In the thick of the "Freedom Convoy" protests, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told the federal public safety minister that he planned to undo some of Ontario's strictest COVID-19 prevention measures, according to an email written by one of the prime minister's top staffers.

On Feb. 9, Brian Clow sent himself a recap of what Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told him about a call he'd had with Ford earlier that afternoon. It was published by the commission investigating the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act, as Mendicino testified on Tuesday.

"Ford said the Chief Public Health Officer of Ontario (sic) will announce tomorrow the end of passports. On Friday, Ford will go out and announce the end of 'mandates,'" wrote Clow, deputy chief of staff to the prime minister.

By then, anti-mandate and anti-government protesters had occupied Ottawa for a week and a half. And by the end of that day, protesters linked to the Ottawa occupants had blocked traffic across Windsor's Ambassador Bridge, which facilitates hundreds of millions of dollars in Canada-U.S. trade each day, and Windsor police had asked the Ontario and federal governments for help.

The premier's plans didn't materialize as quickly as Ford is alleged to have said they would.

On Feb. 10, Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, held a press conference at Queen's Park. He did not announce the end of the province's vaccine certificate system, as Ford had told Mendicino he intended to, according to Clow's email.

Moore did, however, say the provincial government was reviewing all of its COVID-19 measures — including restrictions on businesses, masking requirements and its vaccine certificate policy.

On Feb. 11, instead of announcing "the end of mandates," the premier declared a provincial emergency, heightening punishments for protesters who disrupted important trade routes.

A few days later, on Feb. 14, the province announced a sped-up timeline for removing many pandemic restrictions. Gathering limits in Ontario were loosened on Feb. 17, while its vaccine certificate system ended on March 1.

Feb. 14 was also the date that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. It was the first and only time the law has been used in Canada's history.

Clow's email goes on to say that Ford had said he was "prepared to 'stand with the PM,'" which Mendicino had interpreted as Ford nudging the federal government to drop its vaccine mandates.

"If we don't, he may call on us to ...," it says.

Mendicino's reply was to say the protest at the Ambassador Bridge was a more immediate problem and that Ford's announcement about dropping mandates wouldn't guarantee the protesters would leave. He also said he needed Ford to instruct his then-solicitor general, Sylvia Jones, to come to the table with the federal government.

"He said he would do that," the email says.

Another record presented at the inquiry suggested there were some issues getting Jones to cooperate. Michael Jones, Mendicino's chief of staff, recounted in a group text on Feb. 11 that the last time Mendicino had asked her to offer a plan, she'd replied, "I don't take edicts from you, you're not my f--king boss."

Ford's office didn't acknowledge nor respond to QP Briefing's request to confirm the conversation described by Clow. Same goes for Sylvia Jones' office, regarding comments she's alleged to have made to Mendicino.

At Queen's Park on Tuesday, Jones didn't answer a QP Briefing reporter's questions.

"I've got a meeting. Sorry, Charlie, I've got a meeting," Jones said in a short walk between offices just after question period.

Jones, now Ontario's health minister and deputy premier, was the province's solicitor general during the convoy protests, making her responsible for public security, policing and emergency management in the province.

For his part, Mendicino downplayed the salty language in his testimony on Tuesday.

"There was definitely some colourful vernacular toward the end of that call," he told the commission. "I'm happy to say that both Minister Jones and I still enjoy a very productive and positive rapport."

Later in the evening of Feb. 9, Ford and Trudeau had a conversation of their own about the protests. A transcript of their call was published a couple of weeks ago by the Emergencies Act inquiry as well.

In it, Ford was steadfast that he couldn't "direct" the provincial police to try to end the protests. The premier also seemed more focused on clearing protests disrupting international trade rather than ending the occupation in Ottawa.

READ MORE: ‘I’ll be up their ass with a wire brush’: frustrated Ford to PM over border blockade

The weekend after Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, hundreds of police cleared protesters from the capital, bringing the occupation of Ottawa to an end on Feb. 20.

This week is the last week the Emergencies Act inquiry has scheduled hearings. Dozens of municipal, provincial, federal, police and intelligence officials have testified already. More than a handful of federal cabinet ministers are testifying, including Trudeau.

Ford and Jones don't plan to testify. They were summonsed to appear, but fought it in court and won, based on their parliamentary privilege. Ford has repeatedly said he doesn't plan to testify because the focus of the inquiry is on the federal government, not the provincial government.

Ford said he would yank COVID vax passes, mandates mid-convoy: PMO email

Read this for free.