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dewlineOne of the things going on here in Ottawa right now is this: an activist group, Horizon Ottawa, has put together a petition to argue with City Hall and whatever other powers are able to act in favour of preventing the self-proclaimed "United People of Canada" from gaining control of the St. Brigid's Centre for the Arts building in Lowertown.
St. Brigid's used to be a church, was formally deconsecrated, and for the last decade or so has been an arts centre with a pub in the basement. Now, these "United People" - several of whose leadership have clear links to the Convoy Siege organizers, documented for the public record - want to buy up the place and turn it into a local headquarters from which - we suspect - to lay siege to Lowertown, Centretown, Sandy Hill...and the Parliamentary Precinct.
News reports and opinion columns of note on the subject:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/united-people-canada-st-brigids-lowertown-ottawa-1.6523811
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-st-brigid-s-church-united-party-of-canada-1.6540134
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2058380355875
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/group-purchasing-st-brigids-church-property-plans-space-for-all-including-those-from-freedom-movement?fbclid=IwAR0bACadubCxh7Eps9H3ykIAc4RCEziYm1o3AlbXlTJ8fi1meU_bVhuig6s
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/we-saved-a-church-in-ottawa-and-turned-it-into-an-irish-centre-1.3145309
https://www.antihate.ca/united_people_of_canadas_connections_freedom_convoy_tupoc
https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2022/07/31/where-has-the-so-called-freedom-convoy-gone-dont-look-at-us-but-lets-talk-about-it-says-a-new-ottawa-group.html
Details on the petition:
https://www.horizonottawa.ca/keep_st_bridids_a_community_space
By the by: I understand that similar purchases are being attempted across what we presently call Canada by the same group. I would call that a national-scale problem.
Update 6 Aug 2022 855 PM EST: I think the "United People" organization have a flexible definition of "death threats", going by this:
https://twitter.com/HeatherMoAndCo/status/1556070425855139842
St. Brigid's used to be a church, was formally deconsecrated, and for the last decade or so has been an arts centre with a pub in the basement. Now, these "United People" - several of whose leadership have clear links to the Convoy Siege organizers, documented for the public record - want to buy up the place and turn it into a local headquarters from which - we suspect - to lay siege to Lowertown, Centretown, Sandy Hill...and the Parliamentary Precinct.
News reports and opinion columns of note on the subject:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/united-people-canada-st-brigids-lowertown-ottawa-1.6523811
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-st-brigid-s-church-united-party-of-canada-1.6540134
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2058380355875
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/group-purchasing-st-brigids-church-property-plans-space-for-all-including-those-from-freedom-movement?fbclid=IwAR0bACadubCxh7Eps9H3ykIAc4RCEziYm1o3AlbXlTJ8fi1meU_bVhuig6s
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/we-saved-a-church-in-ottawa-and-turned-it-into-an-irish-centre-1.3145309
https://www.antihate.ca/united_people_of_canadas_connections_freedom_convoy_tupoc
https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2022/07/31/where-has-the-so-called-freedom-convoy-gone-dont-look-at-us-but-lets-talk-about-it-says-a-new-ottawa-group.html
Details on the petition:
https://www.horizonottawa.ca/keep_st_bridids_a_community_space
By the by: I understand that similar purchases are being attempted across what we presently call Canada by the same group. I would call that a national-scale problem.
Update 6 Aug 2022 855 PM EST: I think the "United People" organization have a flexible definition of "death threats", going by this:
https://twitter.com/HeatherMoAndCo/status/1556070425855139842
