Why an Inuit group has concerns about policing at downtown gathering spot

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He’s been frequenting the Circle since 1994.

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Ottawa police ride their bikes near the Circle close to the pedestrian underpass bridge near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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The 44-year-old man described himself as “the boss” of the group. “We are just trying to enjoy the weather and try not to cause trouble,” he said, but when things get rowdy, he steps in.

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“It’s my second home,” he said.

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Drinking beer may be a form of leisure for some, but it’s a lifeline for others in the community who struggle with alcohol addiction, Illauq said.

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“So, when they start to have withdrawals, they know they could go to Circle. Somebody will give them a beer and they won’t get sick,” he said. “Because otherwise they’re gonna start to have seizures and have to get taken by ambulance to the emergency room.”

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According to a statement form the Ottawa police, the “city’s revitalization efforts along Rideau Street and Sussex Drive” are behind the increase in police monitoring downtown.

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Since May 1, the Ottawa police say they have issued four Provincial Offence Notices in the area: one for trespassing and three related to the consumption of alcohol in a public place.

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The Ottawa Inuit Circle says police have failed to acknowledge the link between alcohol use or any other addiction and trauma, and that officers lack the right cultural and harm reduction training required.

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An Ottawa police officer rides his bike near the Circle close to the pedestrian underpass bridge near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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“In our experience, the vast majority of people in addiction got there by using alcohol to self-medicate for TRAUMA,” the group wrote in another Facebook post.

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Three friends run the Facebook care group out of pocket. The group started in 2023, during the pandemic, when outreach services like 510 Rideau, a support group targeting Indigenous homelessness, were reduced.

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Fifty-three members of the Inuit community from the Circle have died of overdoses, Illauq said.

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He said people at the Circle may often not be sober, but when the alternative is death, having a beer is a small tradeoff.

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OPS Sgt. David Brennan was one of three officers who stopped by the area Friday where the Circle and the pedestrian underpass are located.

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He was part of the first wave of police officers who came to canvass the area in the two hours the Ottawa Citizen was present on June 12, 2026.

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An Ottawa police officer rides his bike near the Circle close to the pedestrian underpass bridge near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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In an interview on scene, Brennan said he is part of the Parliament Resource Team assigned to monitor the Parliament area as part of the 2024 CORE policing initiatives.

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“We drop by from time to time, make sure everybody’s OK and that there’s no illegal activity,” he said, adding that police drop by “more than just a couple of times a day.”

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The Circle and the underpass are located in the area identified by the Ottawa police as being one of the city’s hot spots.

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According to police, the CORE initiative is a downtown strategy aimed at reducing crime in specific areas of Ottawa “by dealing with the root issues.”

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The initiative focuses its operations in the ByWard Market and Rideau Street area.

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Squirrel, who was sitting at the Circle on Friday, said officers often give a warning when they see someone with a drink and sometimes ask them to hide it. Other times, Squirrel says, they empty the cans.

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“We try to keep to ourselves,” he said. “We invite anyone with open arms and we never throw anybody away unless they’re starting s–t and fighting.”

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When asked about the recent concerns from the Ottawa Inuit Circle over an increase in fines for outdoor alcohol consumption, Brennan said he acknowledged that the Circle has been a longtime community space for the Inuit.

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“I can see from that perspective that there’s been a lot more policing happening than it was before,” he said. “The policing increased because of the public response to feeling unsafe, which of course now the Inuit community will feel like, ‘Why are we being targeted?’ I can understand that.