Striking public servants and members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) surrounded several picketing locations around the Ottawa region Wednesday, including hundreds that took their spots on Parliament Hill.

At a press conference held shortly after a 9 p.m. strike deadline Tuesday night, PSAC National President Chris Aylward told reporters that more than 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) workers and 120,000 Treasury Board workers would go on strike as of one minute after midnight, with picket lines to be set up in more than 250 locations across the country, including in Ottawa and Gatineau.

All PSAC members, except about 30,000 workers deemed as essential workers, are expected to report to a picket line, making this the largest federal public service work stoppage since 1991.