearing one of the team’s red shirts sprayed people with water guns and later joked about it on Twitter. “Operators of the People’s Security Forces (PSF) have successfully deployed unconventional rounds to repel nighttime trespassers,” the TUPC Twitter account said. “Trespassers can be soaking wet ;).” Agents of the People’s Security Forces (PSF) have successfully deployed unconventional rounds to repel nighttime trespassers in pic.twitter.com/enfrkOQNMk —@TUPOC_CA Chris Grinham was among the members of the Lowertown community. He said the lack of evictions in St. Brigid’s has the ability to become “public relations” for the police and the city. “I hope this won’t be delayed too long. The neighborhood needs to take care of it. We’ve been so busy with the escort,” he said. “At this point if [TUPC] you want to do something good for Lowertown — get out of Lowertown.’ Ottawa police described the dispute between the landlord and tenant as a “civil court matter,” not a criminal one. He said on Monday that officers had been called to the property three times over the weekend and that the force was continuing to investigate a complaint of harassment.
