Ontario Premier Doug Ford has lifted the province’s state of emergency previously declared in response to protests opposing COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. Ford’s office said in a statement on Feb. 23 that the “emergency tools” provided to law enforcement would still remain in place for now, “as police continue to address ongoing activity on the ground.” “We remain grateful to all front-line officers and first responders that contributed to peacefully resolving the situation in Ottawa, Windsor and in other parts of the province,” the statement said. Ford declared the emergency on Feb. 11, roughly two weeks after large convoys of trucks arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 29 to protest federal vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers. The protest soon expanded into a national movement, with supporters joining in to call for an end to all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. In Ontario, protestors set up a blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in …