Truckers from across the country have been heading east through Manitoba today as part of a large convoy headed for Ottawa in protest of COVID-19 mandates.
The "Freedom Convoy 2022" began on Sunday with routes from all over Canada headed to the nation's capital. The western route began in B.C. and made its first Manitoba stop in Brandon around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, about an hour behind schedule according to organizers.
Kevin Nolt is a Winnipeg-area trucker who was going to join the convoy until his truck broke down. Nolt says he's not necessarily anti-vax but worries about people's right to choose and about the thousands of drivers who will be out of work now that they cannot drive across the border freely. Drivers that come across the border unvaccinated would need to isolate for 14 days. The U.S. has since put in place its own mandate requiring truckers to be fully vaccinated.
"Not only that, but that will have a big impact on the supply chain," Nolt says. "There's a shortage of truckers as there is on both sides of the line." He says he doesn't believe truckers who spend most of their time alone should be mandated.
In Brandon, hundreds of people lined up on service roads near the Trans-Canada Highway as the convoy rolled through. Marilyn Ostash was there with friends and family and called it a "great day." She says it took around one hour and 15 minutes for the entire convoy to travel by.
Marilyn Ostash and friends waiting for the convoy in Brandon, Man. (Supplied)Debate surrounding convoy
On the weekend the Canadian Trucking Alliance released a statement in opposition to the convoy. "The Canadian Trucking Alliance does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges," the statement says. "CTA believes such actions – especially those that interfere with public safety – are not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed."
Organizers of the convoy responded in a video. “We’re not backing down and we are going to Ottawa,” Tamara Lich, a protest organizer from Medicine Hat, Alta., says in a Facebook Live video posted on Sunday.
Organizers describe the vaccine mandate as an example of political overreach resulting in economic harm, arguing the policy hurts small businesses and denies some workers the means to survive. They also say they are not protesting the vaccine mandates for truckers, but all mandates and lockdowns linked to the pandemic response.
Nolt says that truckers have worked through tough conditions the last two years to support the country. "When it first started it was hard to drive, hard to do your job. A lot of times we couldn't even use the washrooms in places." He says there were plenty of times he couldn't find food on the road or would have to walk through restaurant drive-thrus.
"There are not many (trucking) jobs where it's just Canada only," he says, explaining that many drivers cross the international border multiple times a week.
On Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shot back against Conservatives who were condemning the mandates, the Canadian Press reports. Trudeau says that almost 90 per cent of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, speaking on Monday to reporters. The Prime Minister made the comments after Alberta Premier Jason Kenney shared photos of empty grocery store shelves.
“I regret that the Conservative Party and Conservative politicians are in the process of stoking Canadians’ fears about the supply chain. The reality is that vaccination is how we’ll get through this.”
Conservative party leader Erin O'Toole, however, says “At every occasion, I encourage truckers to get vaccinated. That’s the best way to keep supplies flowing."
Some 30,000 trucks roll across the border each day hauling nearly $850 million in freight, according to 2020 figures from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The CTA says that anywhere between 12,000 and 16,000 Canadian drivers could be sidelined by the mandate.
Thousands line highways in eastern Manitoba
After rolling through Headingley on Tuesday afternoon, the convoy headed down the South Perimeter and east on Highway 1 to Kenora, Ont. Thousands of people lined both sides of the highways, from Headingley to at least Richer, Man., holding signs and Canadian flags as the convoy made its way down the highway.
Byran Halliday of Grunthal says he decided to show his support because he thinks too many freedoms are being taken away. He says vaccines should not be forced on anybody and notes it is disappointing how Canada's perception towards truck drivers has changed since the start of the pandemic.
"The truckers were there when the pandemic was really bad and then now all of a sudden they are not good enough to cross the border, they are not good enough to do their jobs, and that's very unfair," suggests Halliday. "Everybody stayed at home and was scared, they didn't leave, but the truckers stayed out not knowing what could happen for their health."
Mario Braun of St. Jean says he too thinks it should be up to each individual to decide whether or not to get vaccinated. Braun says he is hopeful the convoy can produce a favourable resolution.
"I'm not for violence at all and hopefully they can see our message the peaceful way before anything else happens," he says. "When people lose their jobs, people get desperate, so let's hope it doesn't get to that."
Devin Penner of St. Malo says he has vaccinated friends and unvaccinated friends and thinks what each person does with their body should be their own choice.
"I don't agree with mandating it, not allowing people to even go to church or limit the gathering sizes, limit families," says Penner. "I think it's time people stood up as a united front. I hope it stays peaceful."
Organizers say convoys from all directions are hoping to reach Ottawa on Jan. 29.
---
With files from The Canadian Press & Shannon Dueck
Fri, Apr 26, 5:00 PM
Transport, Full-time
Featured